The Muscular System

The muscular system is the anatomical system most directly affected by exercise.Although bones and joints form the body's framework,the activity of muscles is what makes movement possible.The bodycontains three types of muscle:skeletal,smooth and cardiac.Skeletal and cardiac muscles are related to physical activity.

Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle forms an elaborate system of individual muscles that fasten onto the skeleton,thus enabling the bones to move at the joints.Understanding the postions and functions of each skeletal muscle is important to a fitness leader as well as the sports physician or team player,Your ability to maintain an upright posture is due to well-conditioned skeletal muscle.

But skeletal muscle doesn't work alone.Its supportive companions are layers of connective tissue and tendons.Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones by tendons,and the location of tendons normally determines their names.Tendons are located at the attachment points to the bones of the skeleton.

Skeletal muscles constitute a large portion of total body weight.Since you're able to consciously direct and control the movement of skeletal muscles,they're described as voluntary muscles.Therefore,you're able to strengthen sketal muscle by exercise conditioning.