This document discusses the basic principles of physical fitness. It notes that physical activity levels have declined in the U.S., with over half of adults not meeting recommended activity levels. Physical activity is defined as any body movement requiring energy, while exercise is planned physical activity designed to improve fitness. Physical fitness has five health-related components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. The document outlines guidelines for developing an exercise program, including setting goals and choosing activities to target different fitness components. It stresses the importance of progressive overload and varying workouts over time to continue improving physical fitness.
2. Physical Activity and Exercise
for Health and Fitness
Physical activity levels have declined
Healthy People 2010:
More than 55% of U.S. adults do not engage
in recommended amounts of activity
25% are not active at all
4. Physical Activity on a
Continuum
Physical activity:
any body movement carried out by the skeletal muscles
and requiring energy
Exercise:
planned, structured, repetitive movement of the body
designed to improve or maintain physical fitness
Physical fitness:
a set of physical attributes that allows the body to respond
or adapt to the demands and stress of physical effort
5. Lifestyle Physical Activity
For health promotion:
Expend about 150 calories—equivalent to 30
minutes of brisk walking—on most days
For health promotion and weight
management:
Engage in 60 or more daily minutes of
activity to prevent unhealthy weight gain
Engage in 60-90 daily minutes of activity to
sustain weight loss
7. Exercise to Develop Physical Fitness
Lifestyle physical activity improves health
but may not improve fitness
A structured, formal exercise program
improves physical fitness and provides
even greater health improvements
8. How Much Physical
Activity Is Enough?
Moderate-intensity versus high-intensity
exercise
Continuous versus intermittent exercise
Low-intensity exercise improves health
but may not be very beneficial for
improving physical fitness
10. Health-Related Components
of Physical Fitness
Health-related fitness = physical
capacities that contribute to health
Five components:
1. Cardiorespiratory endurance = the ability of the
body to perform prolonged, large-muscle,
dynamic exercise at moderate-to-high levels of
intensity
11. Health-Related Components of
Physical Fitness
2. Muscular strength = the amount of force
a muscle can produce with a single
maximum effort
3. Muscular endurance = the ability of a
muscle or group of muscles to remain
contracted or to contract repeatedly
4. Flexibility = the range of motion in a joint
or group of joints
14. Specificity—Adapting to
Type of Training
The body adapts to the particular type and
amount of stress placed on it
To develop a particular fitness component,
perform exercises specifically designed for
that component
15. Progressive Overload—Adapting
to Amount of Training
Placing increasing amounts of stress on
the body causes adaptations that improve
fitness; progression is critical
FITT principle for overload:
Frequency—How often
Intensity—How hard
Time—How long (duration)
Type—Mode of activity
16. Reversibility—Adapting to a
Reduction in Training
Fitness improvements are lost when
demands on the body are lowered
If you stop exercising, up to 50% of
fitness improvements are lost within 2
months
17. Individual Differences—
Limits on Adaptability
Everyone is NOT created equal from a
physical standpoint
There are large individual differences in
ability to improve fitness, body
composition, and sports skills
18. Designing Your Own
Exercise Program
Medical clearance
Fitness assessment
Setting goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time frame specific
19. Designing Your Own
Exercise Program
Choosing activities for a balanced
program
Include activities to develop health-related
components of physical fitness
22. Guidelines for Training
Train the way you want your body to
change
Train regularly
Start slowly, and get in shape gradually;
do not overtrain
Warm up before exercise
Cool down after exercise
Exercise safely
23. Guidelines for Training
Listen to your body, and get adequate rest
Cycle the volume and intensity of your workouts
Try training with a partner
Vary your activities
Train your mind
Fuel your activity appropriately
Have fun
Track your progress
Keep your exercise program in perspective