Chapter 3 covers exercise prescription, which is tailored fitness plans designed by specialists, including recommendations for activity type, intensity, duration, and frequency. It distinguishes between physical activity and exercise while introducing the F.I.T.T principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) for structuring workouts. The chapter also emphasizes the physical activity pyramid, detailing levels of activity from daily movement to sedentary behavior, and outlines the foundational principles of training, such as overload, progression, and specificity.

1. Exercise
Prescription
Chapter 3

2. What is Exercise Prescription?
• Exercise prescription commonly refers to
the specific plan of fitness-related
activities that are designed for a
specified purpose, which is often
developed by a fitness or rehabilitation
specialist for the client or patient.

3. Components of exercise prescription
An exercise prescription generally includes
the following specific recommendations:
• Type of exercise or activity (eg, walking,
swimming, cycling)
• Specific workloads (eg, watts, walking speed)
• Duration and frequency of the activity or exercise
session
• Intensity guidelines – Target heart rate (THR)
range and estimated rate of perceived exertion
(RPE)

4. What is the difference between physical
activity and exercise?
• Physical activity refers to the
contraction of skeletal muscle that
produces bodily movement and
requires energy.
• Exercise is a physical activity
that is planned and is performed
with the goal of attaining or
maintaining physical fitness.

5. Basic Exercise Principles
You can easily remember the basic
principles of exercise if you use
the so-called FITT factors, where
FITT stands for:
1.Frequency
2.Intensity
3.Time and
4.Type of activity

6. What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?
The F.I.T.T Principle (Frequency, Intensity,
Time, Type,) is a method used to prescribe
physical activity. It is an easy way keep things
fun and interesting.
Frequency
Frequency means how often you are completing an
activity. This can be the number of times per day or
per week.

7. Intensity
• Intensity is how hard you are working during an
activity. This could be the pace you are walking or the
amount of weight you are lifting.
Time
• Time is how long you are taking to
complete the activity. This could be
measured in seconds, minutes, or the
number of sets and reps.

8. Type
The type of physical activity you are completing
falls within the categories of the physical activity
pyramid:
1. Every day – Level 1
2. Aerobic or recreational – Level 2
3. Leisure, strength, and flexibility – Level 3
4. Sedentary time – Level 4

11. FITT PLAN CALENDAR

12. What is the Physical Activity
Pyramid?
The Physical Activity Pyramid shows the different types
of physical activity and the recommended amount of each
activity using the F.I.T.T principle.

13. Where on the Physical Activity Pyramid do
Sedentary Activities Belong?
• Sedentary activities belong on the
very top (level 4) of the physical
activity pyramid. We should reduce
or limit the time we spend in these
activities.
• When you reduce sedentary activity
and choose to be more active, you
can see many health benefits.

14. Level 1 – Everyday Activity
The base level of the Physical Activity Pyramid
includes activities you can incorporate daily.

15. Everyday
The goal is to move as much as possible
while reducing sedentary time.
• Frequency – 5-7 days per week
• Intensity – low to moderate
• Time – move more often throughout the day

16. Ways to remain active throughout the day
include:
• Stand or take a short walk every 20 to 30
minutes of seated time
• Walk to the store
• Work in your garden
• Park your car farther away from work or the
store
• Take extra steps in your day
• Walk the dog
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Bike or walk to work or to the gym
• Carry the groceries in a basket vs. using a cart

17. Level 2 – Aerobic and Recreational Activity
The second level of the Physical Activity Pyramid
includes Aerobic and Recreational Activities.

18. • Frequency – 3-5 days per week
• Intensity – moderate to vigorous
• Time – 150-300 minutes per week
• The table below shows the aerobic
target heart rates for moderate
to vigorous activities based on
age.
• Moderate physical activity
falls within the range of 50-
70% of your max heart rate
while vigorous activity falls
within 70-85% of your max
heart rate.

19. Aerobic Target Heart Rate Ranges Based On
Age in Beats Per Minute (BPM)
Age (years) 50% (BPM) 70% (BPM) 85% (BPM) Maximum
Heart
Rate (BPM)*
20 100 140 170 200
25 98 137 166 195
30 95 133 162 190
35 93 130 157 185
40 90 126 153 180
45 88 123 149 175
50 85 119 145 170
55 83 116 140 165
60 80 112 136 160
65 78 109 132 155
70 75 105 128 150
75 73 102 123 145
80 70 98 119 140
85 68 95 115 135
*Maximum heart rate = (220 – your age)

20. Aerobic Activity
• Aerobic exercises are activities you can sustain
for a longer period. These activities will make
your heart beat a little faster. You may sweat,
but you should not be “out of breath”.
• If your goal is to exercise at the moderate
intensity level, you can use the Talk Test to be
sure you are not pushing yourself too hard. When
you are in the moderate intensity exercise zone,
you should be able to talk, but not sing during
your activity.

21. Examples of aerobic activity include:
• Brisk walking
• Bicycling
• Swimming
• Jogging
• Aerobics classes
• Dancing

22. Recreational Activity
Recreational activities include activities you play as a
team or with a partner. These types of activities vary
in intensity.
Examples of recreational
activities include:
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Martial arts
• Dancing
• Hiking

23. Level 3 – Leisure, Flexibility, and Strength
Activity

24. Leisure Activity
• Leisure activities will keep you moving, walking, or
standing, but you may not experience an increase in
heart rate to the moderate level.
Examples of leisure activities include:
• Golf
• Recreational softball
• Housework
• Leisurely walking

25. Flexibility
Flexibility training can be included daily with your
other regular physical activities.
• Frequency – 3-7 days per week
• Intensity – low – stretching
Time
• Hold for 10-30 seconds – DO NOT Bounce
• Repeat 3-5 times
• Stretching
• Yoga
Examples of flexibility training include:

26. Strength Training
• Strength training activities are encouraged at least
2-3 days per week. It is also recommended that you
include 8-10 exercises that work all the major muscle
groups of the body.
• To begin, start with lower weights and higher reps
(or repetitions). For each exercise, it is
recommended to complete 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Frequency – 2-3 days per week
• Intensity – varies (muscle overload)
• Time – 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps

27. Level 4 – Sedentary Activity
The goal is to cut down on activities in level 4.

28. Sedentary Time
Level 4 of the Physical Activity Pyramid is where
sedentary activities belong. Sedentary activities include
seated or stationary activities.
Examples of sedentary time include:
• Watching TV or videos,
• Sitting at the computer,
• Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time

29. Three Phases of Exercise Program
1. Warm – Up. This prepares the body especially the
heart and circulatory system for physical activity or
exercise.
• Stretching exercises in this phase is highly recommended
to reduce risk of possible injuries.
Examples:
 Neck side to side stretch
 Tricep stretch
 Elbow in and out
 Arm Circles
 Abdominal Stretch
 Side Bends
 High Knee/ Knee Kick
 Harmstring Stretches
 Jumping Jacks
 Ankle Circle
 Standing Quadricep Stretch

30. 2. Work – Out orConditioningPhase.
• This phase should follow the principle of training
or the MFIT Formula with regards to mode,
frequency, intensity, and time of physical
activity.
• The conditioning phase follows the warm-up and is the
time when you're burning calories and moving and
grooving.
• During the conditioning phase, you should monitor the
intensity of your activity. The intensity is how hard
you’re exercising, which can be measured by checking
your heart rate.

31. 3. Cool Down
• The transition in the cool-down is now from higher intensity of
workout/conditioning phase back toward to resting status, allowing a
gradual slowing of the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and
metabolic end products
• The cool down phase is the last phase of your exercise session. It
allows your body to gradually recover from the conditioning phase. Your
heart rate and blood pressure will return to near-resting values.
• However, a cool down does not mean to sit down. In fact, for safety
reasons, don’t sit, stand still or lie down right after exercise. This
might cause you to feel dizzy, lightheaded or have heart
palpitations(fluttering in your chest).
• The best cool down is to slowly decrease the intensity of your activity.
You might also do some of the same stretching activities you did in the
warm up.

32. Principles of Training Exercise
1. Overload Principle
• The most basic of all physical activity principle that
indicates doing“ more than normal” to result in an
improved physical fitness or health benefits.
• An example of a program that uses the overload principle
would be one that prescribes squatting a prescribed weight
for five sets for one week, moving to squatting a slightly
heavier load for five sets the next week, and
progressively increasing the loads each subsequent week.

33. 2.Principle of Progression
• The principle of progression is the idea that as your
body adapts to your exercise routine, you have to
increase the intensity to continue to see enhanced
fitness.
• This can mean gradually increasing the weight,
duration, or intensity of your weight training in order
to see growth.
• The principle of progression applies to weight training
and endurance, and can be accomplished through
increased resistance, frequency, and duration.

34. 3. Principle of Specificity
• The principle of specificity of training states
that the way the body responds to physical activity
is very specific to the activity itself.
• For example, someone who jogs can expect that their
jogging performance would approve as well as
their aerobic conditioning.
• Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result -
Oriented, Time-Bound)

35. 4. Principle of Reversibility
• The principle of reversibility in fitness states that a person
will lose their exercise progress when they stop exercising.
• An example of the reversibility principle in fitness would be
a marathon runner who takes 3 months off due to a knee injury.
Over the 3 months, the runner's aerobic capacity decreases.
When the runner resumes training, they must begin with a one-
mile jog and slowly increase their distance every few days.
• The principle of reversibility can apply to sports,
cardiovascular, strength, or endurance training. The effects
of the reversibility principle can be reversed when a person
resumes training.

36. 5.Principle of Rest and Recovery
• The principle of rest and recovery is as simple as
this: rest allows your body to repair and strengthen
itself between workouts. To be effective, the rest and
recovery time that you build into your training schedule
should be proportional to the stress of exercise.
• The principle of rest and recovery (or principle of
recuperation) suggests that rest and recovery from the
stress of exercise must take place in proportionate
amounts to avoid too much stress.

37. Week Frequency Intensity Time Type
1 3 days 40% HRR 25 min walk
2 4 days 40% HRR 30 min walk
3 4 days 50% HRR 35 min walk
4 2 days 30% HRR 30 min other

38. 6. Principle of Individuality
• Everyone’s body is different, and as such, responses to
fitness training can vary widely between individuals.
• Some may experience rapid gains in strength, while others may
find that endurance activities come more naturally.
• This principle suggests that customized training programmes,
tailored to an individual’s unique physiology, are generally more
effective.
Example: Two friends decide to start a weightlifting programme
together. After a month, one friend notices significant gains in
muscle mass, while the other sees more improvement in their
endurance. Their bodies respond differently to the same stimuli,
emphasising the principle of individuality.

39. How To Determine Cardiorespiratory
Training Zone
1. Estimate your maximal heart rate (MHR)
according to the formula:
MHR: 207 – (.7 x age)
Example:
MHR: 207 – (.7 x 20)
MHR = 193 bmp

40. 2. Check your resting rate (RHR) sometime in
the evening after you have been sitting quietly
for 15-20 minutes. You may take your pulse for
30 seconds and multiply by 2,or take it for a
full minute. You can check your pulse on the
wrist by placing two or three fingers over the
radial artery or on the neck by placing your
fingers over the carotid artery
3. Determine the heart rate reserve (HRR)
by subtracting the resting heart rate from maximal
heart rate
(HRR = MHR –RHR).
HRR = 193-68 = 125 beats

41. 4. Calculate the Training Intensities (TIS) at 30,40, 50,
60, 70, 80, 90 percent.
• Multiply the heart rate reserve (HRR by the
respective .30, .40, .50,.60, .70, .80, and .90 and then
add the resting heart rate.
MHR: 207 – (.70x20)= 193 bpm
RHR: 68 bpm
HRR: 193-68= 125 Beats
30% TI = (125x.30) + 68 = 106 bpm
40% TI = (125x.40) + 68 = 118 bpm
50% TI = (125x.50) + 68 = 131 bpm
60% TI = (125x.60) + 68 = 143 bpm
70% TI = (125x.70) + 68 = 156 bpm
80% TI = (125x.80) + 68 = 168 bpm
90% TI = (125x.90) + 68 = 181 bpm

42. • Light- Intensity CR Training Zone :106 to 118 bpm
• Moderate- Intensity CR Training Zone:118 to 143 bpm
• Vigorous- Intensity CR Training Zone: 143 to 181 bpm
30% TI = (125x.30) + 68 = 106 bpm
40% TI = (125x.40) + 68 = 118 bpm
50% TI = (125x.50) + 68 = 131 bpm
60% TI = (125x.60) + 68 = 143 bpm
70% TI = (125x.70) + 68 = 156 bpm
80% TI = (125x.80) + 68 = 168 bpm
90% TI = (125x.90) + 68 = 181 bpm