The document discusses the nature of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and fitness. It defines key terms like physical activity, sedentary behavior, and regular physical activity. It outlines the dimensions of physical activity including frequency, intensity, duration, and type. It discusses national physical activity guidelines for different age groups. It also outlines the physical, social, and mental health benefits of regular physical activity.

1. The Nature of Physical Activity

2. Unit 2 Outcome 2
• Students should be able to collect and analyse
data related to individual and population
levels of participation in physical activity, and
sedentary behaviour, and create and
implement strategies that promote adherence
to the National Physical Activity Guidelines.

3. Key Knowledge
• The concepts of physical activity, inactivity and sedentary behaviour
• Physical, social and mental health benefits of regular participation in
physical activity
• The increased health risks associated with being physically inactive,
including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension
and high cholesterol levels
• The dimensions of the Australian National Physical Activity Guidelines for all
stages of the Lifespan
• Current levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Australia
• Factors (demographic, social and environmental) facilitating participation in
physical activity such as age, sex, peers, family, geographic location,
physical environment and socioeconomic status
• Barriers (demographic, social and environmental) to participation in
physical activity for population groups such as males and females,
indigenous Australians, people with a disability, rural/urban, the aged,
adolescence and youth, cultural and the overweight/obese.

4. Key Skills
• Define the concepts of physical activity, inactivity and sedentary behaviours
• Participate in a variety of activities, and collect and analyse information
related to the health benefits (physical, social, emotional) of physical
activity
• Identify the consequences of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour
• Describe the National Physical Activity Guidelines across the lifespan and
assess adherence to the Guidelines
• Collect, analyse and interpret data relating to the current levels of physical
activity and sedentary behaviour in Australia
• Investigate and identify factors that influence an individual’s participation in
physical activity across the lifespan
• In an ethically sound manner, collect and analyse primary data related to
perceived barriers to participation in physical activity
• Create and implement a program that encourages compliance with the
National Physical Activity Guidelines for a given age group.

5. Assessment Tasks
1. Multiple Choice and Short Answer Test
1. Coving all aspects of theory covered in class
2. 100% of Grade
2. Physical Activity Program encouraging
compliance with the NPAG
1. S/N task

6. Overview
• Concepts of exercise
• Domains and dimensions of physical activity
• Benefits of Physical activity

7. The Nature of Physical Activity (PA)
• Physical Activity is any
bodily movement
produced by skeletal
muscles resulting in
energy expenditure
(expressed in Kilocalories)
• A kilocalorie is the
amount of heat required
to raise the temperature
of 1kg of water by 1° C.

8. Food in your bag…

9. Sedentary Behaviour
• Is behaviour associated
with sitting or lying down
• Including activities such
as
– Watching TV
– Working/playing on the
computer or video games
– Driving or sitting on the
bus or tram
– Studying, reading

11. Regular Physical Activity
Inactivity
• Not engaging in any regular
pattern of PA beyond daily
activities
• Lack of physical activity
behaviour
Sedentary behaviour
• When people are physically
inactive they are engaging
in sedentary behaviours.
• Watching TV
• Commuting by car

12. The Nature of Physical Activity (PA)
• Physical Activity
encompasses two
different branches
– Structured/planned
activities
• Often used purposefully
to maintain physical
fitness
– Incidental PA
• The primary objective is
not to be physically active
(Walking the shops)

13. Definition of Fitness
1. Come up with your own definition of fitness
2. List and describe 3 reasons why individuals
may have differential opinions regarding their
definition of fitness.

14. Definitions of fitness
• “Keeping mentally, physically and emotionally
healthy by various forms of exercise and
activities”
• The ability to perform certain tasks and
exercises
• ‘Having a healthy physical and mental state’

15. Physical Fitness
• The body’s ability to function efficiently and
effectively
• An indicator of a persons physical activity level
• Generally, a person’s resting heart rate is a
good indicator of physical fitness, the lower
the better.

16. Regular Physical Activity
• How active should we be? What does ‘regular
PA’ mean?
• Depends on the age of the person
• Depends if they’re overweight or obese
• Depends on their fitness level
• Health conditions

17. National Physical Activity Guidelines
• A government framework describing the required
frequency, intensity, duration and types of
activities different groups of people should
participate in on a weekly basis.
• Groups
• Infants (0-5)
– Children (5 - 12)
– Youth (12 – 18)
– Adults (19 – 55)
– Older Adults

18. Dimensions of PA
• 4 Key dimensions:
– Frequency
– Intensity
– Duration (Time)
– Type
In your groups, discuss and report back to the group on
1. Describe what the dimension means in terms of PA
2. How each dimension can be measured.

19. Activity Type
 Lifestyle PA
EG: gardening, occupational activity, social activity, school sport/PE,
shopping
 Active aerobic
EG: Boxing, walking, running, dancing, swimming
 Active sports and recreation
EG: team sports, athletics, rock climbing, swimming, paintball
 Exercise for flexibility
EG: yoga, gymnastics, dancing, palates, zumba
 Exercise for strength and muscular endurance
EG: gym/weights, ironman, field events, running/riding/swimming
 Rest/inactivity
EG: sleeping, tv, computer, school

20. Intensity
• Categories: Light, Moderate and Vigorous
(Which are based on how much effort is
required while engaging the the PA)
• Determining Intensity:
– Talk Test
– Target heart rates and estimated maximum heart
rate
– Metabolic Equivalent Level (MET)

21. Talk Test
• If you can carry out
conversation while
exercising, you are
considered to working
at a light-moderate
intensity
• If no conversation is
possible, you are
working at a vigorous
intensity

22. Target heart rate and estimated
maximum heart rate
• bpm
• Measured either
electronically or
manually
• Intensity determined by
different zones
• Light = Below 50% of
your maximum HR
• Moderate = Between 50
and 70% of your
maximum HR
• Vigorous = Above 70%
of max HR

23. Metabolic Equivalent Level (MET)
• 1.0 METs is considered
to be a resting
metabolic rate
• A MET of 4.0 is
therefore an intensity 4
times higher than
resting levels
• METs are based on the
amount of O2 being
consumed

25. Classification of Intensity
• Low
• Moderate
• Vigorous

26. Low Intensity PA
• Less than 3 METs
• Walking, gardening,
housework, light
stretching

27. Moderate intensity PA
• 3 -6 METs
• HR between 50-70% of
Max HR
• Brisk walking, golf
(pulling own buggy),
recreational swimming,
lifting weights, dancing

28. Vigorous Intensity PA
• 7 or more METs
• Above 70% of Max HR
• Race walking, running,
swimming laps, bike
riding (above 16km/h),
playing tennis (singles),
circuit training

29. 4 Domains of PA
Leisure time PA
EG:
Occupational PA
EG: at work – builder, bricky, plumber, chef, daycare,
PT, professional athletes
Active transport PA
EG: Riding to work/school/shops
Household/gardening PA
EG: cutting grass, painting house, cooking, cleaning,
vacuuming

30. Benefits of Physical Activity
• Physical
• Social
• Mental Health
• Come up with your own list of each…

31. Physical Benefits
• Reducing the risk of
developing:
– Cardiovascular disease
– Type 2 diabetes
– High Blood Pressure
– Colon cancer and
possibly other cancers
– Osteoporosis

32. Physical Benefits
• Build and maintain healthy
bones and muscles
• Improve posture
• Achieve and maintain a healthy
body weight
• Protect against musculoskeletal
injuries in children
• Lower total blood cholesterol
and triglycerides, and increase
HDL (good cholesterol) levels
• Keep older adults physically
strong and better able to move
about without falling or
becoming tired

33. Social Benefits
• Social reward of participating
in physical activity
• Opportunity to make new
friends and strengthen
existing relationships
• Provide opportunities for
social interaction
• Help build community
networks
• Reduce social isolation and
exclusion
• Reduce workplace absence
due to illness
• Increase independence in
older people

34. Mental Health Benefits
• Improved mood
• Reduced incidence of
depression, anxiety and
stress
• Improved self-esteem
• Increased potential for
people with chronic
disabling conditions to
perform regular physical
activity
• Improved sleep

35. Mental Health Benefits
• Greater energy
• More positive perceptions
of peoples self and identity
• Improved cognitive
function:
– There is evidence that PA
can promote some aspects
of cognitive function such as
memory, reasoning,
problem solving and spatial
awareness
– It can also prevent the
degeneration of cognitive
function in older adults