Fitness Unit Study Guide

Physical Fitness

Physical fitness- Physical fitness is the ability to perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly with energy left over for enjoying leisure time activities and meeting emergency demands. It is the ability to endure, to bear up, withstand stress, to carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue and is a major basis for good health and well-being. Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart, lungs and muscles of the body. Since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness influences qualities such as mental alertness and emotional stability.

Four Components (parts) to Physical Fitness

An exercise program should include something from each of the four basic fitness components below:

1. Cardiovascular Endurance- The ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body over sustained periods of time. The best type of exercise for improving cardiovascular fitness is aerobic exercise (brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, rope jumping, aerobic dance, basketball, and soccer). It is nonstop, repetitive, strenuous physical activity that raises the breathing and heart rate.

2. Muscular Strength- The ability of a muscle group to apply a maximal force against a resistance one time (lifting a weight). Lifting weights is the best way to increase strength.

3. Muscular Endurance- The ability to repeat muscle movement over a period of time (doing 50 push-ups or sit-ups, pull-ups, weight training)

4. Flexibility- The ability to move body joints through a full range of motion Including all stretching for all parts of the body. The more flexible a person is, the less likely they will have sore or injured muscles or lower back pain. Stretches are to be performed slowly and with no bouncing. They are to be done during warm-ups and cool-downs.

Cardiovascular Endurance

According to fitness experts, the most important component of health related fitness is cardiovascular endurance. It is most likely to extend (lengthen) an individual’s life span. The benefits of aerobic exercise include: lower heart rate at rest, greater endurance, reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. To improve cardiovascular function, individuals must exercise at 70% to 85% of their maximum heart rate at least 5-6 days a week. Since the heart is a muscle, it becomes stronger when exercised. An active person has a lower resting heart rate, thus the heart pumps more blood with each beat delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body more effectively.

Measuring Your Heart Rate

Heart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity (effort) during aerobic activity. Exercise that doesn’t raise your heart rate to a certain level and keep it there for at least 20 minutes won’t contribute to improved cardiovascular fitness. The heart rate you should maintain during aerobic cardiovascular exercise is called your Target Heart Rate (THR). To find your THR, use the method below:

220- age = Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum heart rate X 70% = low range of target heart rate zone Maximum heart rate X 85% = high range of target heart rate zone

For ages 14-18 years of age, your target heart rate (THR) low to high range = 142-175

When measuring your heart rate, check your pulse at the carotid artery immediately after activity. When counting your pulse, start with the number zero and count for 15 seconds. Multiply that number by 4. When checking your heart rate during a workout, take your pulse within 5 seconds after you stop moving because it starts to go down once you stop moving.

F.I.T. Principle

F = Frequency of exercise, number of times per week I = Intensity of exercise (effort) T = Time spent exercising or number of times performed.

Terminology

1. Duration- Length of the exercise period. 2. Frequency- Number of exercise periods per week. 3. Intensity- Amount of effort expended. 4. Overload- Exercising to a greater extent than normal. 5. Progression- steady, appropriate increase in exercise. 6. Aerobic Activity- Activity that uses oxygen for 20 minutes or more (running, jogging) 7. Anaerobic Activity- Activity that does not use oxygen (golf, sprints, weight lifting) 8. Warm up- 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching/walking/jogging before activity. 9. Cool Down- 5-10 minutes of low-level stretching/walking/jogging after activity.