Principles of Fitness PE 901/902

Principles of Fitness What is Fitness? 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.

Fitness & Activity Guidelines Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans as stated by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Children & Adolescents (Age 6-17) Children and adolescents should do 1 hour (60 minutes) or more of physical activity every day. Most of the 1 hour or more a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. As part of their daily physical activity, children and adolescents should do vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days per week. They also should do muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week.

Fitness & Activity Guidelines Adults (Age 18 – 64) Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous- intensity aerobic physical activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week. Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.

Components of Fitness Cardiorespiratory – The ability of the body to perform prolonged, large-muscle, dynamic exercise at moderate-to- high levels of intensity.

Components of Fitness Muscular Strength – The amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximum effort. = 1 Rep. Max Metabolism – The sum of all the vital processes by which food energy and nutrients are made available to and used by the body.

Components of Fitness Muscular Endurance – The ability of the muscle or group of muscles to remain contracted or to contract repeatedly for long periods of time.

Components of Fitness Flexibility – The range of motion in a joint or group of joints. Static Stretching – A technique in which a muscle is slowly and gently stretched and then held in the stretched position. Ballistic Stretching – A technique in which muscles are stretched by the force generated as a body part is repeatedly bounced, swung, or jerked. Dynamic Stretching – A technique in which muscles are stretched by moving joints slowly and fluidly through their range of motion in a controlled manner.

Components of Fitness Stretching

Components of Fitness Body Composition – The proportion of fat and fat-free mass in the body. A physically fit individual will have a low percentage of body fat. The proportion of body fat to lean body tissue is better determination of physical fitness than body weight.

Components of Fitness Skill-related Fitness – Physical capacities that contribute to performance in a sport or activity: Speed Power Agility Balance Coordination Reaction and movement time

FITT Principle FITT Principle – The amount of overload needed to maintain or improve a particular level of fitness for a particular fitness component, determined through the four dimensions: Frequency - how often Intensity – how hard Time – how long Type – mode of activity

Fitness Principles Overload – principle that states in order for the body to become more physically fit it must be worked against a load greater than normal. Progression – Closely related to the overload principle. It states the exercise load should be increased gradually. Specificity – If you are training for a specific activity, it is best to perform the actual movement required in the activity. Training is specific to the cells and to the structural and functional elements within the cells.

Fitness Principles Adaptation – The body adapts to exercise and doesn’t wear but actually gets better. Adaptation is often called “Supercompensation” Recovery – During recovery the body overcompensates to a higher physiological level than which it originally started. The need of recovery time varies based on the individual and other factors such as age, conditioning level and previous experience with recovery.

Fitness Principles Reversibility – The training principle that fitness improvements are lost when demands on the body or lowered. (Reducing or withdrawing the FITT components) Overtraining – A condition caused by training too much or too intensely, characterized by lack of energy, decreased physical performance, fatigue, depression, aching muscles and joints, and susceptibility to injury. Lactic Acid – A metabolic acid resulting from the metabolism of glucose and glycogen; an important source of fuel for many tissues of the body, its accumulation may produce fatigue. Exercise training increases the body’s ability to cope with these substances.

Fitness Principles Aerobic Activity – dependent on the presence of oxygen, i.e.: running a long distance. Anaerobic Activity – Occurring in the absence of oxygen, i.e.: Sprinting, lifting weights 1 rep.