 By the end of this lesson you will be able to:  Set realistic fitness goals  Synthesize information & apply critical-thinking, decision-making, & problem-solving skills to develop a personal physical activity program.  Identify the basic principles of a physical activity program.

 The first step is to set realistic goals.  Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity a day.  This can include physical education classes, playing sports, doing household tasks.  Your school or community may offer programs that provide a variety of fun and healthful physical activities.

 Cost – some activities require specialized and expensive equipment.  Where you live – you will want to do activities you can do locally without a lot of travel time.  Your level of health – some health conditions have risks that need to be considered when planning physical activities. Including different types of physical activity in your fitness program can help make it more enjoyable

 Time and Place – build your program into your daily routine.  Personal Safety – Avoid exercising in unsafe or hazardous areas.  Comprehensive Planning – select activities that will address all 5 areas of health-related fitness.

 Overload – working the body harder then it is normally worked.  Progression – the gradual increase in overload necessary to achieve higher levels of fitness.  Specificity –indicates that particular exercises and activities improve particular areas of health-related fitness. The effectiveness of a program is based on three principles:

 Cross Training – engaging in a variety of physical activities to strengthen different muscle groups.

 To gain the most from an exercise program you will want to include three basic steps for each activity. 1. Warm-Up 2. Workout 3. Cool-Down

 Warm-up – an activity that prepares the muscles for work, is the first stage in any physical activity routine.  Raises you body temperature.  Stretch large muscle groups to increase elasticity and reduce risk of injury.  Allows pulse rate to increase gradually.  A sudden increase places unnecessary strain on the heart and blood vessels.

 Workout – part of the exercise program when the activity is performed at its highest peak.  To be effective, the activity needs to follow the F.I.T.T. formula.

 Frequency – how often you do the activity each week.  You should workout at least 3-4 days a week with no more than 2 days between workouts.  Intensity – how hard you workout.  Begin slowly to build endurance. You need to reach overload to have gains in fitness.  Time/Duration – how much time you devote to a session.  Aerobic workouts should last for at least 20 – 30 minutes. Weight training for be longer with 1 –2 minutes between sets.  Type – which activities you select.  For maximum health benefits devote 75-80% of the workout to aerobic activities and 20-25% to anaerobic activities.  Choose activities that you enjoy or you may find it difficult to complete workouts.

 Cool-Down – an activity that prepares the muscles to return to a resting state.  Begin by slowing down activity and stretching for 5 minutes.

 Resting Heart Rate – the number of times your heart beats in one minute when you are not active.  This can be used to monitor your progress.  Average RHR is between 72 and 84 beats per minute.  As you become more physically fit, your RHR will decrease.  Try to have a RHR below 72.

 How can the Physical Activity Pyramid help you meet your fitness goals?  Identify & define the three principles upon which all effective fitness programs are based.  What do the letters in the F.I.T.T formula stand for?  How is your resting heart rate an indication of your level of fitness?