1
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
The five (5) components of physical fitness are body composition,
cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance.
Everyone can improve and achieve optimal levels in these areas. Everyone can achieve
optimal results in the fitness components. An active lifestyle provides many health
benefits to participants in terms of emotional, physical, and mental. Physical activity
strengthens your heart, muscles, and makes you feel good about yourself. This leads to
confidence ion your abilities to try things and be successful in many areas of life. Lack of
exercise and being overweight are two of the major health risks for people of all ages.
BODY COMPOSITION: Refers to the amount of fat mass as compared to lean
mass. Lean mass is composed of muscle, bones, organs, blood and body fluids, skin, and
connective tissue. Some fat is necessary for life such as brain and nervous system
function, hormones production and balance, and body temperature control.
BODY MASS INDEX: (BMI) is the relationship of height and weight in terms
of a ratio. It is the current rating scale used by the medical profession to assess healthy
weight. Extra pounds lead to extra health risks. It is a mathematical formula in which
BMI = weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) squared. The equation looks like
this BMI = kg/m2 . Underweight is generally meaning 10% under normal. Overweight is
generally 10% over normal weight. Obese is 20% or more over normal weight. The
following charts are mostly for adults but children can go online to assess their BMI.
BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
ACCEPTANCE MEASURE
18.4 or Less
Underweight
18.5 – 24.9
Normal
25.0 – 29.9
Overweight
30.0 – 34.9
Mildly Obese
35.0 – 39.9
Obese
40.0 and Greater
Extremely Obese
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011
2
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
To use this chart: Find your height in inches in the left column. Track the row to the right
until you are at or near your weight in pounds. Then go vertical to the top row and you
have your BMI.
BMI 19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
35
40
HT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
WT
(in)
(lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs)
58
91
96
100
105
110
115
119
124
129
134
138
143
167
191
59
94
99
104
109
114
119
124
128
133
138
143
148
173
198
60
97
102
107
112
118
123
128
133
138
143
148
153
179
204
61
100
106
111
116
122
127
132
138
143
148
154
159
185
211
62
104
109
115
120
126
131
136
142
147
152
158
164
191
218
63
107
113
118
124
130
135
141
146
152
158
163
169
197
225
64
110
116
122
128
134
140
145
151
157
163
169
174
204
232
65
114
120
126
132
138
144
150
156
162
168
174
180
210
240
66
118
124
130
136
142
148
155
161
168
174
181
187
217
247
67
121
127
134
140
146
153
159
166
173
180
186
193
223
255
68
125
131
138
144
151
158
164
171
177
184
190
197
230
262
69
128
135
142
149
155
162
169
176
182
189
196
203
236
270
70
132
139
146
153
160
167
174
181
188
195
202
207
243
278
71
136
143
150
157
165
172
179
186
193
200
208
215
250
286
72
140
147
154
162
169
177
184
191
199
206
213
221
258
294
73
144
151
159
166
174
182
189
197
204
212
219
227
265
302
74
148
155
163
171
179
186
194
202
210
218
225
233
272
311
75
152
160
168
176
184
192
200
208
216
224
232
240
279
319
76
156
164
172
180
189
197
205
213
221
230
238
246
287
328
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
3
CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE: “Cardi” means heart, “o” is a connecting letter,
“vascular” means vessels as in blood vessels, and “endurance” means over time or long
lasting. Cardio-training is also called “aerobic” training. Think of the word “aer” “o”
“bic” mean “with air” and indicates that you must be breathing or exchanging oxygen and
carbon dioxide. On the other hand, “an” “a” “aer” “o” “bic” (anaerobic) means “without
air”. Some Benefits of improved cardiovascular endurance are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Improved heart functions
Helps to control blood pressure
Reduced chance of heart disease
Reduced body fat
Improved quality of sleep
Feelings of relaxation
7. Firmer muscle tone
8. Increased feeling of
accomplishment
9. Reduced anxiety
10. Better performance on timed
exercise tests
FLEXIBILITY: The ability to move a joint through its full range of motion.
Benefits of flexibly include:
1. Reduced risk of injury
2. Decreased aches and pains
3. Improved athletic performance
4. Makes you feel good
5. Allows your body to move more
easily and freely
MUSCLE STRENGTH: The one-time use of a maximum force with a muscle.
MUSCLE ENDURANCE: The use of the muscle over time but not with maximum
force, such as performing many repetitions with a lighter weight. Benefits of muscular
fitness include :
1. Weight control - Increased
metabolic rate (burns more
energy all the time)
2. Improved appearance
3. Increased feeling of
accomplishment
4. Increased energy level
5. Improved athletic performance Increased motor performance
6. Injury prevention
7. Decrease in cholesterol
8. Better bone strength/bone
density
9. Increased capacity for work
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
4
DESIGNING YOUR PROGRAM:
PRINCIPLES of TRAINING:
OVERLOAD means that you must work at an intensity level that
challenges you beyond your normal everyday situation. You are increasing the load on
your system over the normal status quo. Usually the increase is 5% of the previous
workload.
PROGRESSION principle is the stepwise overloading during the course of
the training program over time. An example would be when we begin with 3 pushups the
first week, increasing it to 5 pushups the following week, 8 the next week, and so on and
so on.
SPECIFICITY principle is training in the areas or type of activity you
want to improve. Such as being a better basketball shooter means you practice form
shooting and shooting from all positions on the court. You don’t train in throwing a
baseball to a target at various distances to be a better basketball shooter.
F.I.T.T. =
F = Frequency (how often you exercise)
I = Intensity (how hard you are working when exercising)
T = Time (how long is spent exercising?)
T = Type (what type of exercise is being done?)
Cardiovascular Guidelines:
•
•
•
•
Frequency: 3-5 times a week
Intensity: 55-90% of maximal heart rate
Time: 20-60 minutes per session
Type: walking, jogging, running, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing,
dancing are but a few examples
INTENSITY: It is extremely important that you exercise at a level that challenges
you or develops you to be better. The two most common measures of intensity for
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
5
cardiovascular endurance are the maximum heart rate, training heart rate, and an easy
estimation called the “talk test”.
Talk Test: If you can talk while aerobically exercising, you are probably at the
lower end of the intensity range (55-65%). If you can say of few words but not
continuously, you are at mid-range intensity (66-75%). If it is difficult to talk while
exercising, then you are the higher end of the range (76-90%). 90% is used primarily in
Highly Fit or World Class athletes and then in short bursts only. You must be aware of
your starting point for training and then increase the intensity slowly as you develop
stamina.
Maximum Heart Rate: a formula that sets a top or maximal heart rate (beats per
minute). This is the basis for determining a training or target heart rate. Below are the
equations and example solutions for a certain given percentage.
Max. Heart Rate (MHR) = 220 – age.
Training or Target Heart Rate (THR) = 55% - 90% MHR
Beginners’ level = .55 * MHR
Intermediates’ level = .70 * MHR
Advance level = .90 * MHR
The athlete in training is 17 years of age. The solutions would be:
MHR = 220 – 17 = 203
BTHR = .55 * 203 = 111.65
ITHR = .70 * 203 = 142.1
ATHR = .9 * 203 = 182.7
112 beats per minute
142. beats per minute
183 beats per minute
Strength Training Guidelines:
•
•
•
•
Frequency: 2-3 sessions per week
Intensity: perform each set/repetitions until muscle failure or near
muscle fatigue
Time: 1-3 sets of 8 - 20 repetitions per set
Type: weight lifting, functional training (sit-ups, pushups, pull-ups,
squats, lunges, etc), or resistance bands
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011
The Benefits of Physical Fitness
Study Guide
6
General Workout Notes:
1. WARM-Up: Always take 3-5 minutes of general body warm-up in a
cardiovascular manner to get the body and mind prepared for the workout.
2. Exercise order is typically large to small muscle groups
3. You can break up your routine between body sections such as arms, chest, back,
legs, and core. Speed versus endurance training. Skill versus strategy.
4. Always exhale when going AGAINST gravity. NEVER EVER hold your breath.
5. TEMPO: always use a rhythm or tempo to your lifting. Move the weight in a
slow controlled manner.
6. Concentric and Eccentric lifting: Concentric contraction occurs when the muscle
contracts and results in shortening of the muscle. Also known as a positive lift. A
negative or Eccentric contraction occurs when the muscle contracts while being
lengthened. It is the working against gravity by slowing the pull to the center of
the end by gravity = slowing down the rate of descent.
7.
Regularity: you must workout consistently to benefit from strength training.
8. COOL-Down: always take 5-10 minutes to work at a low intensity of the activity
you are completing. Follow up with some static (No bounce) stretching of the
major muscle groups.
Denlinger
Revised 2010-2011