CHAPTER
23
Health-Related
Physical Fitness
and Physical Activity
Francis X. Short
Chapter 23 Health-Related Physical Fitness and Physical Activity
Health-Related Physical Fitness
and Physical Activity
• Health, physical fitness, and physical
activity are related.
• Each can influence and be influenced by the
others.
• Figure 23.1 in the text demonstrates this
relation (see next slide).
Relations Among Physical Activity,
Health, and Health-Related Fitness
Physical Activity
• Defined as any bodily movement produced
by skeletal muscle resulting in a substantial
increase in resting energy expenditure.
• Categories include exercise, sport, training,
play, dance, work, and domestic chores.
• Patterns of physical activity are arranged by
changing frequency, intensity, and time
(duration).
Health
• Is a human condition with physical, social,
and psychological dimensions, each
characterized on a continuum with positive
and negative poles.
• Positive health is associated with the
capacity to enjoy life and withstand
challenges; positive health is not merely the
absence of disease.
(continued)
Health (continued)
• Negative health is associated with morbidity
and, in the extreme, premature mortality.
• Categories include physiological health (the
organic well-being of the person) and
functional health (the capability of the
person to perform important daily
activities).
Physical Fitness
• Defined as a set of attributes that people
have or achieve that relates to the ability to
perform physical activity.
• Categories include skill-related fitness and
health-related fitness.
• Components of skill-related fitness include
power, speed, agility, balance, coordination,
and reaction time.
(continued)
Physical Fitness (continued)
• Health-related fitness refers to those components
of fitness that are affected by habitual physical
activity and relate to health status.
• Health-related fitness is defined as a state
characterized by (a) an ability to perform and
sustain daily activities and (b) demonstration of
traits or capacities associated with a low risk of
premature development of diseases and conditions
related to movement.
Health-Related Physical Fitness
Components of health-related fitness include
aerobic functioning (including aerobic
capacity and aerobic behavior), body
composition, and musculoskeletal functioning
(including muscular strength, muscular
endurance, and flexibility).
Physical Fitness and Health
• Acceptable levels of aerobic capacity are
associated with a reduced risk (in adults) of
hypertension, coronary heart disease,
obesity, diabetes, some forms of cancer,
and other health problems.
• Obesity has been associated with diabetes,
coronary heart disease, high blood
pressure, arthritis, and some forms of
cancer.
(continued)
Physical Fitness and Health (continued)
• Obesity has also been linked to higher rates
of all-cause mortality and to increased risk
factors for heart disease in children.
• Logical relations exist between
musculoskeletal functioning and health.
• Certain levels of strength, endurance, and
flexibility are necessary to perform
important activities of daily living.
(continued)
Physical Fitness and Health (continued)
• With few exceptions, research that has
compared the fitness performance of people
with and without disabilities has found that
the fitness levels of people with disabilities
generally is below that of their peers
without disabilities.
• This suggests that people with disabilities
have greater fitness-related health risks.
Physical Activity and
Health-Related Physical Fitness
• People with and without disabilities can
improve their fitness through physical
activity.
• An important first step is to personalize
fitness by asking the question, “Fitness for
what purpose?”
• Consider which components to target.
Which tests and standards will you use to
monitor?
Patterns of Physical Activity
• Frequency, intensity, and time of various
types of activity can be manipulated to yield
gains in physical fitness.
• Frequency = how often (e.g., days/week).
• Intensity = how hard (e.g., heart rate, RPE,
resistance, perceived discomfort).
• Time = how long (e.g., minutes/session).
Physical Activity
Recommendations for Fitness
Aerobic functioning
• See page 448 in the text for summary
recommendations.
• Adolescents need 3 to 5 days per week at
55% to 90% of maximum heart rate for 20 to
60 minutes per day.
• Children need less intensity but more
frequency and time.
Aerobic Functioning
Adjustments for youngsters with disabilities
• Frequency: No change unless disability can
be exacerbated by regular activity.
• Intensity: Reduce as a function of fitness
level and adjust target heart rate zone for
arms-only activity and for quadriplegia.
• Time: Accumulate more intermittent activity
or reduce total time, if necessary.
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Body Composition
• Weight-loss goals generally can be
achieved by following aerobic functioning
guidelines.
• When weight loss is a higher priority than
aerobic functioning, the recommendation is
30 to 60+ minutes per day of moderate
activity conducted 4 to 7 days per week.
• Expending 1,000 kcals per week is another
goal option.
(continued)
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Body Composition (continued)
• Adjustments for youngsters with disabilities
are similar to those adjustments made for
aerobic functioning.
• Obesity is often a problem for people with
disabilities largely caused by inactivity.
• Activity programs might need to be
coordinated with the home to achieve
frequency and time guidelines and to
monitor diet.
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Muscular Strength and Endurance
• Do at least one set of 8 to 10 exercises at
least twice per week (with at least one day
of rest between sessions).
• Do 8 to 12 reps per set for strength.
• Do 12 to 15 reps per set for endurance.
• Intensity is a function of the amount of
resistance that is overcome within the reps
or is expressed through RPE.
(continued)
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Muscular Strength and Endurance
(continued)
• Generally, few adjustments are necessary for
young people with disabilities .
• However, amount of resistance (intensity)
often will be lower.
• Some might benefit from a reduction in the
number of exercises (down from 8 to 10).
• Consult a physician for those with medical
conditions.
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Flexibility and Range of Motion
• At least three exercise sessions should be
done each week; each stretch should be
held for 15 to 30 seconds and repeated
three to five times per session.
• Intensity is a function of perceived mild
discomfort during the stretch.
• Stretching generally is more effective after
the muscle tissue is warm.
(continued)
Physical Activity Recommendations
for Flexibility and Range of Motion
(continued)
• When making adjustments for youngsters
with disabilities, active assisted stretching
and PNF techniques might be used to
complement active stretching.
• Increased frequency (up to two to three times
daily) and durations (stretches that last 10
minutes or more) might be necessary for
those with physical disabilities, including
cerebral palsy.
Physical Activity and Health
• Regular activity can reduce the risk of
premature mortality and the risk of
acquiring coronary heart disease,
hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes.
• Regular exercise also appears to reduce
depression and anxiety, improve mood, and
enhance ability to perform daily tasks.
(continued)
Physical Activity and Health (continued)
• CDC–ACSM joint recommendation: All
Americans should accumulate at least 30
minutes of moderate-level physical activity
on most, preferably all, days of the week.
• COPEC: There is greater emphasis on time
(30-60+ min/day) and accumulation of
intermittent activity with children.
(continued)
Physical Activity and Health (continued)
• For people with disabilities, moderate levels
of physical activity can
– improve acceptance of disability,
– provide a more independent attitude,
– reduce suicidal tendencies,
– improve self-esteem,
– decrease development of secondary conditions, and
– increase functional independence.
(continued)
Physical Activity and Health (continued)
• But, adults with disabilities generally are
less active than adults without disabilities.
• Barriers to physical activity for people with
disabilities include
– intrinsic barriers (e.g., motivation, interest),
– resource barriers (e.g., expenses, transportation),
and
– architectural/structural barriers (e.g., access to
facilities and knowledgeable instructors).
(continued)
Physical Activity and Health (continued)
• Restoring activity, mobility, and
participation (RAMP)
• Components:
– Provide access.
– Increase participation.
– Promote adherence.
– Improve health and function.
• Goal: sustainable lifestyle change
Adapted Physical Education Goals:
Fitness or Activity?
• Option 1: Strive to attain guidelines for
improving health-related fitness.
• Functional independence may be at stake.
• Option 2: Strive to attain CDC–ACSM or
COPEC guidelines for physical activity.
• May be more easily attained by some students.
• May be more easily measured by teachers.