Physical fitness & conditioning Concepts of physical fitness UNIT OBJECTIVES By the end of this you should be able to: Define physical fitness, physical activity, physical exercise and sport Understand the benefits of physical fitness Realize general principles of fitness training Make behavior modification to stay fit Meanings and definitions of terms Physical fitness It is an ability to meet the ordinary, as well as unusual demands of daily life safely and effectively without being overly fatigued. Simply it is the body’s ability to function effectively and efficiently, and contributes the total quality of life. Contd… General fitness implies the ability of a person to live most effectively with his and her potentials, which depend upon the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual components of fitness which are highly interrelated. physical fitness can be divided into two areas: health related physical fitness and skill related physical fitness . Importance of physical fitness The totally fit person has a healthy and happy outlook towards life. It breeds self- reliance and keeps man mentally alert. Physical fitness is essential for human beings to adjust well with his environment as his mind and body are in complete harmony. physical fitness is an important part of the normal growth and development of a child, Physical Activity It is bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. Based on predominant physiologic effect, physical activity can be categorized in to aerobic physical activity and anaerobic physical activity. Contd…. Aerobic physical activity includes forms of activity that are intense enough and performed long enough to maintain or improve an individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness. Aerobic activities such as walking, basketball, soccer, or dancing, commonly require the use of large muscle groups. “aerobic” activity has come to mean physical activity that would be expected to maintain or improve cardiorespiratory fitness or aerobic capacity.(oxygen) Contd… Anaerobic physical activity refers to highintensity activity that exceeds the capacity of the cardiovascular system to provide oxygen to muscle cells for the usual oxygen consuming metabolic pathways. Anaerobic activity can be maintained for only about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinting and power lifting are examples of anaerobic physical activity. Physical Exercise The term "exercise" has been used interchangeably with "physical activity", and, in fact, both have a number of common elements. Exercise is physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposive in the sense that improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is an objective. Contd… The formula relating physical activity and exercise is: kcalExerclse + kcalNonexercise` = kcalTotal daily Physical activity Exercise is usually goal related and designed in the sense that the improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness (i.e., endurance, strength, flexibility etc…). Sport It is an organized, competitive form of play. Sport is, above all, competitive activity. We cannot think of sport without thinking of competition, for without the competition, sport becomes simply play or recreation. Play can at times be sport, but strictly speaking, sport is never simple play; the competitive aspect is essential to the nature of sport. General principles of fitness training The human body adapts well when exposed to stress. The term stress, within the context of exercise, is defined as an exertion above the normal, everyday functioning. The specific activities that result in stress vary for each individual and depend on a person’s level of fitness. Contd… Although stress is relative to each individual, there are guiding principles in exercise that can help individuals manage how much stress they experience to avoid injury and optimize their body’s capacity to adapt. Knowing a little about these principles provides valuable insights needed for organizing an effective fitness plan. Principles of Training By using the principles of training as a framework we can plan a personal training programme that uses scientific principles to improve performance, skill, game ability and physical fitness. A successful training programme will meet individual needs which are personal fitness needs based on age, gender, fitness level and the sport for which we are training. A successful training programme will also include exercise in the correct heart-rate target zone. The key principles when planning a programme are: • • • • Specificity – training must be matched to the needs of the sporting activity to improve fitness in the body parts the sport uses. Overload - fitness can only be improved by training more than you normally do. You must work hard. Progression – start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise and keep overloading. Reversibility – any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be reversed when you stop training. If you take a break or don’t train often enough you will lose fitness. FITT principles In • • • • planning a programme, use the FITT principles to add the detail: Frequency - decide how often to train. Intensity - choose how hard to train. Time - decide for how long to train. Type - decide which methods of training to use. You should also consider the principle of moderation. It is important to have rest periods which allow the body to adapt. Too much training (overtraining) can lead to injury. Methods of training • • Training can be aerobic or anaerobic. In aerobic exercise, which is steady and not too fast, the heart is able to supply enough oxygen to the muscles. Aerobic training improves cardiovascular fitness. Anaerobic exercise is performed in short, fast bursts where the heart cannot supply enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic training improves the ability of the muscles to work without enough oxygen when lactic acid is produced. Contd… • • • Specific training methods can be used to improve each fitness factor. Circuit training involves performing a series of exercises in a special order called a circuit. Each activity takes place at a 'station'. It can be designed to improve speed, agility, coordination, balance and muscular endurance. Continuous training involves working for a sustained period of time without rest. It improves cardio-vascular fitness. Cross training involves using another sport or activity to improve your fitness. It happens when an athlete trains in a different environment. For example a volleyball player uses the power training for that sport to help with fitness for long jump. Contd… • • • • Fartlek training or 'speed play' training involves varying your speed and the type of terrain over which you run, walk, cycle or ski. It improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Interval training involves alternating between periods of hard exercise and rest. It improves speed and muscular endurance. Weight training uses weights to provide resistance to the muscles. It improves muscular strength (high weight, low reps), muscular endurance (low weight, high reps, many sets) and power (medium weight and reps performed quickly). Altitude training is aerobic training high above sea level, where oxygen levels are lower. It is used to increase aerobic fitness quickly. Contd.. • • • • To train effectively you must know: your current level of fitness the amount of aerobic training you need for your sport the amount of anaerobic training you need for your sport For example, sprinters use mainly anaerobic training and marathon runners use mainly aerobic training. You can use your maximum heart rate (MHR) to calculate how hard you should work your heart to develop either aerobic or anaerobic fitness. To calculate MHR: 220 - age = MHR Stages of a training session 1. • • • Warm up Whole body exercise to raise heart rate and body temperature. Stretching to prepare muscles, ligaments and joints. Practicing skills and techniques to be used in the session. Contd… 2. Main activity - this could be: • fitness training - which may be linked to repeated technique work • skill development - drills or team practices • modified or conditioned games 3. Warm down (sometimes called cool down) • Light exercise to help remove carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other waste products. • Gentle stretching to prevent muscle soreness and stiffness later. Principle of Rest, Recovery, and Periodization The principle of rest and recovery (or principle of recuperation) suggests that rest and recovery from the stress of exercise must take place in proportionate amounts to avoid too much stress. One systematic approach to rest and recovery has led exercise scientists and athletes alike to divide the progressive fitness training phases into blocks, or periods. This training principle, called periodization. Periodization It is especially important to serious athletes but can be applied to most exercise plans as well. The principle of periodization suggests that training plans incorporate phases of stress followed by phases of rest. Training phases can be organized on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even multi-annual cycles, called micro-, meso-, and macrocycles, respectively. overtraining syndrome Without periodization, the stress from exercise would continue indefinitely eventually leading to fatigue, possible injury, and even a condition known as overtraining syndrome. Symptoms include the following: weight loss loss of motivation inability to concentrate or focus feelings of depression lack of enjoyment in activities normally considered enjoyable sleep disturbances Key terms of the SUMMARY Physical activity: any activity that requires skeletal muscle and requires energy aimed at improving health. Exercise: a subset of physical activity that is planned and structured aimed at improving fitness. Health related components of fitness: types of activities dedicated to improving physical fitness categorized as cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Contd… Skills related components of fitness: types of activities dedicated to improving physical skills categorized as speed, agility, coordination, balance, power, and reaction time. Principles of adaptations to stress: guidelines related to managing the application of stress during physical activity/exercise. Overload Principle: a principle of adaptation to stress suggesting the amount of stress applied during exercise must exceed a threshold level to stimulate adaptation. Volume: the term used to describe “how much” stress is being applied by combining the duration and frequency of exercise. Contd… Progression principle: a principle relating to how much additional stress that can safely be introduced to gradually improve fitness without risking injury or overuse. Specificity: the principle of stress suggesting activities should be closely centered around the primary outcome goal, i.e. train the way you want to adapt. Reversibility: the principle that adaptations to stress can be lost over time if training is modified or stopped. Principle of rest and recovery: the concept that adaptation not only requires overload but also requires rest to avoid overstressing the body. Contd… Periodization: a method of organizing workouts into blocks or periods. These cycles consist of work/stress periods and rest periods. Overtraining syndrome: a condition of chronic stress from physical activity affecting the physical and psychological states of an individual or athlete. Detraining: the act of no longer training at all or decreasing the amount of training.
