Fitness for life:
cardiovascular
fitness
Image from Wikimedia Commons, James F. Perry, Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike 3.0 license,
Unit objectives
Students will:
1) Define cardiovascular disease (CVD) and describe some of the risk factors.
2) Define cardiovascular fitness and describe some ways to measure it.
3) Understand how cardiovascular fitness contributes to lower risk of
cardiovascular disease and improved health and wellness.
4) Discuss how the FITT principles can be used to improve cardiovascular fitness.
5) Name the three stages of a safe exercise session and describe each.
6) Understand the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
Textbook reading for Unit 3:
Chapters 6 & 7 (pages 90-117)
ASSIGNMENTS RELATED TO THIS UNIT:
03.2.1 Heart Rates
03.2.2 Places to participate in physical activity
03.3.1 Calculating Energy Expenditure
03.3.2 Activity log 4
03.4.1 Unit 4 quiz
Cardiovascular fitness
is
the ability of the heart, lungs, and
blood vessels to function efficiently
when a person exercises the body.
Step aerobics image from Wikimedia Commons, USN, public domain; lower, Wikimedia Commons, Benson Kua, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Why is cardiovascular
fitness important?
Forms
more
arteries
in
the
It will increase your
heart
energy level
Clears
fats
from
the
Help you feel and
bloodstream
look good
Lowers
chance
of
Creates body fat loss
atherosclerosis
Helps with stress
Strengthens
the
heart
reduction
muscle
Improves health
Decreases
chance
of
heart
Can extend your
disease
or
stroke
lifespan
Improves self concept
Regular physical activity directly benefits
two vital body systems:
the cardiovascular system,
and the respiratory system.
Cardiovascular System: Your cardiovascular system
consists of your heart (cardio), blood, and blood vessels
(veins, arteries and capillaries). A cardiovascular system
that works well consists of...
*A heart that pumps efficiently (e.g., more blood pumped
with each heart beat).
*Blood that carries oxygen to tissues effectively.
*Unclogged blood vessels that allow for effective delivery
of oxygen.
Respiratory system
Your respiratory system includes your
lungs and the air passages that bring air,
including oxygen, from outside of the
body into the lungs.
Inside your lungs, oxygen enters your
blood while carbon dioxide is eliminated.
Cardiac cycle
When you breath in, oxygen is absorbed from
the lungs and by the blood stream, and
oxygenated blood is sent to the left side of the
heart .
Movement of oxygen
The right side of the heart is responsible for
sending blood to the lungs, where the red blood
cells pick up fresh oxygen. This OXYGENATED
blood is then returned to the left side of the heart.
From here the oxygenated blood is pumped to
the whole body supplying the fuel that the body
cells need to function.
Arteries and
Veins
• The left side of the heart forces
oxygenated blood away from the heart
and into the body through
ARTERIES.
• The VEINS carry deoxygenated blood
back into the right side of the heart
Image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Capillaries
Are tiny blood vessels that
serve as bridges between
arteries and veins. This is
where food and oxygen are
transported from the blood to
the cells.
Image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease includes diseases that
affect the heart. Some common conditions related to
cardiovascular disease include atherosclerosis
(plaque build-up around the arteries) and
arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Either of these conditions can lead to a heart attack. A
heart attack occurs when the blood supply into or within
the heart is cut off or reduced.
CVD Risk factors
Your risk for cardiovascular disease is affected by nonmodifiable and modifiable risk factors.
Non-modifiable risk factors (risk factors you cannot
change) include your age, gender, and heredity.
As you get older, your risk for
heart disease increases.
Additionally, men have higher risk than women until women
reach menopause (when their menstrual period stops).
Modifiable risk factors
(those things you can change) include things like
smoking, stress, diet and physical inactivity.
Individuals who smoke are at higher risk of heart
disease than non-smokers. Similarly, individuals
who are chronically stressed are also at higher risk
of heart disease than those who are less stressed.
Lastly, individuals who are not physically active
and/or obese are at higher risk of heart disease
than those who are active and have a healthy body
fat percentage.
Cholesterol and Blood
Pressure
are two risk factors that are commonly checked
at the doctors’ office. Sometimes, students don't
have these tests measured frequently enough.
For optimal health, you should have your
cholesterol and blood pressure taken on a
regular basis. Early detection of cardiovascular
disease ensures that proper steps can be taken
to help reduce further risks associated with CVD.
Cholesterol
is a waxy fat substance in the blood of our bodies. Our bodies need
cholesterol to function. Your liver makes all the cholesterol it needs to
survive. The other source of cholesterol comes from food. Cholesterol
is found in animal products such as meat, eggs and whole milk dairy
products. If the level of cholesterol gets too high, it can stick to artery
walls and cause serious health problems. 52% of American adults
have high cholesterol.
Optimal values for total cholesterol are below 200
mg/dl. If your values are above 240 mg/dl, you
have twice the risk of a heart attack as someone
whose total cholesterol is below 200 mg/dl.
Cholesterol moves through your bloodstream
via lipoproteins.
Lipoproteins can be low-density (LDL’s) or highdensity (HDL’s).
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL’s) are often
called the "bad cholesterol" because they
contribute to plaque build up in the blood
vessels (atherosclerosis).
To lower total cholesterol and LDL’s, the AHA
recommends lowering your intake of saturated fats
and cholesterol and increasing your level of physical
activity.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL’s),
often referred to as the "good cholesterol," are
responsible for carrying excess harmful cholesterol
out of the bloodstream and into the liver for disposal.
HDL’s are typically lower in individuals who smoke,
people who are sedentary, and those who are
overweight.
The best way to increase HDL’s is through aerobic
exercise and a healthy diet.
Ways to monitor your
heart rate
1.
2.
3.
4.
Blood Pressure
Heart Rate
Resting Heart Rate
Recovery Heart Rate
Blood Pressure: The force of blood
against the artery walls.
Normal blood pressure is around 120/80.The
higher # (120) is called systolic - this is your
heart contracting to pump blood.The lower # (80)
is called diastolic – this is your heart refilling or
relaxing between beats.
Blood Pressure Ranges
(these values are for adults; teens should be slightly lower)
High blood pressure: (140/90 or more)
systolic pressure 140 or above,
diastolic pressure 90 or above
Normal blood pressure:
systolic pressure 110-130,
diastolic pressure 75-85
Low blood pressure: (90/60 or less)
systolic pressure 90 or below,
diastolic pressure 60 or below
Heart Rate
Heart Rate or Pulse - The pressure of blood on the artery
wall due to heartbeat. Take pulse at carotid artery (neck)
or wrist:
On the neck- place first and second fingers on side of
jaw.
On the wrist - place 3 inside fingers on thumb side of
wrist with palm facing up.
Count for 60 seconds, or for 6 seconds x 10, or 10
seconds x 6.
Average heart rate is 70 beats per minute.
Resting Heart Rate:
The number of times your heart beats
per minute while at rest.
This number will improve (get lower)
with exercise.
Always take in bed before sitting up.
Recovery Heart Rate
After you exercise, your heart should recover to
about 120 beats per minute within five to six
minutes, and should be below 100 beats per
minute after 10 minutes.
Heart Disease
Is the #1 killer in the United States and costs
our nation more than any other disease.
Every 37 seconds someone in the United
States dies from cardiovascular disease.
An estimated 81 million adults in the United
States now suffer from the consequences of
these afflictions.
The main cause of cardiovascular disease is the
build-up of plaque (fatty deposits) in the
arteries.
This is usually
caused by lack of
exercise and poor
diet.
Image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain (USDHHS)
Risk Factors for Developing Cardiovascular Disease:
Inactivity
Smoking
Obesity
Poor Diet
High Stress
High Blood Pressure
Age
Heredity
Training principles: The
FITT formula
Frequency - How often should you work out?
Intensity - How hard should you push yourself?
Time - How long should your workouts be?
Type – What type of workout?
Frequency is the number of times per week
that you perform activity.
The Surgeon General recommends that to
improve your overall health, you should
perform physical activity at a moderate to
vigorous level most days of the week for at
least 30 minutes.
The American College of Sports Medicine
recommends that to improve your physical
fitness, you should exercise at a vigorous
level at least three days a week.
Intensity
When you are deciding how hard to exercise,
you are considering your exercise intensity.
Most of the time, exercise intensity is
measured by monitoring your heart rate. You
want to get your heart rate into your Target
Zone for full benefits. This is about 130-180
beats per minute for someone who is 16-18
years of age.
Time
Another consideration when designing your
cardiovascular fitness program is your exercise
duration. How long you exercise is dependent
upon your fitness goals. You can choose to
exercise longer, which will typically be at a lower
intensity, or you can exercise for a shorter time at a
higher intensity.
At least 30 minutes most days of the week is
recommended. Both types of exercise can burn
similar numbers of calories.
What exercise is best
for you?
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic exercise: Anaerobic
exercise is exercise performed in short or
fast bursts in which the heart cannot supply
oxygen as fast as muscles use it. A few
examples of anaerobic activities are sprinting,
playing competitive volleyball, heavy weight
lifting, or climbing hills or stairs.
Aerobic exercise: steady activity done at an
intensity that raises the heart rate into the target zone.
Some examples of aerobic activities that are effective for
improving cardiovascular fitness are running, jogging,
elliptical, brisk walking, cycling, cross-country skiing, and
swimming.
Target Heart Rate Zone: where you want your exercise
heart rate to be for at least 20-30 minutes during aerobic
exercise. (Your heart rate should reach 60-90% of your
max heart rate).
Maximum Heart Rate should not exceed 220 minus
your age.
Typically, exercises that are aerobic will improve your
cardiovascular fitness.
On the chart below, aerobic exercise
is in the middle, and anaerobic
exercise toward the top:
Chart image from Wikimedia Commons, Morgoth666, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Training principles
Every safe exercise session should begin with
a short warm-up. Both the muscles and
cardiovascular system should be worked at a
moderate level to prepare the body for a more
strenuous bout of exercise. Warm-ups are also
used to prevent injury. Once your body is
warmed up, you should stretch muscles before
starting a more strenuous workout.
After a workout session is completed, you
should do a cool-down.
A cool-down is a period of time where you
slow down and walk or perform slow, static
stretches.
Your heart rate should slow to 100 beats
per minute or less within 10 minutes. The
cool-down is a way to gradually slow an
exercise bout.
Replenish your fluids during and after
exercise. If you are thirsty, you are already
starting to get dehydrated.