Chapter 6 Notes – Physical Fitness for Life
Physical Fitness and Your Health
The Benefits of Being Physically Active
- Physical fitness is the ability of the body to carry out daily physical
activities without getting out of breath, sore, or overly tired
- Exercise is an excellent way of keeping a high level of activity in your
daily life
- Exercise is any physical activity that improves or maintains physical
fitness
Stay Active, Stay Alive
- A chronic disease is a disease that develops gradually and continues
over a long period of time
- A chronic disease can take a long time to treat
- Examples of chronic diseases related to lifestyle include cardiovascular
(heart) disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and
certain forms of cancer
Physical Benefits
- Leading an active lifestyle also has many physical benefits
- Most people feel that exercising improves their appearance and makes
them feel good about themselves
- Exercise also leads to many improvements within your body
o The heart and lungs get stronger
o Blood cholesterol levels are kept within a healthy range
o Building muscular strength and endurance and also flexibility of
our joints makes our muscles more efficient at controlling our
movements
o A good ratio of muscle mass to fat mass is maintained
o Metabolic rate is increased
o More calories are burned because of an increase in muscle mass
Mental Benefits
- Many people use regular exercise as a way to feel good mentally
- Regular exercise has positive effects on feelings of depression and
anxiety
- Exercise can help reduce your stress levels and help you sleep better
- Exercise takes your mind off of your worries and causes the release of
certain body chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins can give you a
feeling of wellness and happiness
Social Benefits
- Many people feel increased self-esteem as they exercise to stay fit
- Engaging in physical activity is also an opportunity to socialize with
others who have the same interests
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Five Components of Health-Related Fitness
- Physical fitness can be classified into five components which are
commonly called the health-related components of fitness
- Health-related fitness describes qualities that are needed to maintain
and promote a healthy body
- The five components of fitness are muscular strength, muscular
endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility and body
composition
Muscular Strength
- the amount of force that a muscle can apply in a given contraction
- lifting a weight, climbing the stairs, and pushing a large piece of
furniture are acts of muscular strength
Muscular Endurance
- the ability of the muscles to keep working (contract) over a period of
time
- allows you to carry out tasks that require muscles to remain
contracted for a period of time
- both muscular strength and muscular endurance can be developed by
regular weight training
- weight training is considered to be an anaerobic activity
- During anaerobic activity, muscle cells produce energy without using
oxygen. It is intense and short in duration
Cardiorespiratory Endurance
- the ability of your heart, blood vessels, lungs and blood to deliver
oxygen and nutrients to all of your body’s cells while being physically
active
- it is the single most important component of health-related fitness
- as your cardiorespiratory endurance increases, your heart beats slower
and stronger
- Resting Heart Rate (RHR) is the number of times the heart beats per
minute while at rest
- Recovery Time is the amount of time it takes for the heart to return to
RHR after strenuous activity
- Aerobic activity tends to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance
- During aerobic activity, muscle cells use oxygen to produce energy for
movement
- Aerobic activity is continuous, uses large muscle groups and tends to
be rhythmic
Flexibility
- the ability of the joints to move through their full range of motion
- good flexibility keeps joint movements smooth and efficient
- keeping a good level of flexibility is important because lack of use can
cause joints to become stiffer as you become older
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Body Composition
- refers to the ratio of lean body tissue (muscle and bone) to body-fat
tissue
- a healthy body has a high proportion of lean body tissue compared to
body-fat tissue
- women usually have more body fat than men do
- having a certain amount of fat is necessary for good health
Skills Developed by Fitness
- Skill-related fitness describes components of fitness that are important
for good athletic performance
- The six components of skill-related fitness are coordination, balance,
agility, power, speed and reaction time
- Skill-related components are important for good athletic performance
Planning Your Fitness Program
Getting Started with Your Fitness Program
- You don’t have to be an athlete to be physically fit and you do not
have to be fit to start a fitness program
- Before you start any fitness program, consider these factors
o Do you have any health concerns, such as diabetes or asthma?
o Are you healthy enough to start a program?
o What types of activities do you enjoy?
o How much will your planned activities cost?
Designing a Fitness Program
- Determine Your Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
o Take RHR 3 mornings in a row to get your average RHR
o The average adult RHR is 50 to 80 beats per minute (bpm)
o Your RHR will decrease as a result of regularly exercising within
your target heart rate zone
- Calculate Your Target Heart Rate Zone
o Your target heart rate zone is normally between 60% and 85%
of your maximum heart rate (MHR)
o MHR is the maximum number of times your heart should beat
per minute while doing any physical activity
- Assess Your Fitness
o Assessing your fitness levels will measure your level of fitness
against commonly used standards
- Set Your Fitness Goals
o Setting goals will help make your fitness program more effective
o Writing down your fitness goals will help you define them
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Keep Track of Your Progress
o Keep an activity log in which you record the date, how long you
trained, what exercised you did and how you felt
o Keeping a log will help you stick with your objectives and reach
your goals
Getting FITT
- made up of four important parts of fitness training: frequency,
intensity, time and type
- (F)frequency – how many times per week
- (I)intensity – how hard you exercise
- (T)time – how long you exercise
- (T)type – what exercise you perform
When Will I See Changes?
- The length of time to see changes in your body on average is 6 weeks
Exercising the Safe Way
Avoiding Sports Injuries
- The most common sports injuries are muscles, tendons, ligaments and
bones
- These injuries are classified as either acute – having a sudden onset
and short duration, or chronic – having a gradual onset and long-term
effects
- Most acute injuries are minor bumps and scrapes that heal quickly and
don’t require much treatment
- Chronic injuries can take months or even years to treat
Get Conditioned
- Properly preparing your body for the activity you want to do is a very
important step in preventing injury
- Conditioning is an exercise program that promotes cardiorespiratory
and muscular endurance
- Conditioning is developed through the progressive overload principle.
The progressive overload principle states that the physical demands or
overload placed on the body will cause the body to develop in
response to the overload
- The body responds best to a gradual progression in overload. Excess
overload or too fast a progression will lead to injury
Warm Up and Cool Down
- Starting a workout without warming up can cause injury
- About 10 minutes of activities will increase your heart rate enough for
you to begin a workout safely
- After a workout, spend 5 to 10 minutes cooling down. This will help
prevent next day stiffness
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Stretch
- Stretching regularly and properly will help you avoid tight muscles and
may prevent injuries
- Always stretch slowly, do not bounce
- Hold stretch for about 7 to 10 seconds
Avoid Dehydration
- Dehydration is a state in which the body has lost more water than has
been taken in
- Dehydration is a major health threat in any kind of weather
- Drinking water during a workout ensures that your blood volume is
maintained so that circulation and sweating can continue at a normal
level
Avoid Overtraining
- Some people may think that pushing themselves very hard will help
them meet their fitness goals more quickly or give them the
competitive edge
- Overtraining is caused by exceeding the recommendations of the FITT
formula
- Overtraining has many negative effects, many of which are long-term
effects. Rest is key to avoid these effects.
- Active rest involves lowering the intensity of a workout or taking part
in other activities
Avoid Overuse Injuries
- Repetitive activity causes stress to bones, ligaments, tendons, or
muscles
- Small, repetitive injuries to the tissue cause swelling and the release of
substances that damage the tissue
- This damage results in chronic injury. Continued stress on the tissue
can lead to weakness, loss of flexibility and chronic pain
Choose the Correct Equipment and Clothing
- Wear comfortable clothing – should allow free movement of your body
- Dress suitably for the weather and exercise intensity – many thin
layers together insulate better than one or two thick layers
- Always wear safety equipment, and wear it correctly
- Choose shoes that are made for your activity – good shoes play a very
important role in preventing injury
- Make sure you can be seen – wear bright, reflective clothing if training
at night
- Obey laws, regulations and warning signs – ignoring these could lead
to injury or even death
Treating Minor Sports Injuries
- Most injuries, regardless of type, have one thing in common: swelling
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Swelling causes pressure in the injured area, and this increase in
pressure causes pain
- Apply the RICE principle to control swelling: Rest, Ice, Compression,
Elevation
- Rest: important to protect the injured muscle, ligament, tendon or
other tissue from further injury
- Ice: apply ice bags or cold packs to the injured site, and leave the ice
on the injured site for no longer than 15 to 20 minutes
- Compression: reduces swelling
- Elevation: raising the injured site above heart level when possible can
help reduce swelling
Recover from Injury
- The RICE principle is applied as first aid when an injury occurs, but it is
also useful during recovery
- Rehabilitation is the process of regaining strength and coordination
during recovery from an injury
- Returning to activity before an injury is fully healed and rehabilitated
puts you at risk of reinjury
- Common Injuries and Treatments
o Sunburn (acute)
o Tendon and muscle strain (acute)
o Ligament sprain (acute)
o Fracture (acute)
o Heat exhaustion (acute)
o Concussion (acute)
o Tendinitis (chronic)
o Stress fracture (chronic)
o Shin splint (chronic)
Supplements, Drugs, and Athletic Performance
- Some athletes feel that taking dietary supplements or drugs gives
them a competitive edge
- A dietary supplement is any product that is taken by mouth that can
contain a dietary ingredient, and is also labeled as a dietary
supplement
Dietary Supplements
- Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA)
- Makers of these products can make claims for their product without
any scientific proof
- Some supplements that contain non-nutrient ingredients may have
dangerous side effects or are banned by certain athletic associations
- Common Supplement Ingredients and Drugs.
o Caffeine
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o Amphetamines
o Ephedrine
o Adrenal androgens
o Gamm-butyrolactone (GBL)
o Anabolic steroids
Anabolic Steroids
- Synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone that are used to
promote muscle development
- Can cause serious health problems for both male and female abusers
- Effects for females include excessive growth of facial and body hair,
baldness and an increased risk of cancer
- It is estimated that more than a million male and female athletes are
taking or have taken anabolic steroids
Sleep
Sleep: Too Little, Too Often
- Over 60 percent of adults in the U.S. experience sleep problems
- Sleep is not just a “time out”; it is essential for your health and safety
- Sleep deprivation is a lack of sleep. People who are sleep deprived
over a long period of time may have the following problems:
o Stress-related problems
o Increased risk for getting sick
o Increased risk for dangerous accidents
- Most adults need an average of 8 hours of sleep per night. Some only
need 6, while others need 10 hours.
Teens and Sleep
- Teens need about 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night
- The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal system for regulating
sleeping and waking patterns
- In general, our circadian rhythm is timed so that we sleep at night and
wake during the day
- When the rhythm is delayed at puberty, the body naturally wants to go
to sleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.
- Many teenagers are not alert until after the typical high school day has
already begun
- You can adjust your circadian clock
The Stages of Sleep
- While you sleep, your brain and body go through cycles of deep and
light sleep
- These two types of sleep are called NREM (nonrapid eye movement)
and REM (rapid eye movement)
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In the beginning of a sleep cycle, we go into NREM sleep. The body
recovers from the stress of the day’s activities during this part of the
sleep cycle
- Brain activity is at its lowest during NREM
- The REM portion of the sleep cycle is called dream sleep and happens
in the first 1.5 hours of sleep
Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders
- Insomnia is an inability to sleep, even if one is physically exhausted
- Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder in which there are
interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep
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