Improving Fitness
Ms. Anne Wenstrom
Mr. Jeff Simonson
8th Grade Lesson
What is fitness?
(Fitness Terminology, 2002).
 Definition: Good health or physical
condition especially as a result of
exercise.
Fitness Components
(Fitness Terminology, 2002).

Five fitness components to consider
when designing a fitness plan:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cardiovascular Endurance
Muscular Strength
Muscular Endurance
Flexibility
Body Composition
What is Cardiovascular
Endurance?
(Fitness Terminology, 2002).
 Definition: The ability of your heart to pump blood to
muscles during exercise that is done for an extended
period of time.
 Benefits: Improves cardiovascular and respiratory
systems, decreases resting heart rate, maintains
caloric balance, decreases stress, and lowers blood
pressure.
 Examples: Running, biking, swimming, rollerblading,
aerobic class, and basketball.
How do you improve your
Cardiovascular Endurance?
 Recommendations from the Surgeon
General’s Report (Surgeon General’s Report, online).
 30-60
minutes of exercise
 5+ days each week
 Within your Target Heart Range
Do you know how to find
your heart rate?
How Can You Find Heart Rate
During Exercise?
 Find your Carotid Artery on the side of
your neck.
 Feel the beats/pulses
 Count the number of beats
for 6 seconds.
 Multiply that number by 10.
 What does that number mean to you?
How do you find your
target heart rate?
Target Heart Rate (THR)
(American College of Sports Medicine, 2002).
 220 – your age = Maximum Heart Rate
(MHR)
 Your Target Heart Rate Range is
between 60% and 80% of your MHR.
 Formula:
(MHR x .6) and (MHR x .8)
 Your goal is to exercise in your THR in
order to improve your cardiovascular
fitness.
What is Muscular Strength?
(Fitness Terminology, 2002)
 Muscular Strength is
the maximum force that
can be generated by a
muscle.
 The most common way
of improving muscular
strength is through
weightlifting.
 Getting to the weight
room 2 or 3 times a
week will improve your
muscular strength.
Muscular Strength (cont.)


An important factor of weightlifting for
muscular strength…
High weight + Low reps =
Gain in muscular strength
Benefits: Strong muscle fibers and
tendons, increase metabolism, maintain
good posture, reduce fatigue, prevent
injuries, prevent back problems.
What is Muscular Endurance?
(Fitness Terminology, 2002).
 Muscular Endurance is being able to
use the muscles for a long period of
time.
 A common way of improving muscular
endurance is also to weight lift.
 Much like muscular strength, getting to
the weight room 2 or 3 times a week will
improve your muscular endurance.
Muscular Endurance (cont.)
 An important factor of weightlifting for
muscular endurance…
Low weights + High reps =
Gain in muscular endurance
 Benefits: increases metabolism, maintains
good posture, maintains muscle tone,
reduces fatigue, prevents injury, prevents
back problems.
What is Flexibility?
(Fitness Terminology 2002).
 Definition: The joints ability to move
through a range of motion.
 A common way to improve flexibility is
to stretch.
 Stretching is usually done as a warm-up
and cool down activity to prevent injury.
Flexibility (cont.)
 What are the benefits of flexibility?
 Increases range of motion, reduces risk
of injury, prevents and reduces muscle
soreness, improves athletic
performance, improves body
awareness, and improves circulation.
What is Body Composition?
(Fitness Terminology, 2002).
 Definition: The amount of muscle,
bone, and fat in the body.
 Body Composition is mainly affected by
cardiovascular endurance, muscular
strength, and muscular endurance.
Why be Physically Fit?
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002)
 Nearly half of American youths aged 12-21
years are not vigorously active on a regular
basis.
 About 14 percent of young people report no
recent physical activity. Inactivity is more
common among females (14%) than males
(7%) and among black females (21%) than
white females (12%).
 Only 19 percent of all high school students are
physically active for 20 minutes or more, five
days a week, in physical education classes.
Statistics from the CDC (cont.)
 Participation in all
types of physical
activity declines
strikingly as age
or grade in school
increases.
 Daily enrollment in
physical education
classes dropped
from 42 percent to
25 percent among
high school
students between
1991 and 1995.
Summary of Improving Fitness
 What are the five fitness components?
 What are 3 benefits of Cardiovascular
Endurance?
 How do you find your Target Heart
Rate?
 What the difference between Muscular
Strength and Muscular Endurance?
THE END
Works Cited:
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002).
[Online]. Available: www.cdc.gov
 Fitness Terminology. (2002). [Online]. Available:
www.farmington.k12.mn.us/fms/pe/outlines/8fitterms/
8fitterms.html
 Surgeon General’s Report. (2002). [Online].
Available: www.surgeongeneral.gov
 American College of Sports Medicine. (2002).
[Online]. Available:
http://www.acsm.org/pdf/Calculate.pdf