Unit 2

Introduction to Fitness

Objectives

To understand the three principles of training and how to safely manipulate them to increase fitness
To understand the three phases of an exercise program

Focus Questions

Is being physically fit important to you? Why or why not?
What benefits do you derive from being active?

Concepts

Progressive Overload
Specificity of Training
Reversibility of Training
Phases of an Exercise Training Program
Rate of progression
Training Effect

Readings

Chapter 2: Wellness: Choices for Health & Fitness, Donatelle.
Study Guide: Link opens new browser window.

Lecture Introduction

Physical fitness is the ability of the body to adapt to the demands of physical effort. Some benefits of physical fitness are reducing risk of chronic disease, to manage stress levels, and to maintain ideal body weight. In 1996, the Surgeon General added physical inactivity to the list of risk factors for chronic disease. He specified that all Americans should include moderate physical activity all days of the week. What is moderate physical activity? Moderate physical activity was quantified as expending 150 calories per day or 1000 calories per week. This might equate to 30 minutes of brisk walking or leaf raking or 15 minutes of running or shoveling snow.

There are five components of physical fitness and they are aerobic fitness, muscular strength and muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Each of these fitness components will be discussed further individually, however the same training principles apply to each.

Training Principles:

Progressive Overload is defined as subjecting the body to progressive overload in order to improve physical capacity. Overload is when the workload is more than the body is used to doing. This must be done in a progressive manner where once the body has adapted to one level of exercise, a new overload must be applied to stimulate further adaptation.

Specificity of Training Principle states that the body systems stressed by exercise will be the ones that adapt and improve. For example, running, swimming, and cycling all develop the cardiovascular system, however different muscle groups are stressed for each activity. Swimmers will develop upper body musculature, runners will develop the leg muscles, and cyclists will develop the thigh muscles. Different types of exercise place specific, unique demands on the body.

Reversibility of Training Principle is the saddest of all principles. Also known as the "Use it or Lose it" principle, improvements in fitness are lost if the training is discontinued. One common reason for discontinuing an exercise program is injury. Often injury is a result of too much exercise too soon. If people increase the frequency, duration, or intensity faster than their bodies can adapt, injury is often the result

When creating a fitness plan the acronym FITT is used to establish the guidelines for the program.

F: Frequency, the sessions per week
I: Intensity, effort level
T: Time, duration or exercise time
T: Type, mode or form of exercise

Being familiar with the phases of a training program will help maximize progress and maintain motivation by understanding how the body adapts quickly in the beginning stages, how shorter adaptation phases are introduced with larger overloads in the progression phase, and how the maintenance phase holds current levels of fitness once the program goals have been met.

Screening for coronary artery disease is a must before starting a physical activity program. Review the risk factors in your reading. Remember the risk factor the Surgeon General added to the list in 1996?

The Physical Activity Pyramid

Participate in Level 1: Lifestyle Physical Activities on a daily basis. These types of activities can be done by most people and are on the base of the pyramid because can be done with the most frequency. Be creative and find ways you can increase these types of activity.

Level 2: Active Aerobics and Active Sports and Recreation are the next most important due to the cardioprotective effect of aerobic activity.

Level 3: Flexibility and Muscle Fitness are "frosting on the cake" in that they have many wellness benefits, yet are secondary to the first two levels.

Level 4: Inactivity is at the tip of the pyramid and should be used for rest and recovery.