COLLEGE OF SAINT JOHN PAUL (II)

ARTS AND SCIENCES

College of Arts and Sciences

COLLEGE
P.E.1

Lesson 5-6: WEEK 5 and WEEK 6

Planning for Physical Fitness Conditioning

 Calculating Body Mass Index
 Warm up/conditioning Exercises
 Physical Fitness Pre-Testing

Introduction

In this lesson students review the basics of physical fitness, including

 Definitions of physical fitness
 Health- and skill-related fitness components
 Principles of fitness development
 The FITT principle
 Resistance training
At the completion of this lesson students develop and implement an
exercise routine as part of their personal physical activity practicum
Specific Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and principles
related to the development and implementation of a personal
physical activity plan.

Examples: cardiorespiratory endurance/aerobic fitness,

musculoskeletal fitness, training principles, FITT (frequency, intensity,
time, type) principle

2. Design, implement, evaluate, and revise an exercise routine that

contributes to the health-related fitness components.
Examples: resistance training, walking, running program

3. Calculating Body Mass Index

Key Understandings
 Physical fitness is a complex concept related to the effects of
physical activity on the human body.
 Physical fitness comprises health- and skill-related components.
 The development of physical fitness is governed by the FITT principle.
 Planning is important for successful physical fitness development.
Essential Questions
1. What is the definition of physical fitness?
2. How did the FITT principle help you to develop your exercise routine?
3. Explain how your exercise routine contributed to the five health-
related components of
physical fitness.
4. If you were helping someone begin a conditioning exercise training
program, what guidelines and safety considerations would you provide?

Background Information

Understanding Physical Fitness

Physical fitness, in general terms, is a person’s ability to meet the
physical stresses and demands of a variety of physical activities
efficiently and effectively. Physical fitness provides a person with the
capacity to perform work safely in activities of daily living,
including activities required for work at home and in the workplace, for
leisure-time pursuits, and for sports.

The physical stresses and demands of daily living range, for example,
from sitting, eating, standing, showering, and walking to the extreme

physical demands of shovelling after a major snowstorm, marathon

running, participating in a triathlon, and firefighting. Each of these
activities requires varying degrees of cardiorespiratory endurance
(CRE), muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility to
perform it well. Fortunately, the physical demands of showering or
walking are not great, making it quite easy for most of us to engage in
these physical activities. For a small percentage of the population
these activities pose difficulty. Many people are faced with
demanding tasks, such as lifting/carrying heavy objects, building, and
snow shovelling, which can over-stress the body if it does not have an
adequate level of physical fitness. Adequate preparation for these
periodic tasks is essential to help minimize the risks of heart attack,
stroke, and back injury.

On the other end of the physical activity continuum are the

occupations and activities that fall outside the realm of possibility for
most of us. These activities require physical fitness levels and skills that
are beyond our contemplation or aspiration. They are performed by
people who have been genetically gifted and have worked and
trained for years to perform at the extreme levels required for these
physical activities.

Knowing the Basics of Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is more easily understood by examining its components,

or parts. As students have learned in earlier grades, there are two
categories of physical fitness components: health-related fitness
components and skill-related fitness components:

Health-related fitness components consist of

 cardiorespiratory endurance
 muscular strength
 muscular endurance
 flexibility
 body composition
Skill-related fitness components include
 agility
 balance
 coordination
 speed
 power
 reaction time

This lesson focuses on the health-related fitness components.

Health-Related Fitness Components

Health-related fitness components

not only help the body to perform
more efficiently, but also help
prevent disease and improve
overall health and well-being.
Emphasizes the health-related
components of fitness—that is, the
physical and physiological
components of fitness that have a
direct impact on health status.

The five health-related physical

fitness components are
cardiorespiratory endurance,
muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body
composition:
1. Cardiorespiratory endurance (CRE) is the ability of the
cardiovascular system (heart, blood, blood vessels) and respiratory
system (lungs, air passages) to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the
working muscles and to remove wastes. Tests that involve running (e.g.,
20 m shuttle run test), cycling, and swimming can be used to measure
this fitness component. Aerobic power (maximal oxygen consumption)
and aerobic capacity are terms used to describe CRE fitness.
Activities vary in intensity level:
 Light activities are physical activities that involve large muscle
groups. While engaging in light activities, people begin to notice
their breathing, but they can still talk fairly easily.
 Moderate activities are physical activities that cause breathing and
heart rate to increase. People engaging in moderate activities can
hear themselves breathe, but they can still talk.
 Vigorous activities are physical activities that cause breathing and
heart rate to increase to a higher level, making it difficult to talk.
Note that an individual may be working at the moderate to vigorous
intensity level while engaging in muscular strength activities and
muscular endurance activities if performed in a circuit format.
2. Muscular strength is the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles, to
exert force for a brief period of time. Strength of different muscles can
be measured by having a person perform weightlifting exercises and
determining the maximum amount of weight the person can lift. A
person’s strength can be expressed as absolute strength (the actual
weight lifted) or as relative strength (the weight lifted, divided by the
person’s body weight).

3. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles,

to sustain repeated contractions or to continue applying force against
a fixed object. Push-ups and curl-ups are often used to test muscular
endurance. The person’s endurance is expressed as the number of
repetitions completed without stopping for a set period
of time (often one minute).
4. Flexibility is the ability to move joints through their full range of motion.
The sitand-reach test is a good measure of flexibility of the lower back
and the backs of the upper legs (hamstrings). A person’s flexibility is
usually expressed in how far a joint can be moved or the degrees
through which a joint can be moved.
5. Body composition refers to the makeup of the body in terms of lean
mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue, and organs) and fat mass. Good
body composition has strong bones, adequate skeletal muscle size, a
strong heart, and a low amount of fat mass. Regular physical activity
and exercise will help decrease body fat and increase or maintain
muscle mass, increase bone mass, and improve heart function.

Although body composition entails muscle, bone, and fat, it is often

expressed only as percentage of body fat.
Many types of tools can be used to assess body composition, including
skinfold callipers, bioelectrical impedance analyzers (found in many
weigh scales), body mass index (BMI), underwater weighing, and dual
energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Principles of Fitness Development

The keys to selecting the right kinds of exercises for developing and
maintaining each of the basic components of fitness are found in the
principles of specificity, overload, reversibility, progression, diminishing
returns, and individual differences.

 Specificity: The type of training in which individuals engage should

be directed specifically at improving their abilities in life. Therefore,
choose the right kind of activities to improve each physical fitness
component, and the right combination of physical fitness
components to help in activities of daily living. Strength training
results in increases in strength for the muscles being exercised but
does little to improve cardiorespiratory endurance.
Also, train specifically for the specific activity of interest. For example,
optimal running performance is best achieved when the muscles
involved in running are trained for the movements required. It does not
necessarily follow that a good swimmer is a good runner. Specificity
also requires that one consider the speed of motion, the number of
limbs moving, the direction in which they are moving, and the range
over which the movement occurs.

 Overload: If a person works often (frequency) enough, hard

(intensity) enough, and long (duration) enough to load the body
above its resting level, physical fitness will improve. If this is done
regularly over a period of time, the body will gradually adapt to the
increase in demands. The term overload does not refer to the idea
that one needs to overexert or exert at high intensities to obtain
gains in fitness; it simply means that one needs to load the body
more than it is usually accustomed to.
 Reversibility: Physical fitness or the effects of a physical activity
program or an exercise program cannot be stored. If a person stops
training for a period of time (three to five days, in some cases) a
process of detraining will begin. The gains in fitness that were made
begin to reverse themselves. If no exercise is done for a long
enough period, fitness levels can revert to the original starting point.
At least three balanced workouts a week (three hours minimum) are
necessary to maintain a good level of fitness.
 Progression: Increasing the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of
an activity over periods of time is necessary for continued
improvement in physical fitness. Improvements in physical fitness are
realized fairly rapidly at the onset of an exercise or training program.
The rate of improvement will gradually slow down and level off
adaptation) if an overload is present (meaning that the load is
increasing and that there is progress). At high levels of physical
fitness it may even be necessary to change the type(s) of exercise(s)
being performed.

Applying the FITT Principle

According to the FITT principle, an exercise routine should include

exercises and activities that will improve the health-related fitness
components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular
strength ,muscular endurance , flexibility
Each workout or exercise session should begin with a warm-up and end
with a cool-down.
Generally, rest and recovery are as important to plan as the physical
activity and exercise, and should be equally spaced between
workouts. The more intense the exercise is, the longer the time required
to recover. Likewise, the more novel the exercise is, the longer the
time required to recover. Trying to adopt all aspects of health-related
fitness at once may not be realistic. Begin with small realistic goals in
one or two areas of health-related fitness and plan to introduce more
as time progresses and new behaviours become habits.
Warm-up:
Warm-up activities are crucial parts of any exercise routine or sports
training to prepare the body and mind for movement. The importance
of a structured warm-up routine should not be underestimated in
relation to preventing injury, having optimal performance, and
maximizing enjoyment. An effective warm-up increases both the
respiratory rate and the heart rate. This helps increase the body’s core
temperature, while also increasing the body’s muscle temperature
through an increase in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the
working muscles. Increasing muscle temperature helps
make the muscles loose, supple, and pliable. Another reason why
warm-up activities are important is that they provide the participant
with an opportunity to prepare mentally for the upcoming exercise
session.

A warm-up should consist of light physical activity for 5 to 10 minutes of

exercise, such as walking, slow jogging, knee lifts, arm circles, or trunk
rotations. Low-intensity movements that simulate movements to be
used in the activity can also be included in the warm-up. Static
stretching, per se, is not considered part of a warm-up routine. A
warm-up can consist of a lower intensity form of the exercise about to
commence.
 Designing an Exercise Routine
In developing their exercise routine, students need to consider the
general guidelines outlined earlier in this lesson in relation to the
discussion of the FITT principle.

The definitions provided in the following table are intended to support

individuals in determining where they are on the Stages of Change
continuum and in selecting appropriate exercises for an exercise
routine. Refer to this table when assisting students in the appropriate
selection, sequencing, and planning of cardiorespiratory and
resistance training exercises.
What Is Body Mass Index?

Body mass index (BMI) is an estimate of body fat based on height and
weight. It doesn’t measure body fat directly, but instead uses an
equation to make an approximation. BMI can help determine whether
a person is at an unhealthy or healthy weight.

A high BMI can be a sign of too much fat on the body, while a low BMI
can be a sign of too little fat on the body. The higher a person’s BMI,
the greater their chances of developing certain serious conditions,
such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. A very low
BMI can also cause health problems, including bone loss, decreased
immune function, and anemia.

While BMI can be useful in screening children and adults for body
weight problems, it does have its limits. BMI may overestimate the
amount of body fat in athletes and other people with very muscular
bodies. It may also underestimate the amount of body fat in older
adults and other people who have lost muscle mass.

Body Mass Index Formula

BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their

height.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a

simple online child and teen BMI calculator for ages 2 to 19, and
an adult BMI calculatorTrusted Source for ages 20 and older.
To calculate the BMI, you enter the height in feet and weight in pounds.
The calculators also provide weight status charts to help you interpret
the results.

BMI is calculated the same way for people of all ages. However, BMI is
interpreted differently for adults and children.

Body Mass Index for Adults

Adults age 20 and older can interpret their BMI based on the following
standard weight status categories. These are the same for men and
women of all ages and body types:

Weight
BMI
Status
Underweig
Below 18.5
ht
18.5 – 24.9 Normal
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and above Obese
FITT Principle Guidelines
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.
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.
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.