PHYSICAL FITNESS

DEFINITION

➢ Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the
ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations, and daily activities.

➢ Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-

vigorous physical exercise, and sufficient rest along with a formal recovery plan.

1. BENEFITS OF BEING PHYSICALLY FIT

a) You will have more energy

b) Effective weight control
c) Less likely to suffer from constipation
d) Improved brain function and concentration
e) Less depression
f) Better self-image & self-confidence
g) Better sleep
h) Greater bone strength
i) Fewer 'aches and pains' and other physical complaints
j) Improved ability to handle stress
k) More leisure opportunities available to you
l) Easier pregnancy and childbirth

2. HOW TO ACHIEVE BALANCE FOR THE BODY

a) EXERCISE
Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, improves the function of the heart and lungs. It also
improves the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. These are all important for avoiding
heart disease and clogged arteries (which can cause early death). Exercise also consumes
calories, which helps control weight. When exercise and diet are in balance, the calories
taken in equal the calories expended, and weight is maintained. Exercise also alters the
chemical balance in your body, producing mood-lifting endorphins which make a person
feel happier. Our bodies were designed for regular activity, but sadly, people in modern
times are mostly sedentary. Exercise is a great way to restore the body's natural need for
activity, making it function the way it was intended to by our Creator.

b) PROPER EATING
A good diet improves your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. If you
take in more calories each day than you expend, you will gain weight. This is true
whether you are under-weight, over-weight, or at a healthy weight. Conversely, if you
take in fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight, and again, this is true
regardless of how much you currently weigh. Proper eating means that your vitamin and
mineral intake is sufficient to prevent disease, that your caloric intake is equal to your
caloric needs, and that the types of food you eat are well balanced. It means that the

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 amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat in your diet is also balanced. If your diet is not
well-balanced, your health will suffer. For instance, if your diet does not provide you
with enough calcium, your body will "steal" calcium from your bones (calcium is needed
in order for your muscles to function). This will weaken your bones which will make
them more fragile and susceptible to fractures. If your diet contains too much fat, it will
build up under your skin and in your arteries. This is bad for your heart, as it constricts
the passage through which the heart must pump your blood. In other words, it makes your
heart have to work harder to achieve the same results.

c) EMOTIONAL STABILITY
Emotional stability helps us to positively deal with stress in our lives. Exercise and diet both play
an important part in emotional stability. Too much (or too little) food can contribute to
irritability. Regular exercise is a great outlet for stress and sticking with a regular exercise
program tends to help people stick with other things as well, enabling them to solve difficult
problems at work or in school.

3. DEFINE THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES

a) ISOMETRIC
Isometric exercise is a form of physical exercise in which the muscles flex and hold a stationary
position. No movement of a load takes place, and the exercises require little in the way of
equipment. An example of an isometric exercise is placing the palms of the hands against each
other and pushing. Isometric exercises are primarily used in physiotherapy and injury
rehabilitation because the intensity can be rapidly and precisely adjusted, which makes them
very safe. They are now rarely used outside this context.

b) ISOTONIC
Isotonic exercise is a form of strength training in which each effort is performed against a
specific opposing force. Exercises are isotonic if a body part is moving against the force.
Exercises are isometric if a body part is holding still against the force. Resistance exercise is used

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 to develop the strength and size of skeletal muscles. Properly performed, resistance training can
provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being, though
it does very little for the cardiovascular system. The classic example is weight lifting.

c) ISOKINETIC
Isokinetic exercise is similar to isotonic exercise, except that motion is resisted through an entire
circuit. In weight lifting, resistance is present only when lifting - gravity lowers the weights. In
isotonic training, the downward motion is also resisted.

d) ANAEROBIC
Anaerobic exercise requires very little oxygen uptake. An example would be sprinting, as a
sprinter can run the 100 yard dash while holding his breath. Short bursts of exercise fall into this
category.

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e) AEROBIC
Aerobic exercise is the most beneficial of all the types listed here, as it requires the body to use
large amounts of oxygen over an extended period of time. This improves cardiovascular health.
Examples include jogging, swimming, skating, and many other activities.

4. KNOW THE MEANING AND THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE

FOLLOWING EXERCISE PROGRAM.

a) WARM UP
There are two purposes for warming up before exercising. The first is that it stretches and
warms the muscles, decreasing the likelihood of an injury. The second is that it gradually
increases the heart rate in preparation for the workout. Warming up can be as easy as doing leg
stretches for a few minutes. Slowly warming up can help people do even more aerobic exercise
than if they had not warmed up at all.

b) AEROBIC EXERCISES
This is the main part of an exercise program, and the part from which most of the benefits of
exercise are derived. Any exercise that increases oxygen intake and increases the heart rate past
the target rate and is performed for at least 20 minutes can be considered aerobic.

c) COOL DOWN

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 The cool down phase should last for about five minutes after the aerobic phase. It allows the
heart to gradually slow down. If you were jogging, walk around for five minutes. If you were
swimming, walk around in the shallow end of the pool. If you were bicycling, get off the bike and
walk it around for five minutes. Most heart attacks that happen in conjunction with an exercise
program occur after the aerobic phase. Allowing the heart to gradually slow protects it and
lessens the chance of an incident.

d) CALISTHENICS
This portion of the program should last ten minutes. It builds up muscle strength which
decreases the chance of injury during future aerobic activities.

5. DETERMINING HEART RATE AT REST AND AFTER EXERCISE.

First, you'll need to find your pulse. You can do this by placing a finger on your wrist just below
the thumb joint, or by placing your hand over your heart. Once you find your pulse, count the
heartbeats over a 15 second interval. Then multiply by four. You can also count the heartbeats
over a 20 second period and multiply by 3, or over a 30 second period and multiply by 2. Do not
use a period shorter than 15 seconds though, as any errors are also multiplied, and it is better to
multiply them by a small number than by a large one. For instance, if you count 7 pulses over 6
seconds when you should have counted 8, you will miscalculate your heart rate by 10 beats.

6. USING THE FOUR STEPS IN REQUIREMENT FOUR, DO A REGULAR

EXERCISE PROGRAM AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A WEEK FOR THREE
MONTHS. KEEP A CHART OF THE FOLLOWING.
a) Type of warm-up exercises performed.
b) Type of aerobic exercises performed.
c) How long aerobic exercises were performed?
d) Type of calisthenics performed.

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