PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TOWARD

HEALTH AND FITNESS 2

Module 1
(4 hrs.)
 Physical Activities Toward Health and Fitness 2 2

Module 1 EXERCISE CONCEPT

Objectives

Students will be able to:

 Define and explain exercise.

 Differentiate the types of physical exercise according to its effect in the body.
 Identify and discuss the principles of exercise and sports training.
 Give the importance of physical exercise in attaining physical fitness.
 Apply principles of exercise in a specific training situation.

Definition

Exercise is physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of
conditioning the body. Exercise enhances or maintains physical fitness and
overall health and wellness. It consists of cardiovascular conditioning, strength and
resistance training, and flexibility. It is performed for various reasons, including increasing
growth and development, preventing aging, strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular
system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, improving health and also for
enjoyment. Many individuals choose to exercise outdoors where they can congregate in
groups, socialize, and enhance well-being.
Physical exercise can also include training that focuses on accuracy, agility, power,
and speed. Sometimes the terms 'dynamic' and 'static' are used. 'Dynamic' exercises such
as steady running, tend to produce a lowering of the diastolic blood pressure during
exercise, due to the improved blood flow. Conversely, static exercise (such as weight-
lifting) can cause the systolic pressure to rise significantly, albeit transiently, during the
performance of the exercise
Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute to
maintaining a healthy weight, regulating digestive health, building and maintaining healthy
bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being,
reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system. Some studies indicate that
exercise may increase life expectancy and the overall quality of life. People who participate
in moderate to high levels of physical exercise have a lower mortality rate compared to
individuals who by comparison are not physically active.
Now, let us find out how exercise can improve your life.

Benefits of Exercise
Regular exercise and physical activity may;

 Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role
in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the
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calories you eat and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must
use more calories than you eat and drink.
 Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves
your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This
helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery
disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and
triglyceride levels.
 Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower
your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk
for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those
diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.
 Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing
your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might
gain when you stop smoking.
 Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases
chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can
help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression.
 Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you
age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that
improve the structure and function of your brain.
 Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens
build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes
with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain
your muscle mass and strength.
 Reduce your risk of some cancers, including colon, breast , uterine,
and lung cancer.
 Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and
muscle-strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can
help reduce your risk of falling.
 Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep
longer.
 Increase your chances of living longer. Studies show that physical activity can
reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease
and some cancers.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE EXERCISE A PART OF YOUR REGULAR ROUTINE?

 Make everyday activities more active. Even small changes can help. You can take
the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker's office instead of
sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination.

 Be active with friends and family. Having a workout partner may make you more
likely to enjoy exercise. You can also plan social activities that involve exercise. You
might also consider joining an exercise group or class, such as a dance class, hiking
club, or volleyball team.
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 Keep track of your progress. Keeping a log of your activity or using a fitness

tracker may help you set goals and stay motivated.

 Make exercise more fun. Try listening to music or watching TV while you exercise.
Also, mix things up a little bit - if you stick with just one type of exercise, you might
get bored. Try doing a combination of activities.

 Find activities that you can do even when the weather is bad. You can walk in a
mall, climb stairs, or work out in a gym even if the weather stops you from exercising
outside.

Types of Exercise

Physical exercises are generally grouped into three types, depending on the overall
effect they have on the human body: aerobic exercise, strength training exercise, and
stretching exercise. It is not essential that all three components be performed during the
same workout session.

1. AEROBIC EXERCISE

Aerobic exercise helps strengthen your heart and lungs. Aerobic exercise also helps
relax blood vessel walls, lower blood pressure, burn body fat, lower blood sugar levels,
reduce inflammation, boost mood, and raise "good" HDL cholesterol. Combined with weight
loss, it can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, too. Over the long term, aerobic exercise
reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer,
depression, and falls.

The factors that affect aerobic exercise include how often you perform aerobic activity,
the amount of time you spend at each session and the intensity (or percentage) of your
maximum heart rate. Perform aerobic exercise:

 3–5 times per week;

 20–60 minutes each time;
 60–85 percent of your maximum heart rate; or
 50–60 percent of your maximum heart rate if you are just starting an exercise
program or have a heart condition

At first, 3 times per week, for 20 minutes, at 60 percent of your heart rate may be enough
activity for you. As your conditioning improves, increase the number of days per week, and
the time and intensity of your exercise.

Remember that if your schedule is tight, it is better to exercise for a shorter period of time
that not at all.

MAXIMUM HEART RATE

A person’s heart rate is the measure of heart beats per minute. Your maximum heart
rate is the heart rate you should reach when exercising at a maximal exertion level. To
calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
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For example, if you are 18 years old, your maximum heart rate is 190: (220 – 18 = 202).

TARGET HEART RATE

Target heart rate is 50–85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Exercising within your
target heart rate zone allows you to maximize your cardiorespiratory fitness level. For
example, if your maximum heart rate is 190, then the lower-end of your target heart rate
zone is 95 heartbeats per minute (0.50 x 190 = 95).

If you are just starting an exercise program, or if you have a heart condition, your
physician may recommend you begin exercising at 50–60 percent of your maximum heart
rate. If you have been active, and do not have a heart condition, exercising at 60–65 percent
of your maximum heart rate may be a good place to begin. Once the target heart rate you
choose becomes too easy for you, incrementally increase your target heart rate to the upper-
end (85 percent) of your target heart rate zone (0.85 x 190 = 162 heartbeats per minute).

Determining your target heart rate requires periodic measuring. The best way to
measure your heart rate is to purchase a heart rate monitor.

2. STRENGTH TRAINING

Strengthening your muscles not only makes you stronger, but also stimulates bone
growth, lowers blood sugar, assists with weight control, improves balance and posture, and
reduces stress and pain in the lower back and joints.

Strength training can help tone muscles, increase strength and bone density, improve
posture and even reduce the potential for injury. In addition, strength training helps increase
your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories on a daily basis. You should participate
in a strength training routine that incorporates all of your major muscle groups 2–3 times a
week.

Most fitness centers offer various fitness machines, free-weights and other tools
designed to help increase muscle strength. Fitness and department stores also sell fitness
equipment and strength training videos for home use. Before you begin your strength
training routine, we recommend you receive instruction from your gym staff or a personal
trainer.

3. Flexibility Training

Stretching helps maintain flexibility. We often overlook that in youth, when our muscles
are healthier. But aging leads to a loss of flexibility in the muscles and tendons. Muscles
shorten and don't function properly. That increases the risk for muscle cramps and pain,
muscle damage, strains, joint pain, and falling, and it also makes it tough to get through daily
activities, such as bending down to tie your shoes.

Likewise, stretching the muscles routinely makes them longer and more flexible, which
increases your range of motion and reduces pain and the risk for injury.
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Aim for a program of stretching every day or at least three or four times per week.

Principles of Exercise
There are specific principles that can be applied to any exercise program.
Understanding these exercise principles will increase a person’s chance of success with
his/her exercise program.

1. Specificity

This principle is often ignored or misunderstood. However, it is one of the most

important. Simply stated, specificity means that your work outs should much the physical
demands of the desired outcome. Improving your ability in a sport is very specific. For
example, if you want to lose weight, your workouts should be low to moderate intensity for at
least 20 minutes. This type of workout will burn fat for fuel. If you want to win a race, then
you must increase the intensity of the workout not the time. If you want to be a great pitcher,
running laps will help your overall conditioning but won’t develop your skills at throwing or
the power and muscular endurance required to throw a fastball fifty times in a game.
Swimming will help improve your aerobic endurance but won’t develop tissue resiliency and
muscular endurance for your running legs.

Keep this in mind if you have specific goals, design your workouts to help the
benefits that you desire.

2. Progression

The principle of progression specifies that physical fitness activities should start
slowly and increase according to the fitness levels of the students. The incorporation of the
principle of progression into an exercise program can be compared to starting a saving
account. The account is opened with a small amount of money. Deposits are made little by
little, and slowly the account grows. Most people do not get rich overnight. Similarly, it takes
time to develop optimal levels of physical fitness.

Once the initial level of physical fitness is determined, the intensity, time, and
frequency of the activities may be increased gradually. The longer one has been inactive,
the longer it will take to achieve an optimal level of fitness. It may take several months to a
year to attain a desirable fitness level. Progressing too quickly may result in soreness,
frustration, and even injury. Students are encouraged to progress at their own rate.

To reach the roof of your ability, you have to climb the first flight of stairs before you
can exit the 20th floor and stare out over the landscape. You can view this from both a
technical skills standpoint as well as from an effort/distance standpoint. In order to swim the
500 freestyle, you need to be able to maintain your body position and breathing pattern well
enough to complete the distance. In order to swim the 500 freestyle, you also need to build
your muscular endurance well enough to repeat the necessary motions enough times to
finish.

3. Overload
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In order to continue to improve and maintain your training effects, once you have
adapted to a workout level, you must stimulate your body beyond its applied, by increasing
the frequency, intensity or time of exercise, to each of the health-related fitness components.

To increase strength and endurance, you need to add new resistance or

time/intensity to your efforts. This principle works in concert with progression. To run a 10-
kilometer race, athletes need to build up distance over repeated sessions in a reasonable
manner in order to improve muscle adaptation as well as improve soft tissue
strength/resiliency. Any demanding exercise attempted too soon risks injury. The same
principle holds true for strength and power exercises.

Once the initial level of physical fitness is determined, the intensity, time, and
frequency of the activities may be increased gradually. The longer one has been inactive,
the longer it will take to achieve an optimal level of fitness. It may take several months to a
year to attain a desirable fitness level. Progressing too quickly may result in soreness,
frustration, and even injury. Students are encouraged to progress at their own rate.

4. Recovery

The body cannot repair itself without rest and time to recover. Both short periods like
hours between multiple sessions in a day and longer periods like days or weeks to recover
from a long season are necessary to ensure your body does not suffer from exhaustion or
overuse injuries. Motivated athletes often neglect this. At the basic level, the more you train
the more sleep your body needs, despite the adaptations you have made to said training.

5. F.I.T.T Principle

The FITT Principle (or formula) is a great way of monitoring your exercise program.
The acronym FITT outlines the key components of an effective exercise program, and the
initials F, I, T, T, stand for: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Frequency

Frequency is a key component of the FITT Principle. It refers to the frequency of

exercise under taken or how often you exercise. Remember that it’s important to know why
you’re exercising and what you want to achieve before rushing into any exercise program.

Adjust the number of times you exercise per week to reflect your current fitness level,
the time you realistically have available, your other commitments like family and work, and
the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Example: Frequency – 5 to 6 times per week

Intensity

This is an extremely important aspect of the FITT principle and is probably the
hardest factor to monitor. This refers to the intensity of exercise under taken or how hard you
exercise. A factor in establishing intensity is the initial fitness level of the student. Exercising
too hard, too soon may result in injury and frustration.

The best way to gauge the intensity of your exercise is to monitor your heart rate.
There are a couple of ways to monitor your heart rate but the best way by far is to purchase
an exercise heart rate monitor. These can be purchased at most good sports stores and
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retail from P1,550 to P2,500. They consist of an elastic belt that fits around your chest and a
wrist watch that displays your exercise heart rate in beats per minute.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a heart rate monitor, simply count your heart
rate over a 15 second period. All you need is a wrist watch that has a “seconds” display.
Feel for your heart beat by either placing your hand over your heart or by feeling for your
pulse in your neck or on your wrist. Count the beats over a 15 second period and then
multiply by 4. This will give you your exercise heart rate in beats per minute.
Example: Intensity – Moderate

Time

The time you spend exercising is also an important part of the FITT Principle. This
refers to the time you spend exercising or how long you exercise for.

The time dedicated to exercise usually depends on the type of exercise undertaken,
upon one’s fitness level and is increased gradually. Twenty to sixty minutes of continuous
exercise is usually recommended for improvements in cardiovascular endurance, however
an accumulation of shorter exercise sessions can also cause significant benefits.

For example, for weight loss, more time is required; at least 40 minutes of moderate
weight bearing exercise. However, when talking about the time required for muscular
strength improvements, time is often measured as a number of “sets” and “reps.” A typical
recommendation would be 3 sets of 8 reps.

Example: Time – Anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes

Type

The type of activities that will improve cardiovascular endurance and burn fats. Like
time, the type of exercise you choose will have a big effect on the results you achieve. This
refers to the type of exercise undertaken or what kind of exercise you do. That’s why it’s
important to know what you want to gain from your efforts.

All aerobic activities which last for 20 minutes or longer burn fat for fuel, so not only
are they excellent for general health, but also improved body composition.

For example, if you’re looking to improve your cardio-vascular fitness, then exercises
like walking, jogging, swimming, bike riding, stair climbing, aerobics and rowing are very
effective. For weight loss, any exercise that using a majority of your large muscle groups will
be effective. To improve muscular strength the best exercises, include the use of free
weights, machine weights and body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups and dips.

Components of Exercise session

The sequence of a workout should be as follows: warm-up, conditioning or work-out,

cool-down, and stretching.

Warm up
Warm up prepare for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practicing
gently beforehand. Warm-up at least 5–10 min of light-to-moderate intensity
cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance activities
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Warming up helps prepare your body for aerobic activity. A warm-up gradually revs
up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow
to your muscles. Beginning vigorous exercise without some kind of warm-up is not only
difficult physically and mentally, but it can also contribute to musculoskeletal injuries.

neck tilt neck rotation chest expansions side arm raises


arm rotation torso rotation hops on the spot side-to-side hops

Work out

A practice or exercise to test or improve one's

fitness for athletic competition, ability, or
performance. A test of one's ability, capacity,
stamina, or suitability. Conditioning at least 20–
60 min of aerobic, resistance, neuromotor,
and/or sports activities (exercise bouts of 10
min are acceptable if the individual
accumulates at least 20–60 min per day of
aerobic exercise).

Cool down

After workout, heart rate should be lowed

gradually by slowly reducing the intensity of the
exercise. Sudden stops are not recommended
and can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, and
blood pooling in the legs.

Cool down is the act or an instance of allowing

physiological activity to return to normal
gradually after strenuous exercise by engaging
in less strenuous exercise. Cool-down at least
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5–10 min of light-to-moderate intensity

cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance
activities. Cooling down after your workout
allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise
heart rate and blood pressure.

NUTRITION AWARENESS

Why is nutrition important?

Most of us DO know what healthy eating is all about: less fried food, less sugar
and more vegetables and fruits. When it comes to having good nutrition however, too
many of us don’t know the full details of the benefits of good nutrition and how to go about
achieving it.

Nutrition is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of getting

it right cannot be overstated – let’s start by going into the benefits of having a nutritious
diet.

A healthy diet may help to prevent certain long-term (chronic) diseases such as
heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It may also help to reduce your risk of developing
some cancers and help you to keep a healthy weight. This leaflet explains the principles
of a healthy diet. It is general advice for most people. The advice may be different for
certain groups of people, including pregnant women, people with certain health problems
or those with special dietary requirements.

How Good Nutrition Boosts Your Health?

• Weight management

A lot of us mistakenly associate weight-loss with fad diets, but eating a nutritious
diet is really the best way to go about maintaining a healthy weight and at the same time
attaining the necessary nutrients for healthy body function. Swapping unhealthy junk food
and snacks out for nutritious food is the first step to keeping your weight within a healthy
range relative to your body composition, without the need to jump on the fad-diet
bandwagon.

• Protecting you from chronic diseases

Many chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease are caused by
poor nutrition and obesity. With 1 in 9 Singaporeans suffering from diabetes, the
emphasis on good nutrition is higher than ever. Taking a preventive approach with a
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whole food-based nutrition plan also reduces the risk of developing other related diseases
such as kidney failure.

• Strengthening your immune system

Our immune system requires essential vitamins and minerals in order to function
optimally. Eating a wholesome and varied diet ensures your immune system functions at
peak performance and guards against illnesses and immunodeficiency problems.

• Delaying the onset of ageing

Certain types of food such as tomatoes and berries can increase vigor and
improve cognitive performance, all the while protecting your body against the effects of
ageing.

• Supporting your mental well-being

Eating the right foods can actually make you happier – nutrients such as iron and
omega-3 fatty acids found in protein-rich food can boost your mood. This contributes to
better overall mental well-being and protects you against mental health issues.

Healthy eating is all about eating balanced proportions of nutrient-rich foods from
the various food groups, as well as adopting several healthy eating habits.

How To Improve Your Nutrition?

1.) Drink Water

Water is the most important thing we could ever factor into our diets. Water makes
up 60% of our bodies. It regulates our internal body temperature, transports
carbohydrates and proteins, assists in flushing waste, acts as a shock absorber for the
brain, spinal cord, and fetus; forms saliva, and lubricates joints.

It can also greatly affect our eating habits. The more water we ingest, the more our
stomachs are filled. Meaning, we feel less hungry since water occupies most of the
surface area in our stomach. Nutritionally speaking, if we drink more water instead of
high-sugar drinks, the less caloric intake we have.

2.) Whole Grains

Although it depends on your demographic, at least half of all grains we consume

should be whole grains. Whole grains include:
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- Whole wheat flour

- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Oatmeal
- Whole cornmeal
- Brown rice.
The grains to avoid are refined grains. These grains are milled to give grains a
longer shelf-life, but they become enriched, meaning certain B vitamins and iron are
added back after processing. Refined grains include, white flour, degermed cornmeal, and
white rice.

3.) Portion Control

One of the main factors that sneak up on our eating habits are our portions. It’s no
lie that most of us love food, and the more we love it, the more we eat it. It’s important to
portion and limit our servings.

The common way to do this is to read the nutrition label. On the back of each food
product are the nutrition facts, where they list serving sizes per container as well as
calorie count. Check your dietary guidelines on the food label to see what you can
consume within the day.

Other ways to maintain your portions is to track your options with a food tracker
app, measure out with measuring cups and/or buy containers that section it out for you.

4.) Vitamins

According to NIH.gov, vitamins are needed for normal cell function, growth, and
development. However, be aware of your intake. High doses of vitamins can be toxic.
Make sure to ask your health care specialist what is right for you.

5.) Trans Fats and Processed Foods

Avoid all trans fats. Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good
cholesterol, as well as increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s
also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While trans fats are a
huge no, processed foods can be allowed.

Processed food can help you eat more nutrient-dense foods. Milk and juices
sometimes are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and breakfast cereals may have
added fiber. Canned fruit (packed in water or its own juice) is a good option when fresh
fruit is not available. Some minimally processed food such as pre-cut vegetables and pre-
washed, bagged spinach are quality convenience foods for busy people.
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If you want to minimize your intake of processed food, aim to do more food prep
and cooking at home. Base meals on whole foods including vegetables, beans and whole
grains.

Watch out for hidden sugars and sodium. Make sure to look for these items not in
the nutrition label but in the products ingredients list. Soups, canned vegetables, and
sauces have added salt. Choose food labels with no salt added, low-sodium, or reduced-
sodium to decrease the amount you’re consuming.

Teaching And Learning Activities

----------cut this page and submit it to your teacher personally or online----------

Name: ___________________________ Score: __________________

Course/Section: ____________________ Date Submitted: __________

ACTIVITY 1

Review Questions
1. Why do we need to exercise?
2. How do I start an exercise program?
3. I have a hard time fitting exercise into my daily routine. How can I fit exercise
into my busy schedule?
4. Which exercise is best?
5. How can you make it more exciting and easier to stick with your exercise?

Calculating Your Activity Index

Frequency: How often do you exercise?

If you exercise: Your frequency score is:
Less than 1 time a week 0
1 time a week 1
2 times a week 2
3 times a week 3
4 times a week 4
5 or more times a week 5

Duration: How long do you exercise?

If your total duration of exercise is Your duration score is:
less than 5 minutes 0
5-14 minutes 1
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15-29 minutes 2
30-44 minutes 3
45-59 minutes 4
60 minutes or more 5

Intensity: How hard you do exercise?

If exercise results in: Your intensity score is:
No change in pulse from resting level 0
Slight increase in pulse from resting level 1
Slight increase in pulse and breathing 2
Moderate increase in pulse and breathing 3
Intermittent heavy breathing and sweating 4
Sustained heavy breathing and sweating 5

Multiply your three scores:

Frequency ____ x Duration ____ x Intensity ____ = Activity index _____

To determine your activity index, refer to the following table:

If your activity index is: Your estimated level of activity is:

Less than 15 Sedentary
15-24 Low active
25-40 Moderate active
41-60 Active
Over 60 High active

Assessment Task

Direction: Answer the following questions below.

1. It is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall
health and wellness.

2. It helps strengthen your heart and lungs.

3. It can help tone muscles, increase strength and bone density, improve posture and
even reduce the potential for injury.

4. This exercise will burn you more calories on a daily basis. You can do these
exercises at work, home, or while on vacation.
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5. How to compute maximum heart rate?

6. How often should I do strength training?

7. It is a great exercise to incorporate when beginning any exercise program.

8. What is the target heart rate of your maximum heart rate?

9. How often should I do an aerobic exercise?

10. What are the three types of exercise?