MODULE 1

INTRODUCTION TO WELLNESS AND FITNESS

Overview
The main objective of this module is to use the context in learning the concept of Wellness and
Fitness. This module uses different approaches to develop personal and social responsibilities
where learning occurs in your daily activities. This module may help you understand the
importance of having a healthy body and a healthy mind. It is the sincere hope of the author that
this module will help you achieve a better and Peaceful life by the knowing the important aspects
of Wellness and Fitness.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. differentiate physical activity and exercise by citing specific examples;
2. evaluate your current lifestyle habits;
3. share the significance of acquiring the dimension of wellness;
4. assess behaviours toward control over physical activity and nutrition;;
5. write specific objectives for behavioural change;;
6. create a plan that will facilitate the process of change;;
Topic Outline
Unit 1. Introduction to Wellness and Fitness
a. Physical Activity and Exercise
b. Wellness and its dimensions
c. Barriers to Physical Activity

INTRODUCTION TO WELLNESS AND FITNESS

Movement and physical activity are basic functions of human. Advances in technology have
almost eliminated the necessity for physical exertion in daily life. Thus physical activity is no
longer a natural part of our existence. We live in an automated society in which most of the
activities that require strenuous exertion can already be accomplished by machines even with the
simple pull of a handle or push of a button.

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MOTIVATION

ACTIVITY 1.1
To the best of your ability, please answer the following questions. If you do not know the
answer(s), this chapter will guide you through them.

I. Physical fitness implies making a constant and deliberate effort to stay healthy and achieve the
highest potential for well-being. True_____ False_____
II. Are you aware of potential risk factors in your life that may increase your chances of developing
disease? Yes___ No___
III. My current blood pressure is ____ / ____mm Hg.

After responding to the questions above, the following content will help you evaluate your answer.

CONTENT

A. PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY AN
A fitness and wellness movement was taken place gradually at the end of the 20th century. People need to
EXERCISE
understand that good health is mostly self-controlled. Positive lifestyle could prevent leading causes of
health and wellness problem. The fitness and wellness could be enhanced through participation in quality
fitness and wellness program focused on enhancing the overall quality of life.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Health
"State of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.” – World Health Organization (WHO)
Wellness
The constant and deliberate effort to stay healthy and to achieve the highest potential for well-being.
Physical Fitness
The ability to meet the ordinary, as well as the unusual, demands of daily life safely and effectively
without being overly fatigued and still have energy left for leisure and recreational activity.

Physical Activity is any bodily movement Exercise is a type of physical activity that requires
produced by the skeletal muscles that planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movement

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 requires energy and low to moderate to improve or maintain one or more components of
effort. ACTIVITY VS. EXERCISE
PHYSICAL physical fitness.

With necessary exercise and fitness, you can have a taste of the following
FYI benefits:
According to the latest WHO If you are regularly physically active, you may:
data published in 2018 life
expectancy in Philippines is: 1. reduce your risk of a heart attack
Male 66.2, female 72.6 and total 2. manage your weight better
life expectancy is 69.3LEADING
which 3. have a lower blood cholesterol level
HEALTH
4. lower the
PROBLEMS/CAUSES
gives Philippines a World Life OFrisk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers
Expectancy ranking ofDEATH
123 IN THE 5. have lower blood pressure
PHILIPPINES 6. have stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower risk of developing
1. Coronary heart disease
osteoporosis
2. Diseases
7. lowervascular
of the your risk of falls
system8. recover better from periods of hospitalisation or bed rest
3. Pneumonia
9. feel better – with more energy, a better mood, feel more relaxed and
Source:https://
sleep better.
www.doh.gov.ph/node/
1058
A healthier state of mind
A number of studies have found that exercise helps depression. There are
many views as to how exercise helps people with depression:
1. Exercise may block negative thoughts or distract you from daily
worries.
2. Exercising with others provides an opportunity for increased social
contact.
3. Increased fitness may lift your mood and improve your sleep patterns.
4. Exercise may also change levels of chemicals in your brain, such as
serotonin, endorphins and stress hormones.
Physical Activity Guidelines
5. Exercise helps to improves your memory
6. Increased self confidence
The federal guidelines provide science-based guidance on the importance of being physically active to promote
health and reduce the risk for chronic diseases.
The federal guidelines include the following recommendations
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• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic (cardiorespiratory) physical
activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an
equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. When combining
moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities, a person could participate in moderate-intensity activity twice a
ACTIVITY 1.2

1. Based on the
definition of
Exercise
PhysicalandActivity Exercise
1. Physical Activity, 1.
list at least 5
household chores
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or daily activities
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and
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PERMISSION
Physical Activity
and Exercise
 2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

2. Do you consciously incorporate physical activity into your daily lifestyle? Provide some examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you think that in order to maintain good health, you must get sufficient daily physical activity?
Why or Why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Monitoring Daily Activity

The indicated activities on the following tables are the suggested activities for adults between 16 and 59
years of age.
All daily steps count, but some of your steps should come
in bouts of at least 10 minutes, so as to meet the national
physical activity recommendation of accumulating 30
minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity in at least
three 10-minute sessions five days per week. A 10-minute
brisk walk (a distance of about 1,200 yards at a 15-minute
per mile pace) is approximately 1,300 steps. A 15-minute-
mile (1,770 yards) walk is about 1,900 steps.15 Thus, new
pedometer brands have an “aerobic steps” function that
records steps taken in excess of 60 steps per minute over a
10-minute period of time. If you do not accumulate the
recommended 10,000 daily steps, you can refer to Table 1.3
to determine the additional walking or jogging distance
required to reach your goal.

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if you are 5’8” tall, female, and you typically accumulate 5,200 steps per day, you would need an additional 4,800
daily steps to reach your 10,000-steps goal. You can do so by jogging 3 miles at a 10-minute-per-mile pace (1,602
steps x 3 miles 5 4,806 steps) on some days, and you can walk 2.5 miles at a 15-minute-per-mile pace (1,941 steps x
2.5 miles 5 4,853 steps) on other days. If you do not find a particular speed (pace) that you typically walk or jog at in
Table 1.3, you can estimate the number of steps at that speed using the prediction equations at the bottom of this table.
The first practical application that you can undertake in this course is to determine your current level of daily activity.
The log provided in Activity 1.1 will help you do this. Keep a 4-day log of all physical activities that you do daily. On
this log, record the time of day, type and duration of the exercise/activity, and, if possible, steps taken while engaged
in the activity. The results will indicate how active you are and serve as a basis to monitor changes in the next few
months and years.

ACTIVITY 1.3
Before you proceed to the next content please answer the following survey questionnaire.
Instructions:
Questionnaire 1.1: In a week, choose your most preferred four (4) days to have a physical activity and exercise and
record it to the necessary spaces in the survey questionnaire.
Questionnaire 1.2: Check the appropriate answer to each question and obtain a final score to the guidelines provided
at the end of the questionnaire
Questionnaire 1.3: The instructions is provided at the questionnaire
B.WELLNESS

For a wellness way of life,

individuals must be
physically fit and manifest
no signs of disease and
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DIMENSION OF WELLNESS

PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Good physical fitness and confidence in your personal ability to take care of health problems.
• Physically active
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Maintain normal BMI
• Get sufficient sleep
• Practice safe sex
• Minimize exposure to environmental contaminants
• Avoid harmful drugs
• Seek medical care and exams as needed

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

The ability to understand your own feelings, accept your limitations, and achieve emotional
stability.
• Emotional stability brings the ability to look both success and failure squarely in the face
and keep moving along a predetermined course.
• Happiness – an emotional factor that gives meaning and joy to life.

MENTAL WELLNESS

A state in which your mind is engaged in lively interaction with the world around you.
• You embrace the chance to learn something new.
• Open-minded and are accepting of others.

SOCIAL WELLNESS

The ability to relate well to others, both within and outside the family unit.
• Positive self-image

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 • Ease and confidence to be outgoing
• Friendly and affectionate towards others.
• Ability to maintain a close relationship with others

ENVIRONMENTAL WELLNESS

The capability to live in a clean and safe environment that is not detrimental to health.
• Lifestyle that maximizes harmony with the earth and takes action to protect the world
around us
• Conserving energy
• not littering and politely asking others not to do it either
• Conserving natural resources
• Appreciating time outdoors in natural settings

OCCUPATIONAL WELLNESS

The ability to perform your job skillfully and effectively under conditions that provide personal
and team satisfaction and adequately reward each individual.
• Occupational wellness can be brought if it provides rewards that are important to the
individual
• Maximize skills and opportunity to broaden existing skills
• Encourages collaboration and interaction among coworkers, which fosters teamwork and
support.

SPIRITUAL WELLNESS

The sense that life is meaningful, that life has purpose, and that some power brings all
humanity together; the ethics, values, and morals that guide you and give meaning and
direction to life.
• Prayer – studies found out that praying leads to positive health outcomes – as long as
these prayers are offered with sincerity, humility, love, empathy, and compassion.

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 • Altruism, a key attribute of spiritual people – unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

ACTIVITY 1.4

After studying the

definition and differences
of the seven dimension of
1. What Dimension/s of wellness is the most dominant to you? Explain.
wellness substantially
______________________________________________________
answer the following.
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2. What do you think is the least dominant dimension to you? Explain
_______________________________________________________

________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3. What do you think is the best way to have a holistic wellness?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
4. What do you think would happen if a person lacks one of the 7 dimensions of
wellness?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
C. BARRIERS TO
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
“It is practically
impossible to reach a
goal without
LACK OF CORE VALUES
changing behaviour.”
Unwilling or unable to trade convenience for health or other benefits.

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 Tip to initiate change:
• Educate yourself regarding the benefits of a healthy lifestyle
PROCRASTINATION
People seem to think that tomorrow, next week, or after the holiday is the best time to start
change.
Tip to initiate change:
• Ask yourself: Why wait until tomorrow when you can start changing today?
PRECONDITIONED CULTURAL BELIEFS

If we accept the idea that we are a product of our environment, our cultural beliefs and our
physical surroundings pose significant barriers to change.
Tip to initiate change:
• Finding people who are willing to
“sail” with you will help overcome this barrier.
GRATIFICATION

People prefer instant gratification to

long-term benefits.
Tip to initiate change:
 Think ahead and ask yourself:
How did I feel the last time I engaged in this behavior? How did it affect me? Did I really
feel good about myself or about the results? In retrospect, was it worth it?

RISK COMPLACENCY
Consequences of unhealthy behaviors often don’t manifest themselves until years later
Tip to initiate change:

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 • Ask yourself: How long do I want to live? How do I want to live the rest of my life and
what type of health do I want to have? What do I want to be able to do when I am 60, 70,
or 80 years old?

COMPLEXITY
People think the world is too complicated, with too much to think about, you may feel
overwhelmed by everything that seems to be required to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Tip to initiate change:
• Take it one step at a time. Work on only one or two behaviors at a time so the task won’t
seem insurmountable.

INDIFFERENCE AND HELPLESSNESS

We may believe that the way we live won’t really affect our health, that we have no control over
our health, or that our destiny is all in our genes.
Tip to initiate change:
• As much as 84% of the leading causes of death are preventable. Realize that only you can
take control of your personal health and lifestyle habits and affect the quality of your life.

RATIONALIZATION
People often tell themselves that they do get sufficient exercise, that their diet is fine, that they
have good, solid relationships, or that they don’t smoke/drink/get high enough to affect their
health.
Tip to initiate change:
You’ll need to face the fact that you have a problem before you can commit to change. Your
health and your life are at stake.

ILLUSIONS OF INVINCIBILITY
At times people believe that unhealthy behaviors will not harm them. Young adults often have
the attitude that “I can smoke now, and in a few years I’ll quit before it causes any damage.”
Tip to initiate change:
• No one is immune to sickness, disease, and tragedy. The younger you are when you
implement a healthy lifestyle, the better are your odds to attain a long and healthy life.

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 TASK

Asses your behavior by answering the following question inside the arrow boxes, write your
answers in the provided text box below

1. Are you aware of your

family health history and
lifestyle factors that may
negatively impact your
health?

2. Do you make a constant and

deliberate effort to stay
healthy and achieve the
highest potential for well-
being?

3. Do you accumulate at least

30 minutes of moderate
intensity physical activity five
days per week?

ACTIVITY 1.4

1. Write 3 specific objectives for behavioural change.

_________________________________________________

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 __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

2. Create your own model of Stages of Change. Refer to the given figure below.
(you may have your own photos to paste just like the example below)

Precontemplation Contemplation Preparation

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 Adoption Maintenance Action

REFLECTION ACTIVITY

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 1. Taking into the account, what is the most significant lesson you have
earned in this unit module?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. How can you encourage your family members and loved ones to be fit
and healthy in this time of Pandemic?
_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

References
 W.W.K. Hoeger and S. A. Hoeger, 2013 “Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness 12th
Edition”, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning,
 Physical Education and Health 2nd Edition, 3G E-Learning LLC, USA 2018
 Department of Education (DEPED). K to 12 Curriculum Guide: PE and Health Education,
Pasig City Philippines, 2012
 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise

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