Physical Activities Towards Health and Fitness (PATHFit):

Exercise-based Fitness Activity

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF EXERCISE

HISTORY OF EXERCISE

Primitive Man and Fitness (Pre-10,000 B.C)

Move for your Life!
 Primitive nomadic lifestyles required the continual task of hunting and gathering food
for survival. Tribes commonly went on one- or two- day hunting journeys for food
and water.
 Regular physical activity apart from that necessary for hunting and gathering was also
a principal component of life.
 Following successful hunting and gathering excursions, celebration events included
trips of six to 20 miles to neighboring tribes to visit friends and family, where dancing
and cultural games could often last several hours. This Paleolithic pattern of
subsistence pursuit and celebration, demanding a high level of fitness and consisting
of various forms of physical activity, defined human life.

The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution (10,000 - 8,000 B.C)

Crop Culture
 The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution marked the conclusion of primitive lifestyle and
signified the dawn of civilization.
 This historic period was defined by important agricultural developments including
animal and plant domestication, and the invention of the plow. These human
advancements made it possible for hunting-gathering tribes to obtain vast amounts
of food while remaining in the same area, thus transforming primitive man into an
agrarian (agriculture and farming) society.
 This era in history symbolizes the beginning of a more sedentary lifestyle, as man
began to alleviate some hardships of life while simultaneously decreasing daily
physical activity.

Ancient Civilization of China (2500 - 250 B.C)

 In China, the philosophical teachings of Confucius encouraged participation in regular
physical activity.
 It was recognized that physical inactivity was associated with certain diseases
(referred to as organ malfunctions and internal stoppages, which sound similar to
heart disease and diabetes) were preventable with regular exercise for fitness.
 Cong Fu gymnastics was developed to keep the body in good, working condition.
Cong Fu exercise programs consisted of various stances and movements,
characterized by separate foot positions and imitations of different animal fighting
styles.

Ancient Civilization of India (2500 - 250 B.C)

 In India, individual pursuit of fitness was discouraged as the religious beliefs of
Buddhism and Hinduism emphasized spirituality and tended to neglect development
of the body.
 The importance of fitness within society in general was relatively low.
  An exercise program similar to Chinese Cong Fu gymnastics developed, while still
conforming to religious beliefs, known as Yoga.
 Yoga means union, and refers to one of the classic systems of Hindu philosophy that
strives to bring together and personally develop the body, mind, and spirit. Originally
developed by Hindu priests who lived frugal lifestyles characterized by discipline and
meditation.

Ancient Greek Civilization (Athens, 2500 - 200 B.C)

Sound Mind in a Sound Body
 Perhaps no other civilization has held fitness in such high regard as ancient Greece.
The idealism of physical perfection was one that embodied ancient Greek civilization.
The appreciation for beauty of the body and importance of health and fitness
throughout society is one that is unparalleled in history.
 The Greeks believed development of the body was equally as important as
development of the mind (sound mind in a sound body).
 Physical well-being was necessary for mental well-being, with the need for a strong,
healthy body to harbor a sound mind.
 Many founding medical practitioners facilitated the growth of fitness throughout
ancient Greece, including the likes of Herodotus, Hippocrates, and Galen.
 Gymnastics, along with music, was considered to be the most important classroom
topic. A common saying in ancient Greek times was "exercise for the body and music
for the soul (5)".

Ancient Greek Civilization (Sparta, 2500 - 200 B.C)

Prepared for War
 The Spartans of Northern Greece valued fitness even more than the Athenians.
However, the heightened interest in fitness within Spartan culture was primarily for
military purposes.
 Greek states were frequently at war with each other. Fighting skills were highly
correlated with physical fitness levels, making it imperative for individuals to
maintain high fitness levels.
 Spartan society required males to enter special fitness programs at the age of six.
From this point until adulthood, the government was responsible for the child's
upbringing and training. This upbringing consisted of rigorous training programs that
ensured all boys would grow into highly fit adult soldiers. Females were also required
to maintain good physical condition for the purpose of being able to have strong
offspring who could serve the state.
 The military-dominated culture of Sparta resulted in one of the most physically fit
societies in the history of mankind.
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED IN PATHFIT
We need to be active in order to survive
Physical Fitness: Ability to perform daily task efficiently (has a routine that is organized)
Fatigue: due to improper posture, avoid by proper body mechanics, and reserve energy for
the rest of the day.

5 HEALTH RELATED FITNESS COMPONENTS:

It determines the ability of an individual to perform daily activities with vigor and
demonstrate the capacities associated with low risk of premature development of the
hypokinetic diseases.

1. Cardiorespiratory/ Cardiovascular endurance: It is the strength of the heart and

lungs to collaborate to produce the needed oxygen and fuel to the body during
supported workloads. Running is a form of cardiovascular exercise that really gets the
heart pumping. Like other forms of aerobic exercise, running helps to lower blood
pressure and cholesterol, strengthen the heart and blood vessels and improve the
flow of oxygen around the body.

2. Muscular Strength: It is the muscle's ability to exert force at high intensities over
short periods of time. You use muscular strength when you lift yourself out of a chair,
pick up a heavy object, or push a piece of furniture. In the gym, a single repetition at
a given weight is an example of muscular strength.

3. Muscular Endurance: It is the ability of muscle group to execute repeated

contractions over a period of time sufficient to cause muscle fatigue, or to maintain a
specific percentage of the maximal voluntary contraction for a prolonged period of
time. Long-distance running is a sport that requires muscular endurance. During a
race, a marathon runner's body performs the same movement and stride, over and
over again. This requires their muscles to have an advanced level of endurance to
avoid injury or extreme fatigue.

4. Flexibility: It is the ability of each joint’s capacity to move within the possible range of
motion for a specific joint. Bending down to tie your shoelaces is easier when you are
flexible.

5. Body composition: It is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone,
and organs. Inappropriate lifestyle choices are a major cause of obesity.

6 SKILL RELATED COMPONENTS OF FITNESS:

It is also known as performance-related fitness components. It is associated with athletic
competition but should be considered in the overall fitness of all individuals. These
components are pertaining with the athletic ability of an individual. There are 6 components
of physical fitness: balance, coordination, agility, speed, power, and reaction time.

1. Agility: The ability to change the position of your body and to control the movement
of your whole body. Agility is an important quality in many sports, because you must
change direction rapidly and always have your body under control.
 2. Balance: The ability to keep an upright posture while either standing still or moving.
Good balance in essential in many activities like skating, surfing, skiing, and
gymnastics. (Maintain equilibrium)

3. Coordination: The integration of eye, hand, and foot movements.

4. Power: It is the ability of your muscles to maximize their force in a minimum amount
of time. Vertical jump test and hop test are some examples of power testing for
lower extremity. Medicine ball throw test can be used to assess upper extremity
power.

5. Reaction time: The amount of time it takes to start a movement once your senses
signal the need to move.

6. Speed: Is the ability to cover a distance in a short amount of time.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY VS. PHYSICAL EXCERSIZE

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic
3. Physical Activity Play
4. Play
5. Sports
6. Lifestyle
7. Weight Bearing

PHYSICAL EXCERSISE
1. Calisthenics
2. Isokinetic
3. Isotonic
4. Flexibility: enhancing activities ensure a good range of motion in the joints
o Stretching
o Yoga
5. Muscle Fitness: strengthening activities build up your strength. These activities work
all the different parts of the body—legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and
arms—and include:
o Push-ups on the floor or against the wall
o Sit-ups
6. Therapeutic Exercise
7. Aerobic: make you breathe harder and make your heart and blood vessels healthier.
o Walking
o Dancing
o Swimming
o Some gardening activities
8. Anaerobic