Fitness and

Body Image

Christine Foster, M.A., LLPC, NCC

Mind Clearing

Focus on Self Image,

Fitness and Personal
Responsibility
Obesity in America

Fitness in a Nutshell
Physical

fitness: the ability of the body

to respond to the physical demands
placed upon it.

Two

Categories

Skill-related
Health-related

Physical Fitness
Physical

Fitness for Optimal Health: has three

components

Cardiorespiratory fitness
Musculoskeletal fitness
Body composition

Moderate

vs. Vigorous Exercise

ME: Not conditioning the heart, expends some

calories, gets the body moving.
VE: Conditions the heart (is aerobic) which means you
are exercising between 55% and 90% of your maximal
heart rate.

Weight training
Muscular

strength
Muscular endurance
To

develop strength, you need to train at

a higher intensity for a shorter duration
To develop endurance, you need to train
at a lower intensity for a longer duration

Flexibility
STRETCH!!!

Before and after workouts

Listen to your body
Benefits?

Benefits to Fitness
What

benefits do you experience from

physical fitness?

Goals for Physical Fitness

Increasing

your Target Heart Rate (THR)

cause increased strength and ability in
your cardiovascular system.
Ones heart rate reserve is the
difference between resting and max
heart rate. The lower resting heart rate
the better.
Reaching and/or maintaining a healthy
body weight

Body Fat
Body

fat percentage is the percentage

of your body made up of fat.

Athletes 5-10% (M) & 15-20% (F)

Men 11-20%
Women 17-30%

Fat

Distribution is where fat is located

on the body.

Abdominal fat is more dangerous than fat

located other parts of the body.

Weight Influences
Gender

and Age
Obesogenic Environments
Lifestyle Influences
Dieting and Obesity
Stress Response
Others?

How to drop and maintain

weight
Stress-Increased

stress cause the body

to release hormones, such as cortisol,
that increases weight.
Starvation dieting-eating too few
calories causes the body to store fat.
Energy balance-food intake (measured
in calories) needs to equal or be less
than output (activity level).

Achieving a Healthy Body

Weight
Individuals

SMART plan
Balanced lifestyle
Balanced diet
Support

Society

Promote healthy choices

Obesity Prevention Programs

Tips for Fitness Planning

Evaluate

body type and fitness needs

Challenge cultural norms
Assess motivation level and obstacles to exercise
Create a plan (times/dates/activities)
Create strategies to motivate
Incorporate activity into everyday activities
Have a physical first!
Flexibility, be willing to try new things and also work
on stretches and your bodies ability to move!
Dont give up, even if you skip a day (or a month) it is
never too late to start back up!

Tips for exercise!

Harvard

School of Public Health

Healthy Body and Body Image

Think

about your body image. What

are the attitudes, images,
perceptions you have about your
body?

What

are the cultural pressures that

influence how you feel about your
body?

Etiology of Beauty
What

is considered beautiful?

Who makes these decisions

How do definitions of beauty change?

Are

there gender differences?

Culture Impacts Perspective

From

an early age

Unrealistic

expectations
Pressures on men & women
Creation of perfect bodies

Youth and Media

The Female Body

Standards

over time

Evolution

of beauty have

of Beauty

changed

Media Pressures-Music
1992

Sir Mix A Lot

2014

All About That Bass

Do

you notice any differences about the

messages being sent?

Examples?

Whats Average??
The average Woman today:

Stands 54

Weighs 145 pounds

Wears size 11-14

Measures 36/30/41

The Male Body

Whats

hot and whats not?

Pressures to be cut
Pressures to be thin

Evolution of Beauty

Steroid Use
One

million
American men have
tried steroids

6%

have tried them

before the age of 18

Women

use steroids
also, but it is less
common

Numerous Dangers:

Stunted growth

Liver toxicity

Increased risk of HIV and Hepatitis

Hair loss

Shrinking of the testicles

Bodily hair growth

High blood pressure

Increase of LDL (bad cholesterol)

Increased aggression

Heart attack/stroke

Disordered Relationships to
Body
Prolonged

exposure to:

Inaccurate beliefs
Media
Prejudice
Peer Influence

Disordered

Eating
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Exercise Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa
Obsessive

control of
food intake
Strictly limiting calories
Significant weight loss
Physiological Damage

Bulimia Nervosa & Binge

Eating

Bulimia Nervosa:

Excessive Food Intake

Purging (Vomiting, Laxatives, and Exercise)
Relatively normal weight

Binge Eating:

Excessive Food Intake

Emotion Management
Any type of weight (under, normal, over,
etc.)

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Preoccupation with a defect in

appearance

Muscle Dysmorphia

Excessive concern
Significant distress
Not better accounted by an eating disorder
Bigorexia or reverse anorexia

Real Life Ken