While you’ll often hear physical activity and exercise used interchangeably, remember

that they actually mean two different things. Physical activity is any body movement the muscles

produce that results in energy expenditure. This could be anything from walking to class to

cleaning your apartment. Exercise is planned physical activity for the purpose of fitness, such as

running, swimming, practicing yoga, or playing soccer. When it comes to physical activity, every

bit contributes to improving your health and wellness.

Competency in five specific areas called the health-related components of physical

fitness will ensure that you have enough energy to easily complete your daily tasks while

reducing your risk for many types of disease. These components are cardiorespiratory endurance,

muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is the ability of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems

to provide oxygen to working muscles during exercise. It’s what gives you the physical capacity

to bike or run. The better your cardiorespiratory endurance, the longer you can perform the

activity with less fatigue.

Muscular strength is the ability of your muscles to exert force. Think of lifting a bag of

groceries or a weight in a gym. Improving muscular strength decreases your risk for low bone

density and musculoskeletal injuries.

Muscular endurance is related to muscular strength, but it’s not the same. Muscular

endurance is the ability of your muscles to contract repeatedly over time. It allows you to swing a

tennis racket over and over or block your opponents in basketball.

Flexibility is the ability to move your joints freely through a full range of motion. You

need flexibility every day, for example, when you reach up to grab something on a shelf.

Improving flexibility will help prevent neck and back pain when you’re older, too.

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 Body composition is the relative amount of fat and lean tissue in your body. The ideal

body composition is based on having adequate lean tissue and moderate-to-low fat tissue. This

reduces your risk for illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Before you can put together a fitness program that is right for you, you must understand

the principles of fitness, also known as the principles of exercise training. First, the principle of

overload states that to see improvements in physical fitness, you need to subject your body to

more physical activity than it’s used to. This causes adaptations to occur, and your body changes

as a result of increasing overload. The greater the overload, the greater the adaptations; this

phenomenon is known as the dose–response. Over time, the rate at which your fitness improves

will diminish as you approach your genetic limits. Because we are unique individuals with

unique genetic make-ups, different people will see different adaptations from training overload.

The principle of progression is based on a gradual increase in overload during the course

of a fitness program. A good rule of thumb used to prevent injury is the 10% rule: Increase your

exercise intensity, frequency, or duration by no more than 10% each week.

The principle of specificity states that the effects of exercise training are specific to the

muscles involved. Performing a bicep curl won’t improve the strength in your legs. That’s why

it’s important to engage in many different types of physical activity and exercise to improve your

overall physical fitness.

The familiar expression “use it or lose it” applies when it comes to physical gains from

exercise. This is the principle of reversibility. It states that all fitness gains are reversible.

Stopping exercise for just one or two weeks will result in a decline in your level of fitness!

The principle of rest and recovery, also known as the principle of recuperation, states

that you must get adequate rest between training sessions. If you train every day with no rest in

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between, you likely are overtraining, which leads to diminished fitness and increased chance of

injury.

How do you know how much to exercise? Follow guidelines based on credible scientific

research. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently recommends 150

minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-

intensity activity.

Most American adults aren’t meeting these recommendations. To make sure you are,

avoid inactivity, particularly sitting for long periods of time. Strive to get light physical activity

every day. Exercise moderately or vigorously at least three days a week, and work on your

muscle strength and flexibility at least two days a week.

Use the FITT formula to plan your exercise program. FITT stands for Frequency,

Intensity, Time, and Type. Frequency is the number of times per week you perform an activity;

intensity is how hard you exercise; time is the amount of time you spend on an activity (also

called the duration); and type is the type of exercise you do (also called the mode of exercise).

To exercise safely, always warm up before you start and cool down when you’re done.

Warm-ups raise your body temperature and prepare your muscles for the greater intensity to

come. A general warm-up consists of light physical activity for 5 to 15 minutes. A specific

warm-up focuses on range of motion movements that mimic what the joints will be doing during

exercise.

After exercise, cool down to bring your breathing, heart rate, and temperature back to

resting levels. Cool down for 5 to 15 minutes with lighter versions of the activity, such as

walking after running. Stretch after resistance training and after your heart rate lowers following

aerobic training.

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 Some factors to consider when planning your exercise program are your age, weight,

current fitness level, and any special health concerns or disabilities. Adults can begin exercise

training at any age, but older adults may need to take some precautions before beginning a

fitness program. Overweight individuals or those with bone or joint problems should stick with

lower-impact activities, such as water exercise and bicycling.

To get started with your program, think about why you’re doing it in the first place. Do

you want to gain health benefits? Have fun? Meet new people? Consider your reasons, and

anticipate barriers that may get in your way. The most common barriers to physical activity are

lack of time, inadequate resources, and lack of a good environment for exercise. Lack of

motivation or commitment to an exercise program is another stumbling block.

Here are some tips to overcome these barriers: Prioritize exercise in your schedule. Select

activities you like so you won’t get bored. Locate fitness facilities or outdoor spaces in your

neighborhood where you can exercise safely. Set realistic goals you’ll be likely to accomplish.

And once you reach your goals, plan meaningful rewards. Rewards can be internal, such as

feeling more at ease in your body, or external, like buying new workout clothes when you

achieve a specific goal.

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