PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN

What is a fitness plan?

People work out for many reasons: to lose weight, to increase muscle tone, and

to improve their health. When people exercise regularly, their metabolism

improves and stress decreases.

So, why is it so easy to become an exercise dropout when

fitness offers such wonderful health benefits?

Ask yourself:

1. Are negative feelings associated with exercise?

2. Do shame, embarrassment, or guilt prevent you from starting or staying with a

fitness program?

3. Does exercise feel like a chore?

4. Are you too busy to exercise?

5. Do you feel guilty when you don't exercise?

A fitness plan may be the missing key to getting and staying fit. A fitness plan is
a tool that helps you manage your fitness and nutritional goals based on your

needs and interests.

Why do I need to build a fitness plan?

A fitness plan can be used to define strengths and weaknesses in your

fitness and nutritional goals.

A fitness plan helps you:

Specificallydefine short-term and longer-term fitness and

nutritional goals.
Identify obstacles that might stand in your way.
Implement and track your goals to improve your fitness and
health throughout your lifetime.

Set goals that are individualized and custom-fit to your

own lifestyle.
What are the benefits of building a fitness plan?

Motivation: A written plan can help keep you motivated. Humans feel
good when they accomplish their goals and fitness plans are a way to help

guide you in meeting very important fitness and nutritional goals.

Measurement: A fitness plan provides proof of whether you are making

progress or not. You can easily keep track of what areas you are excelling

in, and find specific areas where you can improve.

How do I build a fitness plan?

Here's what you need to know in order to build an effective and beneficial

fitness plan:

Your strengths and weaknesses

How to set goals using the correct criteria

The 5 fitness components

What the FITT formula is and how to use it

The basic training principles

Evaluate your health and fitness history.

Set goals in each fitness component to

improve and maintain fitness and nutrition.

Set goals in each fitness component to

improve and maintain fitness and nutrition.

Assign specific activities to your fitness goals,

including warm-up and cool-down exercises.

Implement, track, and modify your plan.

What are the 5 fitness components?

Physical fitness is defined as "a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates

to the ability to perform physical activity" (USDHHS, 1996). Overall fitness is made up of

five main components:

Cardio-respiratory endurance is the ability of the body's circulatory and respiratory

systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity. You can improve your cardio-

respiratory endurance with activities that keep your heart rate elevated at a safe level

for a sustained length of time, such as walking, swimming, or bicycling.

Muscular strength is the muscle's ability to exert force during an activity. The key to
making your muscles stronger is working them against resistance. To gain muscle

strength, try exercises such as lifting weights or rapidly taking the stairs.

Muscular endurance is the muscle's ability to continue performing without fatigue. To

improve muscle endurance, try cardio-respiratory activities such as walking, jogging,

bicycling, or dancing.

Body composition refers to the relative amount of muscle, fat, bone, and other vital
parts of the body. A person's total body weight may not change over time, but this does

not assess how much weight is fat and how much is lean mass (muscle, bone, tendons,

and ligaments). Body composition is important for your health and managing your

weight!

Flexibility is the range of motion around a joint. Good flexibility in the

joints can help prevent injuries through all stages of life. If you want to

improve your flexibility, try activities that lengthen the muscles, such as

swimming or a basic stretching program.

What is the FITT formula?

The success of your fitness plan depends on four factors:

1. How often you exercise

2. How hard you exercise

3. How long you exercise

4. The types of exercise you choose

These factors make up the FITT formula: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type.

Frequency: To become or stay physically fit, you should exercise

at least 3 to 5 times a week. Spread out your exercise. Being

inactive during the week does not prepare your body for an

intense weekend workout and can lead to injury.

Intensity: The only way to improve your physical fitness is to make

your body do more than it normally does. To increase

cardiorespiratory endurance, for example, you must exercise

within your target heart rate range.

Time: The amount of time you spend exercising affects your

level of fitness. If you are just starting an exercise program,

limit your time to about only 10 to 15 minutes per day, then

increase your exercise time gradually. Once your workout

program is established, you should exercise for at least 20 to

30 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week.

Type: The types of activities you choose are also

important for your success.  Make sure that your

exercise choices correspond to your goals and

interests. To prevent boredom and overuse injuries,

you should practice cross-training by participating

in a wide variety of activities. Cross-training also

ensures that more areas of your body become fit.

For example, people who primarily walk for

exercise could benefit from biking, which works

different muscle groups in the legs.

 FITNESS/EXERCISE RELATED
VOCABULARY

Aerobic activity: Long duration exercise that relies on the presence of oxygen to produce
energy; it may also control body weight, reduce the percentage of body fat, improve

circulatory functions, and reduce blood pressure. (e.g., dance, cycling, jogging, power walking,

and kickboxing.)

Anaerobic activity: Short duration exercise completed without the aid of oxygen; it is used to
build muscle mass and to improve one’s ability to move quickly to deliver force. 

Components of physical fitness: Aerobic capacity, muscle strength, muscle endurance,

flexibility, and body composition.

Cool down exercises: Five to ten minutes of light to moderate physical activity. It maintains
blood pressure, helps venous return, and prevents blood from pooling in the muscles. 

Flexibility: The ability to move joints of the body through a normal range of motion.

Moderate physical activity: The level of effort a healthy individual might expend while
walking quickly, dancing, swimming, or bicycling on level terrain. A person should feel some

exertion, but should be able to carry a conversation comfortably. 

Muscle endurance: Ability to avoid muscle fatigue.

Muscle strength: Ability of a muscle to exert force.

Progression: Increases/improvements in training over a period(s) of time by essentially making

the exercise harder.

Vigorous physical activity: A level of effort a healthy individual might expend while jogging,
participating in high-impact aerobic dancing, swimming continuous laps, and bicycling uphill.

Warm-up exercises: Low-intensity exercises that prepare the muscular/skeletal system, heart,
and lungs for the hard work to follow. 

Use these terms when completing your Personal Fitness Plan.