HOPE
of any of the following: • Social support such as self-help
Agno
The Philippine society is facing a health and fitness crisis.
Children today are at risk of being the first generation in
decades to have a shorter life expectancy than their
parents according to the findings of "The Weight of the
Nation" (a documentary film by HBO). Tobacco use,
unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity
have reached alarming levels. Nevertheless, there is hope
for everyone if people begin collaboratively toward a
healthier society. Hence, it can be said that health and
fitness are, indeed, everyone's business.
The social control theory by the sociologist Travis Hirschi
states that the youth need engagement because they
have a lot of time for leisure.
Suggested protective sports mentioned in
Hirschi theory:
1. Club and group participation in sports — These sports
are protective factors against alcohol drinking, cigarette
smoking, and drug use.
2. Vigorous individual sports participation— In a study,
those who participate in individual sports are less likely to
use cigarettes in the sport season than out of season.
IMPORTANCE OF GETTING INVOLVED IN THE
COMMUNITY
A community-wide campaign in relation to health and
fitness is a complete and focused effort to support and
endorse physical activity using various methods delivered
in different settings
The WHO considers such programs as community-
directed intervention (CDI).
Community-wide campaigns usually have these main
objectives:
▪ address sedentary behavior
▪ address issues on cardiovascular risk factors, particularly
diet and smoking
Community-wide campaigns are made possible through
the implementation of the main objectives on physical
fitness and insertion of interventions to help participants
in the different communities reach their goals.
There are other interventions which can be a combination
groups • Health concerned organizations • Risk factor
screening • Counseling • Education about physical activity
settings (including institutions such as worksites, schools,
and community events) • Other environmental or policy
changes such as creation of walking trails
The challenge of an effective community-wide campaign
is to communicate purpose in all of the campaigns.
Local Communication
Every community has its own local communication
system, supplement to national and global mass media
avenues. There is strong impact on health knowledge,
attitudes, and practice influenced by local
communication. Local media tools may include but not
limited to the use of signage, local radio and government
broadcasts, megaphones, and local theater. Local
communication and relationships enable interventions
and programs to be contextually specific; on the other
hand, the regional and national communication and
relationships can act as vital platforms for sustaining
large-scale governmental health services
Local Health Information Systems
Community-based health information systems such as
birth registration and community scoreboards enable
local residents to know and understand how a disease
spreads, how it can be controlled in their community, and
how to formulate solutions. Medium of communication,
collection of data, and tools for sharing of data are fast
changing due to technological advancement.
Community-wide campaigns aim to produce positive
changes in knowledge and perception about exercise and
an increased percentage of people who intend to increase
physical activity and the actual number of people who
engage in physical activity.
Individual Responsibility
Individuals are responsible for their own fitness status
and that of their families. They are also responsible for
the overall wellness of their respective communities.
Initiating Leadership in Physical Fitness Activities
Leadership is one of the important objectives of physical
education. A physically educated person possesses a good
grasp of leadership and its importance, roles, and
responsibility. Good leaders have the following qualities:
• Have initiative
• Responsible
• Have good judgement
• Cooperative
• Have the ability to think constructively
Leadership
Leadership, as defined by American historical theologian
and author Dr. Richard Albert Mohler JR., is "all about
putting the right beliefs into action, and knowing on the
basis of convictions, what those right beliefs and actions
are . . . Without conviction, you might be able to manage,
but you cannot really lead." Thus, personal conviction is
essential to leadership. One must be strongly convinced
of his or her beliefs in order to affect change within
himself or herself and others
Lesson 2
Health and Fitness Industry
Choosing a career in the field of fitness is more
complicated today than ever before since there is a
multitude of choices now as compared to decades ago
when there were limited options in the field of fitness.
But while these increasing options have made it more
complicated to choose a fitness-related career, they have
also opened more and more opportunities for almost
everyone.
The fitness industry is a promising career path. With
advancing technology and knowledge, it has become a
fast-growing industry because more people are in need of
professional guidance to manage their lifestyle.
Here are some of the major career options related to
health and fitness:
1. Personal trainer – Personal trainers give individual
fitness instruction and comprehensive fitness plans to
clients. Should you want to become a personal trainer,
you will undergo various trainings and several
certifications to jumpstart your professional career.
2. Athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach (high
school or college sports teams/varsity) – Athletic trainers
work closely with student-athletes to keep them healthy
and recover from an injury in a short span of time.
Athletic trainers also work with coaches and team officials
to give student-athletes appropriate fitness programs and
even diet plans. Professionally speaking, people who
want to pursue a career in this area need to have a
degree in sports science and rehabilitation
3. Group exercise instructors – Group exercise instructors
give fitness, health, and exercise classes to people with
varying fitness backgrounds and fitness levels. Examples
of group fitness classes are Zumba, aerobics, yoga, and
other general body-conditioning exercises. In the
Philippines, professional group exercise instructors
typically earn P1 000 to P3 000 per session.
4. Fitness center owner or manager – The responsibilities
of a fitness center owner or manager include the
following: promoting the facility, organizing special
events, managing the staff, dealing with technical aspects
such as program offerings, and ensuring the safety of
those using the facility. The manager/owner is also in
charge of the general profitability of the center.
Career opportunities in the health and fitness industries
in the Philippines fall in the following areas:
1. Safety and first aid – People engaged in this career
require in-depth knowledge of life skills and
competencies in safety and injury prevention and
management in various sports and exercise settings so
they can provide prompt and proper response during
emergencies. They need to undergo several trainings and
receive a certification from the Philippine Red Cross
afterwards.
2. Human movement – This career focuses on the origin,
control, and learning of motor skills appropriate for
various needs and skill levels for different movements in
sports or fitness.
3. Fundamentals of coaching – This career involves the
learning of the basic concepts and principles in coaching.
Once a person learns the fundamentals of coaching, he or
she can then pursue a career in professional coaching.
4. Sports officiating and activity management – This
career focuses on learning the concepts, principles, and
mechanics of officiating and on the implementation of the
rules of specific sports. It also covers the proper
management of fitness, sports, and recreation events.
Certifications from the National Sports Association (NSA)
and the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) are generally required for those who
want to pursue this career.
5. Fitness, sports, and recreation leadership – This career
involves carrying out safe and effective exercise, sports,
and recreation programs.
6. Psychosocial aspects of sports and exercise – This
career leads to an understanding of the individual and
social factors which influence participation, performance,
adherence, and psychological well-being in sports and
exercise.
7. Fitness testing and basic exercise programming – The
main focus of this career is to administer tests and
programs for physical fitness and performance
enhancement.
Pursuing a Career in Health and Fitness Industry
The fitness industry offers an abundance of opportunities
for a variety of personality types, aspirations, skill sets,
and interests. According to Jay Blahnik, an established
fitness consultant, the fitness industry is now structured
and has its own organization. Moreover, the following are
some of Blahnik’s other observations as regard to the
fitness industry:
1. In today’s fitness industry, you can work as a group
exercise instructor, personal trainer, and even as a fitness
video instructor. There are many career opportunities for
those who are in this industry and for those planning to
pursue a career in this industry.
2. Careers in the fitness industry are recognized globally.
There is a need for such careers internationally; thus, you
can use your career as stepping stone for more
opportunities.
3. There is a potential business angle wherein you can
build your own fitness center once you acquire enough
experience and capital.
Exercise as a Habit
Exercise is one of the habits that people want to start but
fail to follow through eventually. This tendency shows
how difficult it is to keep exercise a part of one’s lifestyle.
In fact, even maintaining an exercise program for an
extended duration can be quite hard, but it is not
impossible to do so. Activities done on a regular basis
become automated; hence, these activities require less
thinking. Behaviors that do not require a lot of thought
are likely to happen easily and regularly, thus becoming a
“well-worn path.” Consequently, decisions to act as well
as actions themselves easily flow into familiar and natural
patterns. This automation is evident in many health-
related behaviors such as exercising regularly and eating
healthy. The effort exerted to create necessary positive
habits or to remove the undesirable ones will depend on
the characteristics of the person trying to make the
change and the distractions and barriers that he or she
must overcome If the consequences are positive, there is
a possibility of repeating the exercise on the opportunity
to perform the behavior under the same circumstances.
Over time, due to adaptation, the decision process on
performing exercises becomes less complex. As the
behavior is repeated, it automatically becomes a habit
that no longer needs complex thinking. Therefore, the
establishment of lifelong exercise habits depends on
overcoming several obstacles such as the lack of positive
immediate results and difficulties in repeating the same
behavior.
The figure below shows how habits are formed, according
to award-winning author and reporter Charles Duhigg.
The 3Rs of Habit Formation
Lesson 3: Stress
Stress is a reaction of the body and mind to unkind or
challenging life incidents such as tense feelings, worry,
and discomfort. The imbalance between the demand
from the environment and the person’s ability to cope
can trigger feelings of anxiety.
Most people consider stress as a negative experience but
this is not always the case; it can be also positive. The
enhancing influence on our productivity and satisfaction
is called ‘eustress’ while the harmful physical
consequence of stress is called ‘distress’. Eustress or
positive stress promotes growth and accomplishments
and stimulates you to go on. On the other hand, distress
or the negative stress often causes poor performance.
The perception of stress as positive or negative varies
from person to person. One event might elicit a positive
response to someone while it could be negative to
another person.
Cause and Effects of Stress stress levels as well as those exposed to calamities,
tragedies, armed conflicts, and other disasters.
A stressor is an event or situation that causes stressful
situations, which mare seen as risks to the well-being of a 4. Other Stressors. Other stressors involving teenagers
person., the body responds to stress by secreting include worrying about their future, conflicts and
hormones that prepares the body to respond to the disagreements with family members, friends, and other
situation. The stress response is not harmful to the body; people, among others. Sometimes, teenagers who cannot
however, frequently activation of the stress response has manage their issues resort to alcohol and prohibited
negative consequences on the body. It leaves the body drugs.
feeling weak, tires, and impairs the immune system. This
PHYSICAL SIGNS
cause anxiety that affects an individual’s health,
behaviour, and life. Stress affects our health and can be • Muscle tension
classified as acute, cumulative, or chronic.
• Headache
Acute stress, the most common form, arises from recent,
past, and foreseen difficulties. It occurs briefly and • Pounding heart
appears in bits of thrill. Cumulative stress is a series of • Shortness of breath
stress that has built up. Several individuals ignore the
signs early and end up accumulating them. Chronic stress • Increased sweating
is a form of stress that is recurring. It is a prolonged stress • Dry mouth
that is dangerous and can lead to severe health problems.
• Skin rash
When people say “stress,” they are really talking about
stressors. Stressors lead to stress response or the body’s • Grinding teeth, nail biting
reaction to stress which help bring balance. There are
EMOTIONAL SIGNS
different sources of stress, which range from life-
threatening events to small events like being late to class. • anger, irritability
Some if these include:
• impatience
1. Major Life Changes. Majority of stressors are key life
• nervousness
changers that influence an individual’s family and social
life. These stressful changes threaten one’s sense of • forgetfulness
security and self-esteem. Changes due to stressful events
• inability to concentrate
in life endanger an individual’s sense of safety and
confidence. Some examples include death of a loved one, • negative thinking
losing a job, etc.
• excessive worrying
2. Everyday Problems. The stress or “hassles” we
encounter everyday or occasional petty incidents are part • loss of interest
of this group. Examples of these stressors include • self-criticism
dressing concerns, misplacing or losing things, too much
things in mind, or physical appearance. These maybe • frequent crying
insignificant but they accumulate as it happens daily. BEHAVIORAL SIGNS
3. Physical Surroundings. The immediate surroundings • loss of appetite
affect the level of day-to-day stress (i.e., crowded
transportation in going to school or workplace, street • overheating
walks with foul odors or unbearable weather conditions).
• drug abuse
Noise is also one of the overlooked factors causing stress
especially if you are residing near airports, train rail • sleep problems
tracks, or factories with loud machines. People in
• restlessness
depressed, dangerous, or polluted areas also suffer high
• hurrying and talking to fast
• criticizing others
• reckless behaviour
• fidgeting
PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS
• constantly irritable with other people
• feeling of being a failure
• difficulty in making decisions
• loss of interest in other people
• having a hard time to concentrate
The General Adaptation Syndrome
Once a person senses a stressor, his/her body goes
through the following stages of General Adaptation
Syndrome (GAS), a theory developed by AustrianCanadian
Hans Selye.
1. Alarm stage is the phase where the brain deciphers the
distress and instantly deals with it. This is also known as
“fight or flight.”
2. Resistance stage is the process where the stress is
being re-solved after meeting its demands then the body
goes back to normal afterward.
3. Exhaustion stage develops when the stress recurs until
it becomes chronic and reaches this final stage. Stress
level peaks and plateaus then develops health risks that
cause high blood pressure, stomach and heart problems.
When the body reacts to a stressor, it has an automatic
mechanism that cope with stress for survival. This
response is also known as the “fight or flight.
APPROPRIATE STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
How can stress be managed?
1. Manage stressors. An important approach to minimize
stress is to lessen stressors. Stressors cannot be
eliminated but nit can be avoided. Being burdened with
too much work could be prevented by prioritizing and
time management. Refrain from unnecessary matters and
focus on the important ones.
2. Rest and sleep. A very helpful way of reducing stress
and relieving tension is having a good amount of rest and
sleep. Grown-ups normally need seven to nine hours of
comfortable sleep every night. It also helps taking a 15-
to30-minute daytime nap. Stress and exhaustion are best
countered by a sound and relaxed body.
3. Exercise. Exercising naturally relieves the body from
the effects of stress. An aerobic workout stimulates
hormones, wears down tight muscles, and gives a nicely
tires but stress-free condition. Exercise has also been
known to help secrete feel-good hormones called
endorphins, which help the body relax.
4. Use relaxation methods in coping with stress.
Numerous types of relaxation methods can be done to
counter the adverse effects of stress. Some of these are
progressive relaxation, deep-breathing, meditation, and
creative visualization.
a. Progressive relaxation uses body’s feedback
mechanism in reducing muscle tension, a common
indicator of stress. It is essential to learn and practice
exercise that can relax tense muscles.
b. Deep breathing tells the brain to calm down and relax,
relieving the stress.
c. Meditation is a technique that temporarily “tunes out”
the world, disregards outside disturbances, and provides
inner peace. A relaxed physical and mental state wipes
out accumulated stress.
d. Visualization (creative imagery) uses imagination to
relax and reduce stress (e.g., creating a pleasing image in
your mind).
Gratitude is the practice of being thankful and
appreciative of the good things that come our way. It
encourages us to recognize and savor the positive
moments in our lives, no matter how small or
insignificant they may seem. Whether we're counting
our blessings, reflecting on the day's events, or simply
taking a few moments to appreciate life's little joys.
i like my normal days. i like them because I'm with her. i
prefer drinking brandy over a cup of coffee i would
rather ride my motorcycle than walk slowly i like my
normal days. until you came She made my coffee
bittersweet. She make me walker slower, because we
talk everytime we step a foot. She made me appreciate
the life given by god. Im grateful to her.