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LESSON 1: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE

Physical activity - involves any bodily movement caused by muscular contractions that result in expenditure of energy. It is
usually classified according to its purpose such as occupational, transport -related, household and recreational.
Exercise – is a planned program of physical activities usually designed to improve physical fitness with purpose of
increasing fitness level.
What are the benefits of becoming active and being physically fit?
Physical Fitness – is a condition that allows the body to effectively cope with the demands of daily activities and still has the
energy to enjoy other active leisure activities.
The health-related components of fitness include aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and
body composition. These components are preventing injuries and non-communicable diseases.
IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE LIFESTYLE:
 Improves bone, joint and muscle strength
 Develops motor control and coordination
 Helps maintain a healthy body composition
 Improves the psychological functioning of an individual
 Increases the efficiency of the lungs and the heart
 Increases muscles strength and endurance
 Protects from musculoskeletal problems
 Possibly delays aging process
 Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
 Promotes healthy cholesterol level.
 Helps regulate blood pressure
 Decreases the risk of diabetes
 Improves control of anxiety and depression
What are the types of exercise?
Aerobic Exercise – Aerobic exercises involve large muscles groups (e.g, thigh) that perform rhythmic and continuous
movement for a prolonged period of time in order to improve aerobic capacity. Examples: swimming, biking, running and
dancing.
Resistance Exercise – require the muscle to contract against an external load (e.g. barbell) in order to improve muscular
strength, muscular endurance and bone strength.
Stretching Exercise – increase the elasticity of muscles and tendons surrounding the joint in order to improve flexibility.

LESSON 2: EXERCISE PROGRAM DESIGN

PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISE TRAINING:
 The Principle of Overload – states that the body must work harder than what it is used to in order for it to adapt. It
implies that exercise is a controlled form of stress that will stimulate the body to stronger. For example, in order for
a muscle (including the heart muscle) to get stronger, it must be overload or worked beyond the usual load. At first,
the body will resist the new workload but it will eventually adapt over time. It is important to perform exercise on a
regular basis to gain its benefits. A word of caution though: exercise should not be performed until exhaustion or
until pain sets in to be considered effective.
 The Principle of Progression – states that the body should experience a gradual increase in workload. If the
principle of overload asks “How hard?” then the principle of progression asks “How soon?” The body will get injured
if it experiences a workload that is too hard and too soon. The body should be given an ample time to recover and
get and get used to the new workload. The rate at which the body adapts varies from one individual to another. A
reasonable time frame is to increase the load after two weeks. However, it is recommended that you do not
increase the workload by more than 10% from previous week.
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 The Principle of Specificity – states that the body will adapt specifically to the workload it experienced. It implies that
improvements of fitness level will be limited to the activities that one is performing. The application of this principle
is not only on the movement or activity but to the intensity at which it is performed. A person who trains for a
marathon should not be expected to be able to lift heavy barbells. This principle highlights the importance of
performing a variety of activities to improve overall fitness.
 The Principle of Individuality – states that no two persons are the same and their rate of adaptation to the same
workloads differs. This principle emphasizes the need t create an exercise program that is individual – specific. All
individuals have different performance goals, fitness attributes, lifestyle, and nutritional preferences; they respond to
exercise and its physical and social environments in their own unique way. It is therefore essential that the exercise
program cater to these individual needs and preferences.
 The Principle of Reversibility - the adaptations that take place as a result of training are all reversible. While an
exercise program requires rest for the body to recover, too much rest may be counterproductive. The Principle of
Reversibility is another way of stating the principle of disuse. If your energy systems are not utilized, they
deteriorate to a level that matches our level of activity. It indicates that disuse or inactivity results in loss of benefits
achieved in overloading.
FITT PRINCIPLE:
Exercise is an activity that will stimulate the body to adapt and become stronger. The stimulus has to be appropriate
to derive the health benefits. If the stimulus is too light, the body will not adapt and if it is too hard, it may cause some
injuries. The exercise program should be designed to fit the current health condition of the individual and it should be
interesting. The FITT Principle is a helpful guide in designing a personalized fitness program.
The FITT Principle is an acronym for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. These are the key factors in designing an
exercise program that will address the current fitness level, provide means to overload the body, and trigger positive
adaptations. These variables can be modified occasionally to consistently challenge the body to become stronger. It is
important to remember that increasing the workload should be done one variable at a time to prevent chronic injuries or
overtraining. The proposed recommendations are conservative to reduce the likelihood of injury and encourage adaptation
of an active lifestyle.
The frequency of an exercise program depends on the current fitness level and the type of activity performed. It is
important to provide rest days to allow the body to recover. Consequently, beginners should exercise less frequently as
compared to athletes. As the fitness level increases, the individual can increase the number of sessions gradually.
The intensity of an exercise refers to the difficulty level of the workout. It is important to set a workload that is more
challenging than what one is used to. This factor is affected by the current fitness level and the time allotted to an exercise
session. Each type of exercise has its own method of estimating intensity. Current research indicates that exercise intensity
is the most important factor in improving fitness level.
The time or duration of an exercise is influenced by the intensity and the type of activity performed. An exercise that is
performed at a high intensity cannot be sustained for a long period. Furthermore, a stretching program usually takes a
shorter period to complete as compared to a resistance training program.
The type of activity is influenced by the fitness goal and the current fitness level. The program should be designed so
that the exercise is the best activity to address the fitness goal. For instance, an individual who wants to develop his/her
endurance to swim 2 kilometers should choose there are different strategies to achieve this goal. There is no single best
exercise for a specific goal, but one can choose from various alternatives or activities that will provide enjoyment to him/her.
This is where the art and science of exercise prescription comes to play.
PARTS OF AN EXERCISE PROGRAM
An exercise workout has three components: warm – up, exercise load and cool down. The exercise load is the
programmed activity that would elicit beneficial adaptations when performed regularly. A warm – up is essential prior to the
actual workload as it prepares the body for more strenuous activity. It increases blood flow to the working muscles without
an abrupt increase in lactic acid accumulation. Many researches reported higher muscular output when the body and
muscles are warm. Lastly, a good warm up prepares the heart, muscles, and joints for the succeeding activity by increasing
the transmission rate of nerve impulses and decreasing joint stiffness.
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WHY ARE DYNAMIC STRETCHES BETTER THAN STATIC STRETCHES DURING WARM – UP?
Flexibility exercises increase the range of motion by lengthening the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint.
There are different types of stretching exercises. Dynamic stretches are flexibility exercises that emphasize on the active
range of motion and are performed without holding the joint for a period of time. On the other hand static stretches are
exercises that hold the joint in a stationary position for a period of time. Dynamic stretches are better performed during
warm – up because the movements keep the muscles warm whereas static stretching will lower muscles temperature
because the exercise is stationary.
WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE PERFORMED DURING THE COOL DOWN?
Recovery is just as important as the workload because during this period, he body starts to make microscopic
changes essential for adaptation. Recovery starts at the cool down. A well – planned cool down can quickly clear the by –
products of muscle contraction as well as replenish the energy and oxygen stores used during the workout. It is important to
allot time for this part of training session.
The cool down bridges the period between workout and rest.

LESSON 3: BARRIERS TO AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Health -Enhancing Physical Activity
Sleeping Habits
Getting an average of seven to nine hours of sleep at night is important to our health. Both quantity and quality of your sleep
contribute to how you feel and function during the day. A restful sleep impacts on your energy level during the day and
keeps you alert, while habitual sleep deficits negatively impact on your mental functioning, mood and inevitably your health.
Sleep deprivation decrease your reaction time, increases irritability and causes hormonal and metabolic changes that
parallel the aging process.
Inadequate sleep impairs your immunity and increases your risk for obesity, hypertension and depression. Sleep deficits
also directly relate to fatigue which in turn can result to injuries. Significant sleepiness during the day suggests that your
body needs more and/or better sleep. Regular participation n physical activity as well as moderately intense aerobic activity
three hours before your bedtime is associated with improved sleep.
Eating Habits
Healthy eating means making choices about what you eat for the purpose of providing our body with nutrients that improve
or maintain good health. It is essentially involves eating the right kinds of food in a right amount. Both the quality and
quantity of food are central not only to the prevention of diseases, but proper nutrition also forms the foundation for physical
activity.
Nutrition provides the fuel for physical activity and essential elements that repair existing cells. It promotes the growth of
new tissues and provides the material for our bones and muscles. Adequate water intake keeps you hydrated before, during
and after physical activity
Stress Management
Hans Selye coined the word “stress” which he defined as “ the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon
it”. When perceived stress as negative, it is know as distress which produce suffering and anxiety; but when it motivates us
to produce helpful outcomes, which turn fulfils us, it is called eustress (good). What is central to good health is presence of
eustress and the limitation of distress to a level in which the body can adapt.
Physical Activity Habits
Just like heathy eating, we may already know the health benefits of physical activity participation, yet we struggle with it.
Exercise may not be our priority. You might think that physical activities that constitute your daily routine such as climbing a
flight of stairs, lifting your books and backpack, standing while waiting in line, walking and performing household chores are
sufficient. These low levels of physical activities, however, are actually insufficient for you to gain more substantial health
benefits. It is only through moderately intense activities, such as exercise and playing sports, that impact significantly on
your health.
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Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors

Our health status affects our ability to carry out physical activities. Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by our
skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure above that of rest. Essentially the term sedentary is use to describe a
range of inactive behaviors.
The increase in sedentary behavior observed in our modern lifestyle may also be attributed to the changes in the
environment wherein we move. Sedentary behavior include activities such as watching TV, using computer, sitting around.
Sedentary behavior has been associated with poor metabolic health.
Barriers to Physical Activity and Exercise
 Lack of Time
 Social Influence
 Lack of Energy
 Lack of Motivation
 Fear of Injury
 Lack of Skill
 Lack of Resources
 Weather Conditions, Travel or Vacation

The Filipino Pyramid Activity Guide

LESSON WRAP -UP/CLOSURE:

To optimize health, one must be active. Besides regular participation in physical activity, other healthy habits that are
equally important include eating healthy, managing stress, and sleeping adequately. These habits are acquired over time-
but it starts with a choice.
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Choosing to live healthy requires constant effort: you must assess your current behaviors, be well – informed of their
consequences, commit to and plan the necessary changes and employ sound techniques to modify these behaviors. Once
established, these habits become part of your lifestyle. This present lifestyle will ultimately impact on your future health.