LESSON 1: THE HEALTHIEST AND FITTEST ME

Physical Fitness as Defined

A person who is free from illnesses and can do physical or sports activities and

still has an extra energy to do more activities is considered to be physically fit. Physical

fitness is a combination of health fitness and body fitness. Health fitness refers to your

body’s ability to fight off diseases. Body fitness, on the other hand, is refers to the ability

to do strenuous physical or sports activities without getting tired easily. It is not enough

for someone to only look good and feel good in order to be called physically fit. An

individual should also take into consideration his kind of lifestyle including the food he

takes every day because it can lead him to better health.

Health Related Fitness

This is primarily associated with disease prevention and functional health.

Participating in regular health-related fitness helps you control your weight, prevents

diseases and illness, improves mood, boosts energy and promotes better sleep.

Health Related Fitness Components

1. Body Composition – The combination of all the tissues that make up the body

such as bones, muscles, organs and body fat.

2. Cardiovascular Endurance – The ability of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and

blood to work efficiently and to supply the body with oxygen.

3. Flexibility – The ability to use your joints fully through a wide range of motion.

4. Muscular Endurance – The ability to use muscles for a long period of time without

tiring.

5. Muscular Strength – The ability of the muscles to lift a heavy weight or exert a lot

of force one time.

Skills Related Fitness Components

1. Agility – The ability to change body positions quickly and keep the body under

control when moving.

2. Balance – The ability to keep the body in a steady position while standing and
moving.

3. Coordination – The ability of the body parts to work together when you perform an

activity.

4. Power – The ability to combine strength with speed while moving.

5. Reaction Time – The ability to move quickly once a signal to start moving is

received.

6. Speed – The ability to move all or a part of the body quickly.

Specific Components of Physical Fitness

1. Agility –The ability of the individual to change direction or position in space with

quickness and lightness of movement while maintaining dynamic balance.

2. Balance – The ability to control organic equipment neuro-muscularly; a state of

equilibrium.

3. Coordination - The ability to integrate the body parts to produce smooth motion.

4. Endurance – The ability to sustain long continued contractions where a number

of muscle groups are used; the capacity to bear or last long in a certain task

without undue fatigue.

5. Flexibility – The quality of plasticity, which gives the ability to do a wide range of

movement.

6. Organic Vigor – It refers to the soundness of the heart and lungs which contributes

to the ability to resist disease.

7. Power – The ability of the muscles to release maximum force in the shortest period

of time.

8. Speed – The ability to make successive movements of the same kind in the shortest

period of time.

9. Strength – The capacity to sustain the application of force without yielding or

breaking; the ability of the muscles to exert efforts against resistance.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Activities done by the skeletal muscles that utilize energy is called Physical

Activity. Activities you are doing at home or in school are considered to be physical
activity. It is classified into 4 domains: occupational, domestic, transportation, and

leisure time.

1. Occupational – These are the activities you do at your work place. Lifting

computers and books, going your friend’s desk or preparing lunch at the pantry.

2. Domestic – These are the activities you do at home. Washing clothes and dishes,

gardening, carpentry, baking or cleaning the house.

3. Transportation – These are the activities that involves travelling. Riding a jeepney,

tricycle, motorcycle, or bikes.

4. Leisure Time – These are the activities you do during recreational activities.

Playing, swimming, hiking or craft making.

Exercise according to a study by Buckworth and Dishman, is the “planned,

structured, repetitive bodily movements that someone engages in for the purpose of

improving or maintaining physical fitness or health.

Aerobic, Muscle-strengthening, and Bone-strengthening Activity

Aerobic

Aerobic activities, also called endurance activities, are physical activities in which

people move their large muscles in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period.

Muscle-Strengthening Activity

This kind of activity, which includes resistance training and lifting weights,

causes the body’s muscles to work or hold against an applied force or weight.

Bone-Strengthening Activity

This kind of activity (sometimes called weight-bearing or weight-loading activity)

produces a force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength.

Barriers to Physical Activities

We understand the benefits of physical activities to our health specially our body

but there are circumstances when we become lazy in performing physical activities.

Below are some of the barriers that hinder us to do physical activities:

1. Lack of time

2. Social Support
3. Lack of Energy

4. Lack of Motivation

5. Fear of Injury

6. Lack of Skill

7. High Costs and Lack of Facilities

8. Weather Conditions

Eating Habits

The term eating habits (or food habits) refers to why and how people eat, which

foods they eat, and with whom they eat, as well as the ways people obtain, store, use,

and discard food. Individual, social, cultural, religious, economic, environmental, and

political factors all influence people's eating habits.

Influences on Food Choices

There are many factors that determine what foods a person eats. In addition to

personal preferences, there are cultural, social, religious, economic, environmental, and

even political factors.

Individual Preferences.

Every individual has unique likes and dislikes concerning foods. These

preferences develop over time, and are influenced by personal experiences such as

encouragement to eat, exposure to a food, family customs and rituals, advertising, and

personal values.

Cultural Influences.

A cultural group provides guidelines regarding acceptable foods, food

combinations, eating patterns, and eating behaviors. Compliance with these guidelines

creates a sense of identity and belonging for the individual.

Social Influences.

Members of a social group depend on each other, share a common culture, and

influence each other's behaviors and values. A person's membership in particular peer,

work, or community groups impacts food behaviors.

Religious Influences.
Religious proscriptions range from a few to many, from relaxed to highly

restrictive. This will affect a follower's food choices and behaviors.

Economic Influences.

Money, values, and consumer skills all affect what a person purchases. The price

of a food, however, is not an indicator of its nutritional value. Cost is a complex

combination of a food's availability, status, and demand.

Environmental Influences.

The influence of the environment on food habits derives from a composite

of ecological and social factors. Foods that are commonly and easily grown within a

specific region frequently become a part of the local cuisine.

Political Influences.

Political factors also influence food availability and trends. Food laws and trade

agreements affect what is available within and across countries, and also affect food

prices. Food labeling laws determine what consumers know about the food they

purchase.

Eating habits are thus the result of both external factors, such as politics, and

internal factors, such as values. These habits are formed, and may change, over a

person's lifetime.

Improving Your Eating Habits

When it comes to eating, we have strong habits. Some are good (“I always eat

breakfast”), and some are not so good (“I always clean my plate”). Although many of our

eating habits were established during childhood, it doesn’t mean it’s too late to change

them.

Making sudden, radical changes to eating habits such as eating nothing but cabbage

soup, can lead to short term weight loss. However, such radical changes are neither

healthy nor a good idea, and won’t be successful in the long run. Permanently improving

your eating habits requires a thoughtful approach in which you Reflect, Replace, and

Reinforce.

● REFLECT on all of your specific eating habits, both bad and good; and, your
common triggers for unhealthy eating.

● REPLACE your unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones.

● REINFORCE your new, healthier eating habits.

LESSON 2: SET FITNESS GOAL

Overload Principle

This principle pertains to doing “more than normal” for improvement to happen. It

means to boost our fitness, strength, or endurance. Workload is extended

accordingly. Applying these training principles will cause long-term adaptations,

enable the body to figure more efficiently to deal with higher level of performance.

Overloading will be achieved by following the acronym FITT:

Frequency: Increasing the number of times you train per week

Intensity: Increasing the problem of the exercise, for instance, running at 12 km/h

rather than 10 or increasing the load you're squatting with.

Time: Increasing the length of your training time for every session for instance,

cycling for 45 minutes rather than 30.

Type: Increase the intensity of the training. For instance, progress from walking to

running

Principle of Progression

To ensure that the results will still improve over time, the adapted workload

should be continually increased. A gradual and systematic increase within the

workload over a period of time will lead to improvement in fitness without risk of

injury. If overload occurs and increase rapidly, it may lead to injury or muscle

damage. If increased slowly, improvement is unlikely. For instance, the athlete who

exercises vigorously only on weekends violates the principle of progression and may

not see obvious fitness gains.

The Principle of Progression also stresses the requirement for correct rest and

recovery. Continual stress on the body and constant overload will lead to exhaustion

and injury. You ought not to train hard all the time, as you'll risk overtraining and
a decrease in fitness.

Principle of Specificity

We have all heard the phrase, "Practice makes perfect." Well, this is often the

principle of specificity in action. This principle simply states that exercising a specific

piece or component of the body primarily develops that part. The principle of

specificity implies that to become better at a selected exercise or skill, you need to

perform that exercise or skill. For example, a cyclist should be trained in cycling and

a runner should be trained in running. Use the acceptable sort of exercise that

directly improves your target muscles.

Principle of Reversibility

Development of muscles will happen if regular movement and execution are

completed. If activity ceases, it will be reversed. This shows that benefits and changes

achieved from overload will last as long as training is continuous. On the flip side,

this also implies that the detraining effect will be reversed once training is resumed.

Extended rest periods reduce fitness and therefore the physiological effects diminish

over time which throws the body back to its pre-training condition.

The F.I.T.T Principle of Physical Activity

Understanding the F.I.T.T. principle helps you create a workout

plan which will be beneficial in reaching your fitness goals. F.I.T.T. stands for

frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise. These are the four elements you

would like to believe to make workouts that suit your goals and fitness level.

Learn how the F.I.T.T. principle works.

F.I.T.T Principles

F.I.T.T. Principle

Frequency = How often you exercise

Time = How long you exercise

Type = What kind of exercise

The F.I.T.T. Principle is one of the foundations of exercise, a set of guidelines

that help you set up a workout routine for maximum benefit.

LESSON 3: MODERATE TO VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (MVPA’s)

❖ Moderate Physical Activity:

Moderates - intensity activities are those that get you moving fast enough or

strenuously enough to burn off three to six times as much energy per minutes as

you do when you are sitting quietly or exercises that clock in at 3 to 6 MET’s. Vigorous

activities burn more than 6 MET’s. moderate activity includes walking, gardening,

dancing, cycling, active recreation, and swimming.

Moderate activity feels somewhat hard. Here are clues that your exercise

intensity is at a moderate level:

■ Your breathing quickens, but you’re not out of breath.

■ You develop a light sweat after about 10 minutes of activity.

■ You can carry on a conversation, but you can’t sing.

❖ Vigorous Physical Activity:

Vigorous-intensity activities are defined as activities 6 MET’s. these activities

require more oxygen consumption than light activities. Some examples of vigorous

physical activities include running (5 mph), fast swimming, shoveling, jumping rope,

aerobics and carrying heavy (i.e. Bricks).

Vigorous activity feels challenging. Here are clues that your exercise intensity

is at a vigorous level:

■ Your breathing is deep and rapid.

■ You develop a sweat after only a few minutes of activity.

■ You can’t say more than a few words without pausing from breathing.

It is includes Nowadays, metabolic equivalents (METs) are commonplace on display

machines, yet METs are often ignored because exercisers simply don’t know what

they are or how to use them. This is unfortunate, because monitoring METs is a great

way for personal trainers to measure clients’ fitness levels and see improvements in

Here how to get your Target heart rate;

According to Hoeger and Hoeger (2011), research indicates a more favorable

prediction using the computation below than the equation 220 - age. Here are the

steps to get your target heart rate.

1. Estimate your maximal heart rate (max HR/MHR) according to the following

formula:

MaxHR/MHR = 207 - (0.7 × age)

2. Check your resting heart rate (RHR) sometimes in the evening after sitting

quickly for 15 to 20 minutes. You may take your pulse for 30 seconds and multiply

by 2 or take it for a full minute.

HRR = MHR - RHR

4. Calculate the training intensity at 30, 40, 60 and 85 percent. Multiply HRR

by the respective 0.30, 0.40, 0.60 and 0.85 and then add the HRR to all four training

intensities. Example:

60% Training intensity = HRR × 0.60 + RHR

Here is the example computation on how to get the heart rate according to

Hoeger and Hoeger (2011). as if the age of the students is 19 years old.

Step #1: maxHR / MHR = 207 - ( 0.7 × age )

= 207 - ( 0.7 × 19 )

= 207 - (11.9 )

MHR = 195.1

Step #2: RHR = (take your pulse rate for 30seconds (45) and multiply by 2

RHR = 90

Step #3: HRR = MHR - RHR

= 195.1 - 90

HRR = 105.1

Step #4: 60% Training Intensity = HRR × 0.60 + RHR

= ( 105.1 × 0.60 ) + 90

= 63.06 +90

= 153.06

*(Therefore, your heart rate according to Hoeger (2011) and we relate to the rate of

perceive exertion (RPE), the results are 153.06, which means “Hard” your effort of

the activity

LESSON 4: SPORT RELATED INJURIES

Sports injuries

Injuries may occur when a person engages in Moderate to Vigorous Physical

Activity (MVPA). This includes physical activities which span from moderate

progressing to vigorous intensity. Brisk walking or cycling and jogging are examples
of moderate activities while aerobic dance or cycling uphill are vigorous activities

On the other hand, sports injuries are those that happen when playing sports

or performing exercises.

Some are from accidents. Others can result from poor training practices or

improper gear. Some people get injured when they are not in proper condition. No

proper warm-up and stretching before you play or exercise can also lead to injuries.

The most common sports injuries are:

• Sprain is a tear of ligament fibers, muscles or

tendons supporting a joint. This can occur when

a joint is extended beyond its normal range of

movement. A sprain may involve a small number

of fibers through to a complete rupture. In

extreme circumstances, the fibers of the

ligament, muscle or tendon may remain intact

and rip from the bone.

• Contusion or bruise is bleeding into the soft tissue.

It is caused by a direct blow from another person, an

implement or an object. A bruise can occur to any

soft tissue of the body.

• Concussion is caused by a direct blow to the

head. Depending on the severity of the

concussion, injury can cause varying levels of

impairment of brain function. Concussions

are categorized as mild (grade 1), moderate

(grade 2), or severe (grade 3) depending upon symptoms.

• Dislocation occurs when the ball of a joint is

forced out of its socket (i.e. arm forced out of the

shoulder joint). A dislocation must be reset by

proper medical professionals

bone. In closed fractures, the broken bone does

not pierce the skin, while in open fractures, the

broken bone breaks the skin's surface

• Strains are injuries that involve the stretching,

partial tearing, or complete tearing of a tendon.

Strains are categorized as first, second, or third

degree. Chronic strains are injuries that gradually

build up from overuse or repetitive stress.

Kinds of Injury

Acute injuries occur suddenly when playing or exercising. Sprained ankles,

strained backs, and fractured hands are acute injuries. Signs of an acute injury

include:

• Sudden, severe pain.

• Swelling.

• Not being able to place weight on a leg, knee, ankle, or foot.

• An arm, elbow, wrist, hand, or finger that is very tender.

• Not being able to move a joint as normal.

• Extreme leg or arm weakness.

• A bone or joint that is visibly out of place.

1. Chronic injuries happen after you play a sport or exercise for a long time. Signs

of a chronic injury include:

• Pain when you play.

• Pain when you exercise.

• A dull ache when you rest.

• Swelling

Preventing Sports Injuries

be prevented. The quality of protective equipment - padding, helmets, shoes, mouth

guards – may contribute to safety in sports. But, you can still be susceptible to injury

in certain situations. Always contact your healthcare provider before starting any

type of physical activity, especially when performing vigorous types of exercises or

sports.

Causes of sport injuries may include:

• improper or poor training practices

• wearing improper sporting gear

• being in poor health condition

• improper warm-up or stretching practices before a sporting event or exercise

How can I prevent a sports injury?

The following are some basic steps to prevent a sports injury:

• Develop a fitness plan that includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training,

and flexibility. This will help decrease your chance of injury

• Alternate exercising different muscle groups and exercise every other day.

• Cool down properly after exercise or sports. It should take two times as long

as your warm up.

• Stay hydrated. Drink water to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat

stroke.

• Stretching exercises can improve the ability of muscles to contract and

perform, reducing the risk for injury. Each stretch should start slowly until

you reach a point of muscle tension. Stretching should not be painful. Aim to

hold each stretch for up to 20 seconds.

• Use the right equipment or gear and wear shoes that provide support and that

may correct certain foot problems that can lead to injury.

• Learn the right techniques to play your sport.

• Rest when tired. Avoid exercise when you are tired or in pain.

• Always take your time during strength training and go through the full range
of motion with each repetition.

• If you do sustain a sports injury, make sure you participate in adequate

rehabilitation before resuming strenuous activity.

How can I treat Injuries?

When it comes to sport and exercise, the possibility of injury is always present.

Inflammation and pain often occur after injuries to the ankle, knee, or joint.

And the well-known R.I.C.E treatment method can help reduce this swelling, relieve

pain, and promote flexibility and healing. In fact, R.I.C.E treatment is a mainstay for

sports trainers and other athletic health experts.

The benefits of the RICE method can be explained by stage:

Rest: Immobilization prevents further injury and gives the body time to recover.

Ice: Cold reduces pain by numbing the affected area.

Compression: Pressure keeps swelling under control.

Elevation: Keeping the injured body part above the heart reduces swelling and the

associated pain and discomfort.

Aside from the injury prevention techniques mentioned above, there are also some

personal safety protocols that we need to consider before and after playing a sport or

doing moderate to vigorous physical activities. Some of the personal safety protocols

are as follows:

What to bring?

• Water

• Extra clothes

• Towels and caps

What to do?

• Prepare yourself. Know your limits so as not to overwork your body.

Overworking your body might put your life to a threat.

• Drink a lot of water. Do not wait to feel thirsty. If you know have sweat a

lot already drink water immediately.

• Change clothes. Do not let the wet cloth dry up in your body.
• Use towel. Use towel to wipe out excessive sweating.
The following are terminologies that you might experience if we opt to observe

personal safety protocols during Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities (MVPA).

• Dehydration- Dehydration happens when the fluid in your body is used or

lost more than the fluid you drink or intake. If your body does not have enough

water or fluid to do its normal functions, hence, you get dehydrated. Anyone

may become dehydrated, as to the people who are more at risk, young ones or

children and the older adults are more at risk.

• Overexertion- This refers to the pressure one puts in himself or herself, too

much pressure that leads to a simple discomfort that might extend to a more

serious injury.

• Hypothermia- It usually happens when the body easily loses temperature. A

person suffers hypothermia when his or her body temperature drops

below 35 degrees Celsius.

• Hyperthermia-the opposite of hypothermia. It happens when the body

temperature rises up significantly beyond the normal temperature which is 37

degrees Celsius. Hyperthermia like hypothermia can threaten life too.