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YMCA Awards
Exercise and Fitness Knowledge

Level 1 Mandatory Unit 1

(Award in Fitness and Physical Activity)
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Unit aims
By the end of the unit, the learner will know:
• Understand anatomy and physiology in the context of health
related exercise to include
– The structure and function of bones, joints, the skeleton,
muscles, the cardio respiratory, circulatory and energy
systems
• Understand the components of fitness
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Unit aims (continued)

By the end of the unit the learner will:

• Understand the components of physical fitness to include

– The definitions of health, fitness, physical activity and
exercise
– The definitions of total fitness and physical fitness
– The principles of training (FITTA)
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How the unit is assessed

• On completion of this unit the learner will need to successfully
complete an externally set and marked theory paper:

– Multiple choice
– 40 questions (24 = pass mark)
– 60 minutes to complete the paper
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The components of fitness

What are the differences between:

• Health
• Fitness
• Exercise
• Physical Activity
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The components of fitness

• Health: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well
being” (World Health Organisation 1947)
• Fitness: “The ability to perform physical work satisfactorily”
(WHO 1968)
• Exercise: Planned, structured, repetitive physical activity
carried out to improve or maintain 1 or more components of
physical fitness
• Physical Activity: Any human movement above resting levels
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Total fitness
What does it mean?

• Emotional fitness
• Mental fitness
• Social fitness
• Spiritual fitness
• Medical fitness
• Nutritional fitness
• Physical fitness
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Definitions
• Emotional fitness:
Awareness of, and ability to manage and express emotions
assertively, and with respect to self and others
• Mental fitness:
Awareness of thinking patterns and ability to manage thinking
to make positive decisions and life choices
• Social fitness:
Ability to create and maintain healthy relationships
• Medical fitness:
Being free from disease and illness, and making lifestyle
choices that maintain medical fitness
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Definitions
• Nutritional fitness:
Eating a variety of foods from major food groups and
maintaining a calorie intake appropriate for needs and demands

• Physical fitness:
Maintaining an active lifestyle tat contributes to maintaining
levels of cardiovascular and muscular fitness and flexibility
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Components of physical fitness

• Cardiovascular fitness
• Muscular strength
• Muscular endurance
• Flexibility
• Motor skills/fitness
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Definitions of physical fitness

• Cardiovascular: the ability of the heart, lungs and circulatory

system to collect, transport and utilise oxygen in the
production of energy; and the elimination of waste products
from the body’s systems

• Muscular strength: the ability of a muscle or muscle group to

exert a maximum force against resistance in one contraction
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Definitions of physical fitness

• Muscular Endurance: the ability of a muscle or muscle group
to contract repeatedly over a long period of time without
fatigue
• Flexibility: The range of movement about a joint or series of
joints
• Motor skills/fitness: Agility, coordination, speed, power,
reaction time, balance and kinaesthetic (body in space)
awareness
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The skeletal system (bones)

We will cover:

• The structure of a long bone

• The process of bone growth
• The functions of the skeleton
• The principle bones of the human body
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Name the bones

• How many bones can you name? You should know the following:
– Skull (cranium)
– Shoulder blade (scapula)
– Collar bone (clavicle)
– Breast bone (sternum)
– Funny bone (humerus)
– Lower spine (lumbar vertebrae)
– Ribs
– Mid spine (thoracic vertebrae)
– Back of neck (cervical vertebrae)
– Femur, fibula, tibia, knee cap(patella)
– pelvis
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Structure of a long bone

• Harder outside
• Spongy inside
• Bone marrow
• Growth end plates
• Where it meets and attaches to other bone/s it can form a joint
(movement)
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Functions of the skeleton

• What functions does a skeleton have?

– Movement (joints)
– Protection (vital organs)
– Production (bone marrow)
– Shape (body types)
– Storage (essential minerals)
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The spinal column

Q: Why is it curved?

A: Shock absorption (vertebral discs; protection of the spinal

cord); posture

Curves = cervical, thoracic, lumbar (sacrum & coccyx)

Exaggerated curvatures of the spine:

• Kyphosis
• Lordosis
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Joints
There are different types of joint:

• Freely moveable
• Slightly moveable
• Immoveable

In fitness and physical activity, we focus

mainly on freely moveable
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Freely moveable (synovial) joints

• Characteristics:
– The role of synovial fluid: lubricates the joint capsule
– Cartilage: allows cushioning
– Ligaments: provide stability and attachment

• Examples of freely moveable joints:

– Hinge joint (such as the elbow or knee)
– Ball and socket joint (such as the shoulder or hip)
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Plan some moves

• Pick a joint and see how many movements or exercises you can
create for it

– Consider the directions the joint is designed to move in

– Keep it controlled
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The cardiovascular system

This includes the heart, lungs and circulation

The heart:
• has 4 chambers (2 collecting, 2 pumping)
• Is in the middle of the chest, slightly to the left
• Receives oxygenated blood via the lungs (from breathing in)
to send to working muscles
• Receives de-oxygenated blood from the body (to send to the
lungs to get rid of CO2 by breathing out)
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How does this happen?

• Breathe in…
• Oxygen goes to lungs
• Exchange of gases (oxygen for carbon dioxide)
(via very small blood vessels called capillaries)
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) – breathed out
• Oxygen travels from lungs to heart to be pumped around to
where it is needed (working muscles)
• Deposited there in exchanged for more CO2 which is then
pumped back to heart, to the lungs, then breathed out …
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Functions of blood
• To transport nutrients (vitamins, minerals, medicine etc)
• To transport O2 to the working muscles
• To transport waste products (carbon dioxide, lactic acid etc)
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Arteries and veins

What is the difference?

• Arteries pump the blood away from the heart to the body
(with oxygen)

• Veins bring blood back to the heart from the body (without
oxygen)
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Cardiovascular fitness
What should happen?
• Heart rate increases
• Get hotter
• Sweat
• Change in skin colour (in some)
• Out of breathe
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Cardiovascular fitness
How should it be done?
• Build up gradually (warm up)
• Maintain an appropriate heart rate
• Continuous rhythmic movements, using large muscle groups
for an appropriate time
• Cool down gradually
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Cardiovascular fitness
Training Principles for CV training (FITTA)

• Frequency: 3 -5 x week
• Intensity: 64 – 94% of maximum heart rate, depending on
individual fitness and goals
• Time: 20 – 60 minutes continuous exercise
• Type: any rhythmical exercise
• A = adherence (stick with it for results)
(source: ACSM (7th edition) 2006)
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Maximum heart rate

How to find your MHR

220 – age = MHR

Example:
220 – 18 = 202 (maximum heart beats per min)
80% of 202 = 162 beats per minute as a target
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Cardiovascular fitness
• List how many different types of cardiovascular (or aerobic –
with oxygen) activities you can think of

Clue: activities means sport, fitness or dance

Etc.

Running, rowing, cycling, swimming, dancing,

step, aerobics, BTS classes, spinning…
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How hard are you working?

How do you know?

• Appearance: red, sweaty, out of breath especially when

speaking (the Talk Test)
• Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE): original scale is 4 -18; we can
use 1 - 10
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Muscles
We will cover:
• Names of key muscles
• Structure and function of muscles
• Characteristics of muscles and how they work
• Immediate and long term effects of exercise on muscles
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Muscles
Name as many as you can:
• You must know the following:
– Triceps
– Biceps
– Gastrocnemius
– Pectorals
– Erector spinae
– Adductors
– Rectus abdominis
– Abductors
– Trapezius
– Gluteals
– Deltoids
– Hamstrings
– Latissimus dorsi
– Quadriceps
– Hip flexors
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Working muscles - appearance

• Bundles of muscle fibres bound together
• 2 fibre types – fast twitch and slow twitch (selected for
different activities)
• Run in the same direction as each other
• Attach to bones via tendons
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Working muscles - appearance

• Can only pull – don’t push
• Work in pairs – when one contracts and shortens, its opposing
partner relaxes and lengthens
• Must cross a joint to create movement
• Can contract and
– Shorten
– Lengthen
– Stay the same size
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Opposing pairs
Task

For each muscle from the list find:

• Its opposite partner
• The joint/s it crosses
• An exercise or movement that contracts that muscle (try to
find one for each of the types of contraction a muscle can
make)
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Muscular fitness
Training principles for muscular fitness (FITTA):
Frequency: 2 -3 x week (non-consecutive days)
Intensity:
– Reps/sets 1 set of 8 – 12 repetitions
– Resistance 75% of 1 RM (repetition maximum)
– Target areas 8 – 10 areas (large muscle groups)
– Rate slow to moderate speed
– Range of motion isotonic (full range of movement)
– Rest relative to training system and resistance use
Time: approximately 20 minutes
Type: any activity involving a moving resistance
(including body weight, gravity, free weights, fixed machines etc)
(source: ACSM (7th edition) 2006)
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Muscular strength or muscular endurance?

Muscular Strength
• resistance goes up
• Number of repetitions go down
• Muscle can increase in size

Muscular endurance
• Resistance is lower
• Number of repetitions increase
• Muscle tone and performance improve
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Some benefits of muscular fitness

• Improved tone
• Improved posture
• Improved appearance
• Improved ability to complete daily tasks
• Long term protection of joints (particularly bones and
osteoporosis)
• Improved self esteem
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Flexibility
• What is it
• Why we need it
• How we do it
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Flexibility
• Flexibility is the range of movement about a joint (ability to
stretch your muscles)
• How flexible are you?
• We need to be flexible to be able to complete daily activities
with comfort and ease – throughout our lives (use it or lose it)
and maintain independence
• For good posture
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Two types of stretch

• Maintenance – to maintain the existing range of movement
about a joint
– How? Go to the point of tension, hold, then relax

• Developmental – to develop (or increase) the range of

movement about a joint
– How? Go to the point of tension, hold still till the tension
goes away, then increase a little and repeat the old, then
relax
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Maintenance or developmental?
Consider which muscles get the least range of movement in daily
life (generally and personally).
– flexibility in these muscles should be developed

Consider which muscles are already flexible or are attached to

very mobile joints
– flexibility in these muscles should be maintained
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Safe stretching
• Safe stretching is “static” or held in a position
• Avoid bouncing in stretches (“ballistic”) – adds strain at the end
of the muscles at the joint and can damage the ligaments and
tendons
• Choose comfortable positions for effective stretching
• Stretch when the muscles are warm (at the end of the warm up
before a workout (preparatory stretches), then afterwards
when muscles are warmest (post workout stretches)
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Flexibility
Training principles for flexibility (FITTA)
• Frequency: at least 3 x week
• Intensity: to a point of mild tension
• Time: each stretch held 10 -30 sec
• Type: Preparatory, Maintenance or
Developmental
• Adherence: Use it or lose it