Questions

1. Questions • What does the term physical activity mean? • What are five barriers to fitness? • What could you do to solve them? • What are some ways that exercise helps your body? • What is a pedometer?

2. Definitions of Physical Activity, Exercise, and Fitness

3. Physical Activity • The term “physical activity” describes many forms of movement, including activities that involve the large skeletal muscles. • Activities that involve the small skeletal muscles(e.g. playing board games, drawing, writing) are important, but they do not provide the health benefits of activities that involve the large skeletal muscles and require substantial energy expenditure.

4. Physical activity is defined by itsduration, intensity, and frequency • Duration is the amount of time spent participating in a physical activity session • Intensityis the rate of energy expenditure • Frequencyis the number of physical activity sessions during a specific time period (e.g. one week).

5. Types of Physical Activity

6. Types of Physical Activity • Lifestyle – physical activity typically performed on a routine basis (e.g., walking, climbing stairs, mowing or raking the yard), which is usually light to moderate in intensity. • Physical activity play – play activity that requires substantial energy expenditure (e.g., playing tag, jumping rope). • Play – activity with flexible rules, usually self-selected, for the purpose of having fun.

7. Types of Physical Activity • Sports – physical activity that involves competition, scorekeeping, rules, and an outcome that cannot be predetermined. There are two categories of sports: individual and team. • Weight-bearing – physical activity that requires people to move their own weight.

8. The Importance of Exercise

9. Exercise • Exercise consists of activities that are planned and structured, and that maintain or improve one or more of the components of physical fitness. • Physical activity suggests a wide variety of activities that promote health and well-being.

10. Types of Exercise • Flexibility (Stretching):Exercise designed to stretch muscles and tendons to increase joint flexibility or range of motion. Specific flexibility exercises need to be done for each part of the body. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjQpr_M-oAY&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x3PgaGY93E&feature=related

11. Why is Exercise or Physical Activity Important? • Regular aerobic physical activity increases your fitness level and capacity for exercise. • It also plays a role in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease • Regular physical activity can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity. • Aerobic physical activity can also help reduce blood pressure.

12. How Can Physical Activity Help Condition my Body? • Some activities improve flexibility, some build muscular strength and some increase endurance. • Some forms of continuous activities involve using the large muscles in your arms or legs. These are called endurance or aerobic exercises. They help the heart by making it work more efficiently during exercise and at rest. • Brisk walking, jumping rope, jogging, bicycling, cross-country skiing and dancing are examples of aerobic activities that increase endurance.

13. How Can I Improve my Physical Fitness? • Programs designed to improve physical fitness take into account frequency (how often), intensity (how hard), and time (how long). They provide the best conditioning. • The FIT Formula: • F = frequency (days per week) • I = intensity (how hard, e.g., easy, moderate, vigorous) or percent of heart rate • T = time (amount for each session or day)

14. What risk factors are reduced? • Regular physical activity can also help reduce or eliminate some of these risk factors: • High blood pressure — Regular aerobic activities can lower blood pressure. • Diabetes — People at their ideal weight are less likely to develop diabetes. Physical activity may also decrease insulin requirements for people with diabetes. • Obesity and overweight — Regular physical activity can help people lose excess fat or stay at a reasonable weight.

15. What are other benefits of physical activity? • Physical activity builds healthy bones, muscles and joints, and reduces the risk of colon cancer. Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity. • Physical activity also helps psychologically. It reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improves mood and promotes a sense of well-being. • The 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity also suggests that active people have a lower risk for stroke.

16. Fitness • Participating in physical activity is beneficial to people of all ages. Physical activity contributes to fitness, a state in which people’s health characteristics and behaviors enhance the quality of their lives.

17. Types of Fitness 1) Physical fitness • A set of physical attributes related to a person’s ability to perform physical activity successfully, without undue strain and with a margin of safety.

18. Types of Fitness 2) Health-related physical fitness • A physiological state of well-being that reduces the risk of disease; a basis for participation in sports; and a vigor for the tasks of daily living. Components include cardio-respiratory endurance, muscle strength endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

19. Types of Fitness 3) Skill-related physical fitness • Common components of physical fitness (e.g., agility, balance, coordination, speed, power, reaction time) that enable participation in sports and other physical activities; also called performance or motor fitness.

20. Barrier’s to Fitness • I don’t have enough time SOLUTIONS: -go for shorter stints -get up 30 minutes earlier 2 days a week -park further away -take the stairs instead of the elevator

21. Barrier’s to Fitness 2) Exercise is boring SOLUTIONS: -Exercise with friends -Check out classes, leagues and health clubs -Change from day to day (variation) -Try something new!!

22. Barrier’s to Fitness 3) My family and friends don’t support my exercise SOLUTIONS: -Sign up for parent-child classes -Take a friend with you to a rock climbing class - Join a gym or a class and try and make some new friends

23. Barrier’s to Fitness 4) I’m afraid I will hurt myself if I exercise SOLUTIONS: -Take a beginner class that is designed to teach you - Work with a personal trainer -Start to take small walks - Don’t rush yourself

24. Barrier’s to Fitness 5) I’m to lazy for exercise SOLUTIONS: - Use momentum, each day go a little further -Exercise when you have energy -Schedule it as you would an important meeting or get together

25. References • http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563 • www.uh.edu/fitness/PPTs/Definitions.pdf