Physical Activity, Exercise, and Health

Physical Activity, Exercise, and Health Here are some challenges concerning your personal fitness: • Assessing your level of physical fitness and progress • Learning about changes in personal habits that you may need to make • Taking responsibility for planning, developing, and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle • Designing a physical-activity and fitness program

Term to Know Physical activity Any movement that works the larger muscles of the body, such as arm, leg, and back muscles. What Is Physical Activity? Physical activity can be: • Recreational • Sports, dancing, swimming • Incidental to other activities • Household chores, part-time job

Term to Know Exercise Physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, and that results in improvements in fitness. What Is Physical Activity? Physical activity and exerciseare important to your healthbecause physically active people live longer lives.

Term to Know Physical fitness The body’s ability to carry out daily tasks and still have enough reserve energy to respond to unexpected demands. Why Are Physical Activity and Exercise Important? Regular physical activity andexercise contribute to yourphysical fitness.

Term to Know Personal fitness Total fitness. Personal Fitness To achieve personal fitness: • Maintain acceptable levels of physical fitness. • Participate in regular physical activity. • Eat nutritious foods. • Sleep 8 to 9 hours each night. • Have regular medical checkups. • Maintain an appropriate weight. • Avoid harmful substances.

Terms to Know Health A combination of physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. Wellness Total health in all three areas. Fitness, Health, and Wellness The three essential elements of health and wellness are: • Physical fitness • Mental/emotional health • Social health

Term to Know Functional health The ability to maintain high levels of health and wellness by reducing your risks of developing health problems. Fitness, Health, and Wellness Physical activity is one way tomaintain your functional health.

Term to Know Sedentary Physically inactive. Fitness, Health, and Wellness Risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle include: • Heart disease • High blood pressure • Stroke • Diabetes • Certain forms of cancer

Term to Know Self-esteem Feelings of self-confidence and personal worth. Fitness, Health, and Wellness The benefits of mental/emotional health include: • Thinking more clearly • Handling stress better • Higher self-esteem

Term to Know Conflicts Struggles or disagreements. Fitness, Health, and Wellness The benefits of social health include: • Develop and maintain friendships. • Work well as part of a group. • Effectively recognize and resolveconflicts.

Term to Know Functional fitness A person’s physical ability to function independently in life, without assistance. Functional Fitness Maintaining high levels of health and fitness yields anadditional benefit: functional fitness.

Sedentary Activities Do infrequently Flexibility Activities 2 or more days per week Anaerobic Activities 2-3 days per week Aerobic Activities 3-5 days per week Moderate-IntensityPhysical Activities 30 minutes per day The Physical Activity Pyramid This pyramid provides guidelines for how to divide your time when doing physical activity.

Risk Factors and Your Behavior Your life expectancy and the quality of your life will be influenced by how well you maintain your functional health and fitness.

Term to Know Risk factors Conditions and behaviors that represent a potential threat to an individual’s well-being. Personal Fitness and Risk Factors Achieving and maintaining a high level of functional health and fitness is made more difficult by risk factors.

Term to Know Heredity The sum of the physical and mental traits that you inherit from your parents. Risk Factors You Can’t Modify Risks factors you can’t modify include age and heredity. One aspect of heredity is gender, the natural differences between males and females.

Risk Factors You Can’t Modify Heredity determines your likelihood of developing certain diseases and disorders. • High blood pressure • Heart disease • Diabetes • Certain types of cancers

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Changeable Risk Factors You cannot control risk factors such as heredity or age, you can lessen their impact on your health and fitness by changing your behavior.

Changeable Risk Factors Adults who are sedentary develop chronic diseases at a much higher rate than do more active individuals. Choosing a physically active lifestyle is one way to reduce your risks of developing disease and to live a longer, healthier life.

Changeable Risk Factors It is important to practice healthful eating habits. • Knowing what to eat can make a difference in your health and fitness. • Maintaining a healthy body weight and making balanced food choices will reduce your risk of becoming obese. • Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

Changeable Risk Factors It is important to avoid the use of tobacco. • People who smoke or use tobacco products are at far greater risk of heart and lung disease than are nonsmokers. • People using chewing tobacco are at a higher risk for cancer of the throat.

Term to Know Stress The mind and body’s response to the demands and threats of everyday life. Changeable Risk Factors It is important to manage stress in your life. Stress is perfectly normal, but it can lead to health problems such as sleeplessness and depression.

Changeable Risk Factors Managing Stress in Your Life Adjust Your Eating Habits Spend Some Time Alone Maintain a High Level of Physical Activity

Term to Know Attitude Your mindset or outlook toward a given topic or subject. Your Attitudes Your attitude plays a major role in the decision to maintain a personally fit lifestyle. This is especially true duringadolescence.

Your Attitudes Common Attitudes Toward Fitness Exercise is boring. I’ll start watching what I eat when I get to be an adult. I’m too busy for sports right now. I don’t have time for breakfast in the morning. Exercise doesn’t work. Sleep is for babies. I don’t want to hurt myself. Physical activity is strictly for athletes. I’m too tired to exercise; I’ll start tomorrow. I only need 4 hours of sleep to function. There has to be and easier way to get in shape!

Terms to Know Peers People the same age who share a common range of interests and beliefs. Your Attitudes Peers People the same age who share a common range of interests and beliefs. Media The collective forms of mass communication found within society at any given time Other factors that shape your attitudes are: • The influence ofyour peers • The media

Terms to Know Commitment A pledge or promise. A Commitment to Change Commitment A pledge or promise. Adherence The ability to stick to a plan of action. By making a commitmentto fitness, you are making a promise to develop and maintain positive fitness behaviors. Adherence to a fitness program will ensure success.

Term to Know Self-concept The view you have of yourself. Benefits of Personal Fitness Healthy, fit people have feelings of high self esteem. They also have a more positive self-concept.

Benefits of Personal Fitness One of the benefits of personal fitness is stress reduction. Regular physical activity or exercise lowers blood pressure and can reduce hormone levels that cause stress.

Benefits of Personal Fitness Regular physical activity leads to improvements in academic and physical performance. • It enhances concentration spans. • It raises energy levels. • It results in fewer missed days of school.

Benefits of Personal Fitness Regular physical activity leads to an increase in life expectancy. • The physically inactive person has a shorter life expectancy than the physically active person. • The physically active person has improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Benefits of Personal Fitness A healthful lifestyle will lead to higher levels of functional health and fitness. If your functional-fitness status drops below minimal levels, you can lose your physical independence in daily living. By staying active, eating healthfully, and practicing positive lifestyle habits, you increase your chance of remaining fit throughout your life.

Factors that affect Resting Heart rate • Smoking • Caffeine • High Temperature • Stress • Medication • Food Digestion

Guidelines for Getting Started Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today. This is a good motto for someone who has made a commitment to become and stay personally fit.

Setting Fitness Goals Here are some guidelines for setting fitness goals: • Make a contract with yourself to show your commitment to improving your personal fitness. • Make a list of goals that are both reasonable and specific. • Make a schedule of your fitness activities that fits in with your other obligations and responsibilities. • Be patient: begin slowly and progress gradually. • Enjoy it. Make it social experience by participating with others in a variety of activities that you like doing.

Setting Fitness Goals • Choose a fitness program that will be effective and safe. • Choose a variety of activities and consider safety.

Term to Know Behavioral-change stairway A step-by-step approach for helping people achieve their fitness goals. Setting Fitness Goals One approach that has helped many people achieve and maintain overall fitness is the behavioral-change stairway.

Setting Fitness Goals The steps in the behavioral-change stairway are: • Not thinking about being personally fit • Thinking about being personally fit • Planning on becoming personally fit • Starting to become personally fit • Maintaining personal fitness behaviors • Relapse or stopping of personal fitness behaviors

Setting Fitness Goals Beginning to Climb Moving from Step 1 (not thinking about fitness) to Step 2 (beginning to think about fitness) requires a conscious effort.

Setting Fitness Goals Planning Your Journey At Step 3 (planning on becoming personally fit), you develop your game plan, including setting goals and a realistic schedule.

Setting Fitness Goals Staying on Track Step 4 of the journey (starting to become personally fit) is the point where some people begin to slide back.

Setting Fitness Goals Staying at the Top Once you reach Step 5 (maintaining personal fitness behaviors), your goal should be to stay there. If you have a relapse, get back into a regular routine as soon as possible.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines The harder you work, the greater the rewards to your health and fitness. As a teen, you should strive to do a minimum of 225 minutes of activity or exercise per week. Adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes per week.

Term to Know Regular physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise performed most days of the week, preferably daily. Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines • Regular physical activity or exercise Fitness experts have devised these three ratings: • 5 or more days of the week if moderately intense activities are done. • 3 or more days per week if vigorous activities are done.

Term to Know Moderate physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise that ranges in intensity from light-to-borderline-heavy exertion Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines • Moderate physical activity or exercise Fitness experts have devised these three ratings. • Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, and cycling on level terrain.

Term to Know Vigorous physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise that ranges in intensity from heavy-to-maximum exertion. Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines • Vigorous physical activity or exercise Fitness experts have devised these three ratings. • Examples include jogging, shoveling snow, high-impact aerobics, swimming continuous laps, cycling uphill.

Jump Starting Your Personal Fitness Program Remember these tips when you start your personal fitness program: • Begin your conditioning program at a low-to-moderate level. • Gradually increase this level over a period of several weeks to reduce injury risks. • Start with the cardiovascular and flexibility components. • Add the muscular strength and endurance components later.

Physical Activity, Exercise, and Health