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PATHFIT 2
(Exercise Base Fitness Activities)
Exercise and Fitness Guidelines

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Program Content

In this program, a list of simple guidelines for doing regular exercise is presented. These practical tips are designed to
help make exercise more effective and more enjoyable, and more useful for lifetime fitness.

Objectives

1. To present guidelines for exercising properly and effectively.

2. To educate all individuals on the fundamentals of physical fitness that everyone should know and practice.

3. To reduce the onset of obesity, reduce common health problems due to the lack of physical activity.

4. And, to learn how to increase your fitness level for a better quality of life.

Key Terms

1. Cool- Down: Moving around after exercise so the muscles of the legs can act to pump blood from the working
muscles back to the heart.

2. Warm-Up: Slow jogging, walking, and stretching done prior to vigorous exercise.

3. A Workout Schedule: How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of
exercises you do should be determined by what you are trying to accomplish.

Review Questions:

1. Can you list and explain several important guidelines for exercise?

2. Can you list and explain some of the important fitness principles or concepts?

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Exercise and Fitness Guidelines

MAKING A COMMITMENT

You have taken the important first step on the path to physical fitness by seeking information. The next step is to decide
that you are going to be physically fit. This module is designed to help you reach that decision and your goal.

The decision to carry out a physical fitness program cannot be taken lightly. It requires a lifelong commitment of time and
effort. Exercise must become one of those things that you do without question, like bathing and brushing your teeth.
Unless you are convinced of the benefits of fitness and the risks of unfitness, you will not succeed.

Patience is essential. Don't try to do too much too soon and don't quit before you have a chance to experience the
rewards of improved fitness. You can't regain in a few days or weeks what you have lost in years of sedentary living, but
you can get it back if you persevere. And the prize is worth the price. In the following pages you will find the basic
information you need to begin and maintain a personal program of exercises. These guidelines are intended for the
average healthy adult. It tells you what your goals should be and how often, how long and how hard you must exercise
to achieve them. It also includes information that will make your workouts easier, safer and more satisfying. The rest is
up to you.

THE FITNESS PYRAMID

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CHECKING YOUR HEALTH

If you're under 35 and in good health, you don't need to see a doctor before beginning an exercise program. But if you
are over 35 and have been inactive for several years, you should consult your physician, who may or may not
recommend a graded exercise test. Other conditions that indicate a need for medical clearance are: .High blood pressure
.Heart trouble .Family history of early stroke or heart attack deaths .Frequent dizzy spells .Extreme breathlessness after
mild exertion .Arthritis or other bone problems .Severe muscular, ligament or tendon problems .Other known or suspected
disease

Vigorous exercise involves minimal health risks for persons in good health or those following a doctor's advice. Far
greater risks are present by habitual inactivity and obesity.

A WORKOUT SCHEDULE

How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of exercises you do should be determined by what you
are trying to accomplish. Your goals, your present fitness level, age, health, skills, interest and convenience are among
the factors you should consider. For example, an athlete training for high-level competition would follow a different
program than a person whose goals are good health and the ability to meet work and recreational needs.

Your exercise program should include something from each of the four basic fitness components described previously.
Each workout should begin with a

A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE

The keys to selecting the right kinds of exercises for developing and maintaining each of the basic components of fitness
are found in these principles:

Specificity - pick the right kind of activities to affect each component. Strength training results in specific strength
changes. Also, train for the specific activity you're interested in. For example, optimal swimming performance is best
achieved when the muscles involved in swimming are trained for the movements required. It does not necessarily follow
that a good runner is a good swimmer.

Overload - work hard enough, at levels that are vigorous and long enough to overload your body above its resting level,
to bring about improvement.

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Regularity - you can't hoard physical fitness. At least three balanced workouts a week are necessary to maintain a
desirable level of fitness.

Progression - increase the intensity, frequency and/or duration of activity over periods of time in order to improve.

Some activities can be used to fulfill more than one of your basic exercise requirements. For example, in addition to
increasing cardiorespiratory endurance, running builds muscular endurance in the legs, and swimming develops the arm,
shoulder and chest muscles. If you select the proper activities, it is possible to fit parts of your muscular endurance
workout into your cardiorespiratory workout and save time.

MEASURING YOUR HEART RATE

Heart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other
aerobic activities. Exercise that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level and keep it there for 20 minutes won't
contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness.

The heart rate you should maintain is called your Target Heart Rate. There are several ways of arriving at this figure.
One of the simplest is: Maximum Heart Rate (220 - age) X 70%. Thus, the target heart rate for a 40 year-old would be
126.

Some methods for figuring the target rate take individual differences into consideration. Here is one of them.

1. Subtract age from 220 to find Maximum Heart Rate.

2. Subtract resting heart rate (see below) from maximum heart rate to determine Heart Rate Reserve.

3. Take 70% of heart rate reserve to determine Heart Rate Raise.

4. Add heart rate raise to resting heart rate to find Target Rate.

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Resting heart rate should be determined by taking your pulse after sitting quietly for five minutes. When checking heart
rate during a workout, take your pulse within five seconds after interrupting exercise because it starts to go down once
you stop moving. Count pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six to get the per-minute rate.

CONTROLLING YOUR WEIGHT

The key to weight control is keeping energy intake (food) and energy output (physical activity) in balance. When you
consume only as many calories as your body needs, your weight will usually remain constant. If you take in more
calories than your body needs, you will put on excess fat. If you expend more energy than you take in you will burn
excess fat.

Exercise plays an important role in weight control by increasing energy output, calling on stored calories for extra fuel.
Recent studies show that not only does exercise increase metabolism during a workout, but it causes your metabolism to
stay increased for a period of time after exercising, allowing you to burn more calories.

How much exercise is needed to make a difference in your weight depends on the amount and type of activity, and on
how much you eat. Aerobic exercise burns body fat. A medium-sized adult would have to walk more than 30 miles to
burn up 3,500 calories, the equivalent of one pound of fat. Although that may seem like a lot, you don't have to walk the
30 miles all at once. Walking a mile a day for 30 days will achieve the same result, providing you don't increase your
food intake to negate the effects of walking.

If you consume 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10 pounds in year. You could
take that weight off, or keep it off, by doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. The combination of exercise and diet
offers the most flexible and effective approach to weight control.

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Since muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, and exercise develops muscle to a certain degree, your bathroom scale
won't necessarily tell you whether or not you are "fat." Well-muscled individuals, with relatively little body fat, invariably
are "overweight" according to standard weight charts. If you are doing a regular program of strength training, your
muscles will increase in weight, and possibly yoUr overall weight will increase. Body composition is a better indicator of
your condition than body weight.

Lack of physical activity causes muscles to get soft, and if food intake is not decreased, added body weight is almost
always fat. Once-active people, who continue to eat as they always have after settling into sedentary lifestyles, tend to
suffer from "creeping obesity."

CLOTHING

All exercise clothing should be loose-fitting to permit freedom of movement, and should make the wearer feel comfortable
and self-assured.

As a general rule, you should wear lighter clothes than temperatures might indicate. Exercise generates great amounts of
body heat. Light-colored clothing that reflects the sun's rays is cooler in the summer, and dark clothes are warmer in
winter. When the weather is very cold, it's better to wear several layers of light clothing than one or two heavy layers.
The extra layers help trap heat, and it's easy to shed one of them if you become too warm.

In cold weather, and in hot, sunny weather, it's a good idea to wear something on your head. Wool watch or ski caps
are recommended for winter wear, and some form of tennis or sailor's hat that provides shade and can be soaked in
water is good for summer.

Never wear rubberized or plastic clothing. Such garments interfere with the evaporation of perspiration and can cause
body temperature to rise to dangerous levels.

The most important item of equipment for the runner is a pair of sturdy, properly-fitting running shoes. Training shoes
with heavy, cushioned soles and arch supports are preferable to flimsy sneakers and light racing flats.

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WHEN TO EXERCISE

The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a welcome
change of pace at the end of the work day and helps dissolve the day's worries and tensions. Another popular time to
work out is early morning, before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and
energetic on the job. Among the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal
preference, job and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather. It's important to schedule your
workouts for a time when there is little chance that you will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands
on your time.

You should not exercise strenuously during extreme hot, humid weather, or within two hours after eating. Heat and/or
digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can be an overtaxing
double load.

FITNESS DO'S AND DON'TS

DO Start Off Moderately

Work your way into a routine. Going overboard after a long respite from exercise may result in injury, or at least
disappointment. Your workout shouldn't do either, so build up from a moderate beginning.

DON'T Over-Exercise
For maximum benefit at minimum injury risk, the body needs to rest and recover. At least a 24-hour rest after heavy
muscle strain is advised. Stagger workouts between heavy and light strain. For example, you can alternate a weight
training routine with biking.

DO Warm Up and Cool Down

A low-impact warm-up before any exercise is essential. It warms the muscles, makes them more limber and easier to
stretch, which results in a better workout. It also helps to prevent injury.

Cooling down after exercising is also important as it relaxes the muscles, lowers the heart rate, and helps the body to
recover from the stress of a workout. It'll make you feel better immediately after the workout, and the next morning.

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DO Stretch
Flexibility is one of the most important factors of fitness. Stretching before, during and after a workout will result in better
performance, good posture, fewer injuries, and overall better fitness.

DON'T Push an Injury

Listen to your body. If you feel pain, stop. Muscle and joint pain can mean many things -- pushing a small hurt can lead
to big problems later on. If pain persists more than a few days, see a doctor.

DO Consult a Trainer
If you belong to a gym, you may have the opportunity to consult a certified trainer. He or she can help you craft a
reasonable workout plan, tailored for your goals. A trainer can also teach proper form with exercise equipment. Even if
you are experienced, bad habits can be developed.

DON'T Get Bored

Don't get bored with your workout. New exercises can break the monotony, and the excitement of perfecting new skills
can help motivate. Since different exercises work different parts of the body, a diverse workout will aid overall fitness.

DO Find a Workout Partner

If motivation is your problem, a workout partner might be the solution. A partner can motivate you to workout when you
normally might not, and can help improve your workout by watching form, encouraging extra effort, and pacing. Try to
pick a partner with abilities equal to your own.

DON'T Lose Concentration

Preoccupation with outside situations can counteract the benefits of a workout. For example, you might decrease intensity
as you lose concentration. And not paying attention to a workout can lead to sloppy style and potential injury. Instead,
use the time to concentrate on proper form and control. It will lead to a better workout, greater benefits, and a more
relaxing experience.

DO Watch What You Eat

Diet is just as much a part of fitness as exercise, and what you eat will affect every aspect of your workout. A proper diet
also influences the results of you fitness plan, since it helps build muscle and decrease the percentage of fat in your
overall body weight.

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DON'T Dehydrate Yourself

When exercising, the body needs four to eight ounces of water every 20 minutes to replace water loss. If you become
thirsty during a workout, you've already passed out of a "safe" stage of hydration. Take fluids immediately. If you are
working out for more than an hour, you may want to consider sports drinks, as the extra carbohydrates help retain body
water. But try them out first, as not all work, and some may cause unwanted reactions. Always avoid caffeine or alcohol
when exercising, both of which further dehydrate your body.

DO Have Fun!
The benefits to working out don't pay off if you don't enjoy yourself. This isn't an excuse for not exercising, as it's still
vital to your health. But finding a workout that you enjoy will make the difference when setting a workout schedule that
will stick.

A final word...
Unless your doctor says you should stop exercising for health reasons, stay with your exercise program. If you feel like
giving up because you think you are not going as fast or as far as you "should", set smaller, short-term goals for
yourself, as well as grander ones. If you find yourself becoming bored, try exercising with a friend. Or switch to another
activity.

Remember . . .
The health rewards of regular exercise are well worth the effort!

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