MODULE 1

FITNESS CONCEPTS

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module students are expected to: Page | 1
a. Define physical fitness
b. Identify the components of physical fitness
c. Demonstrate understanding with the benefits of physical fitness

II. OVERVIEW
A person does not need to build muscles to be physically fit. It is much more than the muscles
building. It involves everything from the cardio-respiratory fitness to being more flexible. Scully (1994)
defined physical fitness as the ability of an individual to carry out daily tasks efficiently with enough
physical capacity to cope with the physical needs of life. Similarly, a person is said to be physically fit
if he/she possesses the strength and stamina to carry out his or her tasks without undue fatigue and
still has enough energy to enjoy leisure and to cope with unforeseen emergencies (National Revision
Writing Team of the Physical Fitness and Sports Development Project, 1974).

III. LESSON INPUT

Physical fitness is generally a state of having a healthy body, a person who had proper diet, proper
rest and regular exercise. It is the ability of the body to perform task with vigor, alertness and without
feeling tired.
Scientifically, herein with, physical fitness is characterized as the ability of an individual to perform task
successfully, effectively, and efficiently without undue fatigue, but with extra-reserved in case of
emergency.
Physical fitness describes many forms of movement, including activities that involve the different
groups of muscles. Activities that include the small skeletal muscle for example, playing board games,
drawing and writing are essential. Thus, they do not provide the health benefits of activities that involve
the large skeletal muscles and require substantial energy expenditure.

Hypokinetic diseases are conditions that occur from sedentary lifestyle. Examples could include
obesity and complications arising from sedentary behavior.
Sedentary lifestyle is a medical term used to denote a type of lifestyle with no or irregular physical
activity. Sedentary activities include sitting, reading, watching television and computer use for much
of the day with little or no vigorous physical exercise.
COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS BY FAHEY INSEL ROTH (2011)
A. HEALTH-RELATED COMPONENTS- a relative state of being. The development and
maintenance of health-related fitness is a function of physiological adaptation to increased
overload. It is best defined as the activity aimed to improve your health.
B. SKILL-RELATED COMPONENTS –related to the quality of one’s movement skills such as
balance, agility, speed, power, coordination and reaction time.

HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart, blood vessels and lungs to work together
to provide the needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained workloads. Examples would be
jogging, cycling and swimming. It draws both from cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular endurance
and reflects on how long one can sustain any given physical activity.

Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce. Examples would be the
bench press, leg press or bicep curl. The push up test is most often used to test muscular strength.
 Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscles to perform continuous without fatiguing.
Examples would be cycling, step machines and elliptical machines. The sit up test is most often used
to test muscular endurance.

Flexibility is the ability of each joint to move through the available range of motion for a specific Page | 2
joint. Examples would be stretching individual muscles or the ability to perform certain functional
movements such as the lunge. The sit and reach test is most often used to test flexibility.

Body composition is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs.
This can be measured using underwater weighing, Skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance.
Underwater weighing is considered the “gold standard” for body fat measurement, however because
of the size and expense of the equipment needed very few places are set up to do this kind of
measurement.

SKILL-RELATED COMPONENTS
Agility is the ability to change and control the direction and position of the body while
maintaining a constant, rapid motion.
Balance is the ability to control or stabilize the body when a person is standing still or moving.
Coordination is the ability to use the senses together with body parts during movement.
Speed is the ability to move your body or parts of your body swiftly.
Power is the ability to move the body parts swiftly while applying the maximum force of the
muscles. Power is a combination of both speed and muscular strength.
Reaction Time is the ability to reach or respond quickly to what you hear, see, or feel.

FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT PHYSICAL FITNESS

Heredity - The genetic makeup of an individual.
Lifestyle - The general living. It refers to an individual’s socio-economic status
Body Type - Close to heredity factor, shape of the individual example. Ectomorphs (lean build) cope
well with endurance events.
Age - Capability tends to decline with age. However, the rate can be dramatically reduced through
regular exercise and activity.
Health Status - Performance can be severely affected by poor health.
Diet - It is important to establish healthy eating patterns to provide the body with sufficient nutrients.

BENEFITS OF FITNESS
• Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling
your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat and drink must
equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink.
• Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your
circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your
risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack.
Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
• Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar
level and help your insulin work well. This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and
type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage
it.
• Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings
and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop
smoking.
• Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that
can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and
reduce your risk of depression.
• Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise
 stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and
function of your brain.
• Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong
bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-
strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. Page | 3
• Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle-
strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can help reduce your
risk of falling.
• Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
• Improve your sexual health. Regular exercise may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED)
in men. For those who already have ED, exercise may help improve their sexual function. In
women, exercise may increase sexual arousal.
• Increase your chances of living longer. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your
risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers.

C. SUMMARY
Physical fitness is generally achieved through exercise, correct nutrition and enough rest. It is
considered a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure
activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations. It refers to
the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to allow you to be healthy and perform
activities of daily living.

D. EVALUATION
Activity 1
Direction: Discuss the following questions or situations comprehensively. (5 points each)

1. In your own understanding, define physical fitness.

2. In your own understanding, define sedentary lifestyle and give specific examples.
3. Discuss the difference between muscular endurance and muscular strength.
4. Discuss the difference between speed and agility.

E. REFERENCES

Amaranto, J., Rosario M. (2018). Physical Education: Physical Fitness and Advanced Gymnastics.
Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Checked by:

EPHRAIM P. MAGUAD, LPT, MEd

Program Head

Approved by:

MARILYN T. ALCALA, LPT, Ph.D.

Dean, CTEAS
 MODULE 2
CORRECT BODY MECHANICS

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module students are expected to: Page | 4
a. Discuss how to maintain correct body posture
b. Apply the guidelines on correct body posture in physical activity

II. OVERVIEW
According to Dinoso (1990), good posture is the correct alignment of body parts while standing,
walking, sitting or running positions. Good posture can boost more than a person’s self-confidence. As
people start improving their posture, they may gain a greater awareness of their body. A person may
begin noticing when their muscles feel tense and become more attuned to misalignment in various
area.

III. LESSON INPUT

Posture refers to the relative positions of the body when lying down, standing, sitting or any activities.
Posture determines the stress and the strain on muscles and the distribution of weight.
Good body mechanics are important because they will help protect your spine and other parts of your
body from injury. When caring for a person who is recovering from illness, it is important to use good
body mechanics.

There are four basic guidelines that govern proper body mechanics to avoid muscles injuries, back
pains or any other muscle tensions.

1. When bending, bend your hips and knees and not at the waist. This reduces the stress on the
spine and helps you maintain your balance. The weight is divided evenly between the upper
part of the body and the lower part.
2. Keep your feet stand apart to create a s firm support. This is essential as it creates sufficient
balance and prevents your from swaying sideways.
3. Ensure that your back, feet, pelvis and neck are aligned when making a turn or a move. This
keeps you from twisting or bending on the waist.
4. Take regular breaks to stretch when your have to main a given position for long periods.
Stretching helps restore changes that had to happen to the back and spine to its original
position.

A. GOOD STANDING POSTURE

1. Chin parallel to the floor
2. Feet parallel, toes pointed forward.
3. Rib cage lifted, tummy in, shoulders relaxed.
4. Ears above the middle of the shoulder
5. Arms at the side of the body.

B. MECHANICS OF WALKING
1. Assume a good standing posture, toes pointed forward, walk in two parallel lines, one for
the right foot and one for the left foot.
2. The weight of the body falls on the heels of the foot first and then it rolls to the balls of the
foot.
3. Swing arms moderately forward and backward.
4. Knees slightly flexed.
 C. MECHANICS OF SITTING
1. With your back towards the chair, place one foot under the chair
2. Bend trunk slightly forward and reach far back the chair.

D. WHEN SLEEPING OR LYING DOWN Page | 5

1. People can have good posture while lying on their back or side. Make sure to keep the
spine aligned and avoid twisting at the waist.
2. People should avoid sleeping on their stomach because this position forces the neck to
twist, putting excessive stress on the neck, shoulder and back.

The National Institutes of Health recommend the following tips for improving posture:
• Be aware of posture during everyday activities such as walking, sitting, watching tv and other
physical activities.
• Stay active by taking part in regular exercise, involving cardio, strength training or stretching.
• Maintain a healthy weight, as extra weight can weaken the abdominal muscles and put stress
on the joints and ligaments.
• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes that have arch support. High heeled shoes after a
person’s center of gravity, which can put more stress on the muscles and joints, especially in
the knees.

IV. SUMMARY
Correct body posture can boost self-confidence and maintains a correct alignment of certain body
parts. An individual must be aware of their posture while walking, sitting, running or any physical
activities. Correct body posture can not be done once but must be maintained everyday as a routine.

V. EVALUATION
Activity 1
Direction: Discuss the following questions or situations comprehensively. (5 points each)

1. Why do we need to maintain the correct posture of our body?

2. What are some of the negative effects of not executing the correct body posture?
3. In your own perspective, what are the benefits that we could gain if we follow the correct
mechanics of walking or running?

VI. REFERENCES

Coulson, M. “Attributing emotion to static body postures: Recognition accuracy, confusions and
viewpoint dependence”. Journal of non-verbal behaviour, 28 (2), 117-139.

Karhu, O., Kansi P., Kuorinka, I. (1977). Correcting working postures in industry: a practical method
for analysis. Applied ergonomics, Page 199-201

Amaranto, J., Rosario M. (2018). Physical Education: Physical Fitness and Advanced Gymnastics.
Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Checked by:

EPHRAIM P. MAGUAD, LPT, MEd

Program Head
Approved by:

MARILYN T. ALCALA, LPT, Ph.D.

Dean, CTEAS
 MODULE 3
GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING EXERCISES

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module students are expected to: Page | 6
c. Discuss the FITT Principle
d. Principle of Sports and Training Exercises

II. OVERVIEW
Understanding the FITT principle helps you create a workout plan that will be more effective in
reaching your fitness goals. The FITT principle outlines how to manipulate your program to get in
shape and get better results. However, you need to practice caution because doing more is not exactly
doing it right. FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise (Waehner, 2020).
There are also safe and effective principles of exercise training that can help you improve and
sustain your improvements while avoiding injuries.

III. LESSON INPUT

What is the FITT Principle?
F Frequency How often you exercise
I Intensity How hard you exercise
T Time How long you exercise
T Type What kind of exercise

The FITT Principle is one of the foundations of exercise, a set of guidelines that helps you set up a
workout routine for maximum benefit.

Frequency: How often you exercise

In regard to exercise, this term refers to how often a particular workout activity should be
completed. For example, beginning weight-training workout programs recommended lifting weights
three days per week. Record both your overall and specific activity workout frequencies, such as how
often you lift weights and do cardio. Overall exercise frequency refers to the total number of workouts
of all types of activities you complete.

Intensity: How hard you work during exercise

Exercise intensity refers to how hard your body is working during physical activity. Your health
and fitness goals, as well as your current level of fitness, will determine your ideal exercise intensity.
Gauging intensity by how you feel

MODERATE EXERCISE INTENSITY

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 EXERCISE INTENSITY

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 for breath.
Time: How long you exercise
Time refers to the time of day you exercise and how long each session lasts.
For example, it’s recommended that to improve cardio-vascular fitness you’ll need at least 30 minutes
of non-stop exercise. For weight loss, more time is required; at least 40 minutes of moderate weight
bearing exercise. However, when talking about the time required for muscular strength improvements, Page | 7
time is often measured as a number of “sets” and “reps.” A typical recommendation would be 3 sets
of 8 reps for beginners, 4 sets for 10-15 res for intermediate and series of exercises for advance
training.

Type: The type of Activity you are doing

Type refers to what kind of exercise you are doing. For example, you might do cardiovascular
activity (also known simply as 'cardio'), strength training, or a combination of the two.
The type of exercise you choose will have a big effect on the results you achieve. That’s why it’s
important to know what you want to gain from your efforts.
For example, if you’re looking to improve your cardio-vascular fitness, then exercises like walking,
jogging, swimming, bike riding, stair climbing, aerobics and rowing are very effective. For weight loss,
any exercise that using a majority of your large muscle groups will be effective. To improve muscular
strength the best exercises, include the use of free weights, machine weights and body weight
exercises like push-ups, chin-ups and dips.
Example:

PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING EXERCISES

Exercise training can be defined as a systematic process of preparing for a certain physical goal
(Lambert et al., 2009). Aside from it strengthens the heart, regular exercise also helps to burn fat and
build lean muscle mass. According to Spraul (2020), a person who is interested in losing weight and
keeping it off should make a point of including exercise in his or her daily routine.
It is a well-known fact that exercise has many advantages to one’s health and general well-being.
However, if not carried out properly due to lack or insufficient of knowledge about its guiding principles
injury can sometimes result. And these injuries can be prevented if care is taken. Thus, in this lesson,
you will be introduced on how to select the right kinds of exercise to develop and maintain each of the
basic components that are found in the basic principles of exercise and later be applied in actual
performance.

The Principle of Individuality:

• This principle maintains that no two individuals will benefit from exercise exactly the same
way physically or psychologically. Difference in genetics, age, experience, body size, and health
status can all affect the outcomes of a workout.
• What works for one person may not work for the next. This is important to keep in mind for
two reasons:
1. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone will have a different genetic make-up and life
situation than you, thus even if you are doing the same workouts, you may see different results.
2. Listen to your body. Find what works best for you and stick with it!
 The Principle of Specificity:
• A principle of exercise that states that specific kinds of exercises must be done to develop
specific aspects of the body and specific aspects of fitness. Basically, exercise in a manner that will
get you to your goals.
• All exercise will help condition your body generally, but different exercises work your muscles Page | 8
in different ways. So, if you are looking for specific results, use specific exercises.
• For instance, if your goal is to run a 5k, you should train by running, not by cycling. Cycling
will not use your muscles in the same manner as running. If you want to swim a mile, practice
swimming.

The Principle of Overload:

• A principle of exercise that states that the only way to improve fitness is to increase over time.
This can mean increasing the amount of resistance, increasing the amount of time, or increasing the
speed.
• When just beginning an exercise, it is generally difficult. Over time as it becomes easier to
do, it is important to apply the overload principle by increasing resistance, time, or speed in order to
continue progressing.
• When strength training, you would overload by increasing the amount of weight you lift.
• To increase your speed, pick up your pace per mile slightly. To increase your distance, add
½ mile or mile to your usual route. To increase intensity, try running hills.

The Principle of Progression:

• A principle of exercise that states that a person should start slowly and increase exercise
gradually.
• Progression can refer to both progressing slowly over a large span of time, such as weeks or
months, and progression within a single workout.
• For example, in a single running session, you may start at a brisk walk, then jog at a 15
minute-mile pace for a few minutes, then increase to a 13-minute-mile pace, and eventually to a 12-
minute-mile pace.

The Principle of Reversibility:

• This principle states that if you don’t maintain a regular exercise program, your state of
physical fitness will regress. In other words, use it or lose it!
• Studies have shown that even after one week of inactivity, there is evident loss in
performance. Within two to three months of inactivity, one can see a total reversal of all benefits from
previous activity.
• Everyone has weeks of vacation, illness, or schedule conflicts that prevent them from
exercising. However, it is important to keep in mind that there will some be setbacks and a necessary
re-conditioning phase when you start exercising again. You can’t expect to come back to your
workouts at the same level you were before taking a break. Take things slow and build back up using
progression and overload.

IV. SUMMARY
Exercise is an activity that will stimulate the body to adapt and become stronger. There are guiding
principles and exercise programs that should be followed by an individual who wish to achieve fitness
goals in life. These principles will guide athletes and trainers to adapt and be equipped with certain
knowledge and skills in terms of fitness training.
 V. EVALUATION
Activity 1
Direction: Analyze the following and identify what principle of exercise is being referred by each
situation.
Page | 9
1. Janice started her running program by running one mile, and each week she added one-half
mile until she reached running five miles.
2. Kim gets busy on her work that she doesn’t train as often as she used to. Her body started to
lose its fitness gained in those few weeks where she was exercising 3-4 times a week.
3. Shein is walking and cycling with a friend, and doing exactly the same amount of training with
hers, but Sheins’ friend gets fitter faster than her.
4. Mark is a football player and his goal is to improve upper body strength, he would continue to
increase training weight loads in upper body exercises until his goal was achieved.
5. Rachel wanted to increase the strength of her biceps, so she uses weights or resistance and
do some bicep curls.

Activity 2
Direction: Read the following statement. Identify what is being described.

1. This principle states that if you don’t maintain a regular exercise program, your state of physical
fitness will regress.
2. A principle of exercise that states that a person should start slowly and increase exercise
gradually.
3. A principle of exercise that states that the only way to improve fitness is to increase over time.
4. A principle of exercise that states that specific kinds of exercises must be done to develop
specific aspects of the body and specific aspects of fitness.
5. This principle maintains that no two individuals will benefit from exercise exactly the same way
physically or psychologically.

VI. REFERENCES
Callo, L., Dajime P. (2016). Physical Education and Health. Vol. 1, Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Lambert et al. (2009). General Principles of Training. Olympic Textbook of Medicine in Sport. Retrieved
from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227991596_General_Principles_of_Training.
Accessed August 26, 2020

Mayo Clinic (2020). Exercise Intensity: How to Measure It? Retrieved from:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-
intensity/art20046887#:~:text=Understanding%20exercise%20intensity,how%20tired%20your%20m
uscles%20feel. Accessed September 29, 2020.

Walker (2019). What is the FITT Principle? Retrieved from https://stretchcoach.com/articles/fitt-

principle/. Accessed September 29, 2020

Checked by:

EPHRAIM P. MAGUAD, LPT, MEd

Program Head
Approved by:

MARILYN T. ALCALA, LPT, Ph.D.

Dean, CTEAS