Physical Fitness Program

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Physical Fitness Program scenery, but there are people who cannot experience this due

A physical fitness program is an integrated regimen of to fitness limitations.


physical activities catering to one or more specific need such
as functional, skill-related and/or health-related fitness. But even walking around the zoo with your family or playing
on the playground with your children can be challenging for
Why do I need a Physical Fitness program? those who neglect physical activity for extended periods of
time. Being active means that it’s easier to stay active as you
Because it’s arguably the best thing you can do for your state get older.
of health and wellness. And it will reduce your risk of
chronic diseases, strengthen your body, and improve your • Improve your health
balance and movement – not to mention support weight loss There are numerous health advantages to physical fitness.
and muscle-gain. Regular exercise and physical activity promotes strong
muscles and bones. It improves respiratory, cardiovascular
All these go a long way to boosting your morale, self-esteem health, and overall health. Staying active can also help you
and confidence – no matter what your age is. But you need maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for type 2
to be responsible and consistent to make sure addressing diabetes, heart disease, and reduce your risk for some
your health and fitness needs. Nobody else can do that for cancers.
you.
In other words, staying active is a crucial part of maintaining
Yes, with all of life's daily challenges, it's tricky staying true good health and wellness.
to your to-do list AND following your program. But it's so Here are the CDC physical activity guidelines for children,
damn worth-it if you can. adults, adults over 65, and pregnant or postpartum women.

Importance of Physical Fitness

• Save money Principles of Training


According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, chronic diseases cause 7 out of 10 deaths in the • Specificity
U.S., and treating chronic diseases accounts for 86% of U.S. Your development plan needs to be specific to your
healthcare costs. While some diseases cannot be prevented, performance levels and activity.
you can reduce your risk for certain disease – such as heart
disease and diabetes – through reducing risky behaviors and • Progression
living a healthy lifestyle. Your development plan needs to become gradually more
challenging in line with your development. This will ensure
Making healthy choices, such as engaging in regular you do not hit a plateau.
physical activity, can reduce your risk for many health issues
and complications that can result in expensive medical care. • Overload
This principle complements progression and shows how you
• Increase your life expectancy can make sessions tougher by referring to FIT: you should,
Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity where necessary, increase the:
increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of premature
mortality. There’s not a magic formula that translates hours o frequency
of physical activity into hours of life gained, but research o and/or intensity
suggests that people who are more active tend to be healthier o and/or time
and tend to live longer.
• Reversibility
• Reduce your risk of injury A person will lose their exercise progress when they stop
Regular exercise and physical activity increase muscle exercising.
strength, bone density, flexibility, and stability. Physical
fitness can reduce your risk for and resilience to accidental • Tedium
injuries, especially as you get older. For example, stronger Your development plan must include variety to ensure you
muscles and better balance mean that you’re less likely to do not get bored and lose motivation.
slip and fall, and stronger bones mean that your less likely to
suffer bone injuries should you take a tumble. A microcycle is the shortest training cycle, typically lasting
a week with the goal of facilitating a focused block of
training.
• Improve your quality of life
A sedentary lifestyle and a lack of physical activity can take
a toll on a person’s body. Physical inactivity is associated TYPES OF TRAINING
with an increased risk for certain types of cancer, numerous The following types of training improve speed, strength and
chronic diseases, and mental health issues. Exercise, power:
however, has been shown to improve mood and mental
health, and provides numerous health benefits. Of course • Resistance training (weight training)
physical fitness also allows you to do things that you may This training method improves strength, power or muscular
not otherwise be able to do. endurance.

• Stay active 1. Improved Mental Health


Staying active and healthy allows you to do activities that 2. Improved Heart Health
require a certain level of physical fitness. For example, 3. Reduced Waist Size
hiking to the top of a mountain is a rewarding experience that 4. Hip and Spine Bone Density
instills a sense of accomplishment and provides spectacular 5. Improved Arthritic Pain Management
• Plyometric training • Follow the plan
Plyometric training is used to increase power (strength x
speed) and strength, this translates to higher jumps and faster Once you and your personal trainer have drafted an
sprint times. exercising routine, stick to it. It is essential to develop the
habit of working out and to become responsible enough to
1. Improves Cardiovascular, carry out your weekly or monthly plans. Trainers help you
2. Fitness and stick to the plan.
3. Muscular Endurance
• Find motivation
• Continuous Training Find a way to motivate yourself through every goal, over
Involves low-intensity exercise for long periods of time every hurdle, and towards final success. Make sure you’re
without a rest or break. doing this for yourself, not for anybody else, and be happy
because of it. Your Personal Trainer knows how to keep you
Training without stopping for a rest. The performer motivated.
maintains the same speed and intensity throughout.
• Reward yourself
It should last at least 20 minutes.
Finally, reward yourself for all the sweat you’re putting in.
• Fartlek training Once you successfully fulfill a monthly goal, treat yourself.
Fartlek is a Swedish word for speed play and is a form of Everybody needs a cheat day from time to time, and allowing
continuous training during which the speed or terrain of the yourself one after a month of hard work will only get you
activity is varied so that both aerobic and anaerobic energy going stronger after it.
systems are stressed.
What is exercise?
1. 5-minute jog to warm up Involves engaging in physical activity and increasing the
2. Sprint for 30 seconds heart rate beyond resting levels. It is an important part of
3. Jog for 90 seconds preserving physical and mental health.
4. Run approx. 75 % for 50 seconds
5. Jog for 90 seconds What is the FITT principle?
6. Repeat 6 times
• The FITT principle is a tried-and-true method of
• Interval training putting together an efficient workout plan.
Involves periods of exercise or work followed by periods of • It’s especially useful if you’re someone who thrives
rest. It is effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, on structure, as you can think of the components as
muscular endurance, speed, recovery times and lactate a set of rules to follow.
threshold. • It’s also great for monitoring your exercise progress
with cardiovascular activity and strength training.
• Circuit Training • One study Trusted Source even found that the FITT
This involves a series of exercises, known as stations, being principle was useful in helping researchers and
performed one after the other. healthcare professionals create the right exercise
regimen for people who had just had a stroke.
How to achieve your fitness goal?
Whether you’re new to fitness or an avid gymgoer, you can
• Set long-terms goals
apply the FITT principle to what you do. FITT stands for:
First, set the goals you’re striving towards, be it losing fat,
getting a muscular body, or improving your endurance. Aim • Frequency
high, but try to be realistic too. Your Personal Trainer is a o When it comes to cardio
great resource to help you do this correctly. o When it comes to strength training
o Also includes rest day
• Set short-term goals
• Intensity
Now that you know what you wish to achieve, you have to
set monthly or weekly goals to create an atmosphere of ❑ When it comes to strength training
success, and to be able to monitor your own progress better. With strength training, there are three primary methods you
Your Personal Trainer will help with this as well. can use to measure intensity:
1. amount of weight lifted
• Measure your progress 2. number of repetitions completed
3. number of sets
Speaking of progress, find a way to measure it. Yes, you can
always stand on a scale and measure your weight. But ❑ When it comes to cardio
measuring your progress means paying close attention to 1. Find your max heart rate (MHR)
fulfilling those short-term goals and making sure you’re not To find your MHR, use this calculation: 220 minus
slacking. Maximum Fitness has the trained professionals your age = MHR.
and measurement equipment to help you track this. For example, if you’re 25 years old, your MHR is 195
(220 – 25 = 195 MHR).
• Make your short terms goal attainable

Coming back to being realistic – do not set goals that are too 2. Find your target heart rate zone
demanding to attain. You shouldn’t be too easy on yourself To find your target heart rate zone, use this
either, by setting yourself up for failure will only demotivate calculation: MHR multiplied by percentage rate in
you and make you hate the path you’re on. A good Personal decimals.
Trainer will lead you to the right goals. So, this looks like: 195 x 0.50 = ~97 and 195 x 0.85 = ~165
According to the American Heart Association Trusted • Intensity Exercise
Source, the target heart rate zone for a 25-year-old is Exercise intensity refers to how hard your body is working
approximately 95 to 162 beats per minute. during physical activity.

• Time
This refers to the duration of each exercise. Experts Examples of the Basic Movement
recommend Trusted Source at least 150 minutes of • Hip Hinge
moderate-intensity exercise or at least 75 minutes of high- This category of exercises is comprised of exercises that
intensity exercise a week. This can look like 30 minutes of involve a hinging motion at the hip joint, with little to no
moderate exercise or 15 minutes of intense exercise a day. knee movement.

• Type
• Hip Dominant
This refers to what kind of exercise you’ll be doing under the
Though this category can include hip hinging movements, it
umbrella of cardio or strength training.
is used to identify all exercises in which the hip joint plays
the primary role.
Cardio is any type of exercise that improves your
cardiovascular system. This includes:
• Vertical Push
➢ running
This category of exercises include all exercises that move the
➢ swimming
load/weight vertically in relation to the torso, or at least in
➢ walking
that direction
➢ dancing
➢ aerobics routines
• Horizontal Push
➢ cycling
This category of exercises involves moving a weight straight
Strength training is any type of exercise that tones and out in front of you, away from the torso.
strengthens the muscles. It usually results in muscular
hypertrophy. • Horizontal Pull
This category of exercises involves moving a weight towards
This includes: he use of weights, like bicep curls and bench the torso.
presses bodyweight exercises, such as:
➢ squats
➢ pushups Dietary Plan
➢ pullups
➢ sit-ups A set of scheduled meals in order to achieve different
metabolic and health goals, such as weight loss, sugar
control, muscle gain.
Types of Exercises:
What is body type?
• Aerobic
Aerobic exercise is the kind that makes you breathe harder Body type, or somatotype, refers to the idea that there are
and builds your fitness up. three generalized body compositions that people are
predetermined to have. The concept was theorized by Dr.
W.H. Sheldon back in the early 1940s, naming the three
• Strength building
somatotypes endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph.
Some exercise specifically helps you build muscle. Anything
that works your muscles will do, as long as you do the
It was originally believed that a person’s somatotype was
activity for long enough.
unchangeable, and that certain physiological and
psychological characteristics were even determined by
• Balance Training
whichever one a person aligns to.
Some exercise helps improve your balance by helping you
According to Sheldon, endomorphs have bodies that are
build up core strength. This is especially helpful for people
always rounded and soft, mesomorphs are always square and
who are at risk of falls, including the elderly, but it is good
muscular, and ectomorphs are always thin and fine-boned.
for everyone.
He theorized that these body types directly influenced a
• Endurance
person’s personality, and the names were chosen because he
You can improve your endurance by doing an activity for
believed the predominate traits of each somatotype were set
increasing periods of time.
in stone, derived from pre-birth preferential development of
either the endodermal, mesodermal, or ectodermal
• Flexibility
embryonic layers.
Flexibility is really important and much overlooked when
people think about exercise.
How to identify body type?
• Moderate intensity exercise
We refer to moderate exercise as any activity that increases In light of all this, understanding a client’s current-state body
your breathing rate slightly and makes you a bit warmer and type is quite beneficial for fitness professionals. A simple
your heart beat slightly faster. observation of body composition can help quickly identify
various physiological situations a client might be dealing
• Vigorous Exercise with and allow you to tailor solutions that will preferentially
Vigorous or high intensity exercise is the kind that gets you address each one. Use the following somatotype traits to
sweaty and out of breath, for example running or playing determine which one a person primarily aligns to:
sport.
ENDOMORPHIC 150 minutes each week of moderate- to
• Stockier bone structures with larger midsection vigorous-intensity physical activity, in bouts of
and hips. 10 minutes or more
• Carries more fat throughout the body.
• Gains fat fast and loses it slow. There are different levels, or intensities, of physical activity
based on how hard your body has to work.
Naturally slow metabolism; potentially due to chronic
Moderate intensity
conditions (e.g., thyroid deficiency, diabetes) but too
frequently the result of a sedentary lifestyle and chronically- You can usually tell that you are doing a moderate-
positive daily energy balance. intensity physical activity if you can talk but not sing a song
while doing an activity.
MESOMORPHIC
• Medium bone structure with shoulders wider than Examples include:
the hips. ➢ brisk walking,
• Developed athletic musculature. ➢ playground activities, and
• Efficient metabolism; mass gain and loss both ➢ bike riding.
happen with relative ease.
Vigorous intensity
ECTOMORPHIC You can usually tell that you are doing a vigorous-
• More narrow shoulders and hips in respect to height. intensity physical activity if you are not able to say more than
• Relatively smaller muscles in respect to bone a few words without pausing for a breath.
length.
• Naturally fast metabolism makes it difficult for Examples include:
many to gain mass. ➢ running, and
• Potentially indicative of disordered eating (e.g., ➢ swimming.
anorexia, bulimia) when BMI is ≤17.
Strength and balance
Once you identify which somatotype a client most aligns to,
For ages 5 to 18, it is important to include activities that
consider the structural and metabolic challenges that are
strengthen muscle and bone at least three times per week.
associated with it. Then, tailor the exercise programming and
For adults 18 years and older, it is beneficial to add muscle
dietary coaching to overcome those hurdles. This will
and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups
preferentially develop the necessary foundation that each
at least twice per week. For adults 65 years and older it's
client individually requires.
important to perform activities to enhance balance and
prevent falls.
Physical Activity Examples include:
➢ lifting weights,
Physical activity is any movement that increases your ➢ working with resistance bands,
heart rate and breathing. Being physically active improves ➢ Tai Chi,
your health and well-being. It has benefits for all ages, ➢ yoga, and push-ups or modified push-ups
including reducing your risk for chronic diseases, improving
your sleep, increasing your energy, and improving self-
confidence and mental health. Adding more physical activity What is aerobic exercise?
to your day provides extra health benefits.
Aerobic exercise provides cardiovascular conditioning.
Some examples of physical activity are: The term aerobic actually means "with oxygen," which
• Going for a walk, bike, or run (join our indoor means that breathing controls the amount of oxygen that can
walking program). make it to the muscles to help them burn fuel and move.
• Doing household chores.
Benefits of aerobic exercise
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. ➢ Improves cardiovascular conditioning.
• Playing at the park. ➢ Decreases risk of heart disease.
• Raking leaves or shoveling snow. ➢ Lowers blood pressure.
➢ Increases HDL or "good" cholesterol.
Physical activity is important throughout your life, but ➢ Helps to better control blood sugar.
what about physical literacy? Just as children learn language ➢ Assists in weight management and/or weight loss.
skills through reading and writing, they also need to learn ➢ Improves lung function.
movement skills through running, kicking, throwing, ➢ Decreases resting heart rate.
catching and jumping. When children learn these movement ➢ Exercise safety
skills, they improve their physical literacy and become more
confident and comfortable with doing these movements, and It is recommended that you talk with your physician
when this happens children want to play and be active for a before you start an exercise program. Ask what, if any,
lifetime. limitations you may have. People who suffer from diabetes,
hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, pulmonary conditions,
Physical activity recommendations by age:
or other health conditions may need additional safety
➢ 0 to 4 years
guidelines for exercise.
180 minutes daily, spread throughout the day
➢ 5 to 17 years Note: If you develop symptoms during exercise including,
60 minutes each day of moderate- to vigorous- but not limited to, unusual shortness of breath; tightness in
intensity physical activity the chest; chest, shoulder, or jaw pain; lightheadedness;
➢ 18 years and older
dizziness; confusion; or joint pain, you should stop • Increases bone strength and density
exercising immediately and contact your physician.
Anaerobic activity — like resistance training — can increase
the strength and density of your bones. This can also
What are some examples of aerobic exercise? decrease your risk of osteoporosis.

Lower impact aerobic exercise includes: • Promotes weight maintenance


➢ Swimming.
➢ Cycling. In addition to helping your body handle lactic acid more
➢ Using an elliptical trainer. effectively, anaerobic exercise can help you maintain a
➢ Walking. healthy weight.
➢ Rowing.
Using an upper body ergometer (a piece of equipment that One study Trusted Source examining the effects of high-
provides a cardiovascular workout that targets the upper intensity training found that while the effect of regular
body only). aerobic exercise on body fat is small, HIIT training can result
in modest reductions in stomach body fat.
Higher impact aerobic exercise includes:
➢ Running.
• Increases power
➢ Jumping rope.
➢ Performing high impact routines or step aerobics. It can increase your power. A 2008 study conducted on
division 1A baseball players found that players who did eight
Anaerobic exercise — a higher intensity, higher power 20- to 30-second wind sprints three days a week saw their
version of exercise power increase by an average of 15 percent throughout the
season.

Types of anaerobic exercises • Boosts metabolism


Anaerobic exercise is any activity that breaks down
Anaerobic exercise helps boost metabolism as it builds and
glucose for energy without using oxygen. Generally, these
maintains lean muscle. The leaner muscle you have, the
activities are of short length with high intensity. The idea is
that a lot of energy is released within a small period of time, more calories you’ll burn during your next sweat session.
and your oxygen demand surpasses the oxygen supply. High-intensity exercise is also thought to increase your post-
workout calorie burn.
Exercises and movements that require short bursts of intense
energy are examples of anaerobic exercises. • Increases lactic threshold
These include:
By regularly training above your anaerobic threshold, the
➢ weightlifting
body can increase its ability to handle lactic acid, which
➢ jumping or jumping rope
increases your lactic threshold Trusted Source, or the point
➢ sprinting
at which you experience fatigue. That means you’ll be able
➢ high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
to work out harder, for longer.
➢ biking
• Fights depression
The difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise
Need a pick-me-up? Studies show that anaerobic exercise,
Aerobic exercise produces energy using a continuous supply like strength training, can boost your mood Trusted Source
of oxygen to sustain the current level of activity without and even fight depression.
needing additional energy from another source. But
anaerobic exercise prompts your body to demand more • Reduces risk of disease
energy than your aerobic system can produce.
Gains in strength and bone density attained by high-intensity
To produce more energy, your body uses its anaerobic anaerobic training, like bodyweight squats and pushups, can
system, which relies on energy sources stored in your reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
muscles.
• Protects joints
Slower-paced exercises like jogging or endurance cycling
are examples of aerobic exercise. Fast-paced workouts like By building your muscle strength and muscle mass, your
sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), jumping joints will be better protected, meaning you’ll have greater
rope, and interval training take the more intense approach of
protection against injury.
anaerobic exercise.
• Boosts energy
One easy way to remember the difference between the two
is the term “aerobic” means “with oxygen,” while
Consistent anaerobic exercise increases your body’s ability
“anaerobic” means “without oxygen.”
to store glycogen (what your body uses as energy), giving
If anaerobic exercise sounds like a lot of work, that’s because you more energy for your next bout of intense physical
it is. But the benefits that come with the intense fitness activity. This can improve your athletic ability.
regime are enough to make you want to power through your
next workout.

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