Foundations of Physical Conditioning Chapters 7, 8, and 11

Steps in creating a fitness plan

set goals, select activities, plan your weekly routine, and monitor your progress.

choose fitness activities that target cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. Monitor your progress using a training log or fitness app.

Training Components

Your fitness program should be realistic and correspond to your current fitness level. It will be more successful if you include a variety of activities you enjoy.

Strength training should be scheduled to allow muscles to recover (alternate days or muscle groups), and stretching exercises should be performed 2 days a week, after a warm up exercise.

Strategies to implement in fitness program

it is best to exercise in a regular and consistent pattern and adjust your routine as needed to accommodate changing schedules and circumstances.

Exercising with friends or pets can be beneficial for some people, and varying your training activities can increase motivation.

Exercise should be combined with other healthy behaviors to ensure good health. Getting enough sleep, for instance, is critical to the success of your fitness program.

The importance of Fitness in all stages of life

It is important to exercise consistently to maintain health benefits.

Rates of physical activity decrease with age. Finding activities that you can enjoy as you age is important for staying active.

Exercising regularly may be difficult during periods of change or transition. Planning ahead (when possible) and adjusting your routine can help you stay active during these times.

Fitness during Pregnancy

a workout can consist of aerobic exercise up to 30 minutes at moderate intensity (RPE 12–14) and light- to moderate-intensity resistance training.

should avoid exercises performed while lying on their backs and activities with a high risk of falling or fetal trauma.

How people with disabilities can remain active

Exercise is important for the maintenance of good health in people with physical disabilities and mental/emotional challenges.

There are two classes of sports for people with disabilities: adapted (adaptive) and inclusive.

Physical and Mental changes that come with aging

Aging is a slow, gradual decline in biological functions. The most common functional changes seen with both aging and inactivity are decreased cardiorespiratory function, increased body fat, and musculoskeletal fragility.

Approximately one-half of the age-related decline in functional capacity is due to a decrease in physical activity.

Exercise capacity decreases with age, but older adults who remain active can maintain a high level of cardiovascular functioning.

Older adults who start an exercise program can improve their fitness levels and enjoy health benefits.

Steps in creating a wellness plan

When developing and implementing a wellness plan, choose to modify those aspects of wellness that are most affecting your health. Your goals for behavior change should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-framed.

Go slowly, be consistent, and incorporate variety in making changes to improve wellness and monitor your progress toward goals.

Friends with similar goals can serve as a helpful support system, and backsliding can serve as a learning opportunity to help plan for future challenges.

Nutrition

science of food and nutrients—their digestion, absorption, and metabolism, and their effect on health and disease.

Nutrients

the substances in foods that are required to support body function and maintain health.

Calorie

is a unit of measure of the energy in food or the energy expended by the body.

Macronutrients

carbohydrates, fat, protein, and water.

Carbohydrates

the body’s primary source of fuel. Glucose is the most important of the simple carbohydrates, and all other simple and complex carbohydrates must be converted to glucose before being used by the body. Starches and fiber are complex carbohydrates.

Fats

the most common form of lipids in foods and in the body. All excess calories consumed will eventually be converted to fat for storage. A diet high in saturated fats and trans fats increases the risk of heart disease and should be avoided.

Proteins

made up of amino acids, are the key structural units for building and repairing cells. Amino acids are either made by the body (nonessential amino acids) or must be consumed in the diet (essential amino acids).

Vitamins

Vitamins serve many important functions in the body, including facilitating metabolism. The B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble and are not stored in the body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and can be stored in the body.

Minerals

Chemical elements in foods that, like vitamins, play important roles in many body functions. Calcium is important for bone health, iron is important for healthy blood, and too much sodium can have a negative effect on heart health.

Water

60-70% of body weight is water. You should have 8-10 cups a day.

Guidelines for a Healthy Diet

Eat adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and to manage your intake of calories, sugar, fat, and sodium. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation.

Explain why children, pregnant women, vegetarians, and those with food allergies or intolerances have special dietary needs and how these needs can be addressed.

Some people, including children and pregnant or lactating women, have special nutrient needs that may require increasing the intake of foods that provide certain nutrients and/or taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.

It is important for those who choose a strict vegetarian (vegan) diet to make sure they consume the recommended amounts of macro- and micronutrients.

People with food allergies or intolerances can achieve a balanced diet by replacing the offending foods with healthy choices that provide similar nutrients.

Describe how rigorous exercise training alters a person’s nutrition requirements.

The amount of carbohydrate and fat used as fuel during exercise will vary according to the intensity of the exercise.

Active people need to increase their carbohydrate intake to match exercise demands.

Consuming adequate protein with each meal is important to allow the body to replace and repair damaged proteins.

Excess vitamin intake via supplements does not improve health or exercise performance.

Pros and cons of dietary supplement use.

Supplements should never replace foods as major sources of dietary nutrients.

Supplements are not tested or approved by the FDA, but the agency does have certain mandates in regard to claims made on product labels.

Because dietary supplements are poorly regulated in the United States, consumers should be cautious when choosing and using these products.

Describe the major issues of food safety and how changes in food technology affect the food we consume.

Proper food storage and preparation are essential in preventing foodborne illness.

The use of the word organic on food labels is strictly regulated; organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or chemical fertilizers.

Irradiation and bioengineering are two forms of food technology that are used to enhance food safety and increase yields and pest resistance. Both techniques remain somewhat controversial in terms of long-term safety for humans.

Stress

A mental and physical response to situations we perceive as challenges or threats. It can be positive (eustress) or negative (distress). Some degree of stress is required to maximize performance.

Physiological Stress Response

The autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system are responsible for changes that occur during the stress response. The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is in control at rest, and the sympathetic branch is activated when you need to react. Cortisol is the main stress hormone produced by the endocrine system.

Changes that occur during the stress response that prepare the body to either fight or flee are collectively referred to as the fight-or-flight response.

Factors that Affect Stress Level

Personality can impact the way we perceive situations and respond to stress. Type A and Type D behavior patterns are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Past experiences and gender also influence our reactions to stressful situations.

College life can present many stressors. Some of the most common include academic responsibilities, time management, relationships, finances, and interpersonal issues such as bullying.

How stress can affect your health.

Depression and anxiety have a significant impact on the U.S. adult population, and stress is a risk factor for both conditions.

General adaptation syndrome, which includes the alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages, was one of the first theories proposed about the relationship between stress and disease.

The concept of the allostatic load is that repeated, long-term exposure to stress and the continual activation of the stress response compromise health.

Strategies to manage stress

The two steps usually involved in stress management are reducing the sources of stress and using relaxation techniques to help you cope with stress.

Getting more rest and sleep, engaging in exercise, and practicing progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation, and visualization are some of the many techniques that can help you cope with stress.

Developing spiritual and social wellness can be very important in managing stress.

Using unhealthy behaviors to relax, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs, actually leads to higher levels of stress in the long term.