Physical Fitness and Exercise Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards for physical fitness and exercise lecture.

1. Explain the difference between physical activity and exercise.

Answer: Physical activity: any body movement that uses energy.

Exercise: planned, structured physical activity aimed at improving fitness

2. Define each of the health-related components of physical fitness.

Answer:
Cardiorespiratory endurance,
muscular strength,
muscular endurance,
flexibility,
body composition.

3. Identify the skill-related components of physical fitness.

Answer:
Agility,
balance,
coordination,
power,
reaction time,
speed.

4. Describe the benefits and risks associated with a physical fitness/exercise program.

Answer:
Benefits: improved health, mood, weight control.
Risks: injury, sudden cardiac events

(mainly in those with health conditions).

5. Explain the meaning of "medical readiness" regarding starting a fitness program.

Answer: Assessing safety to start exercise, especially with existing health conditions.

6. Explain the purpose(s) for conducting an exercise pre-participation health screening.

Answer: Identify health risks, determine need for clearance, promote safe activity.

7. Identify the components of the ACSM Algorithm and how it is used for determining the

need for medical clearance

Answer:
Current physical activity level: Determines if the individual is already active and has a lower risk.

History of CV Disease: Flags individuals who may need medical clearance.

Signs or symptoms of disease: Identifies undiagnosed conditions that make exercise risky.

Desired exercise intensity: Assesses if increasing to moderate or vigorous activity raises risk.

8. Identify the major symptoms or signs suggestive of cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal

disease.

Answer:
Chest pain,
shortness of breath,
dizziness,
ankle swelling,
palpitations.

9. Explain how to evaluate a person's need for medical clearance before fitness testing or

starting an exercise program

Answer:

Use ACSM algorithm:

activity level,

health history,

symptoms,

exercise goals.

10. Explain the purpose of the informed consent and identify the information it must provide.

Answer:
Explains test risks/benefits;

Purpose and procedures

• Risks and discomforts

• Benefits

• Right to withdraw

• Confidentiality assurance

• Opportunity for questions

11. Identify and describe the ACSM coronary artery disease risk factors.

Answer:

Age,

family history,

smoking,

sedentary lifestyle,

obesity,

hypertension,

dyslipidemia,

prediabetes,

low HDL.

12. Explain the purpose(s) of health-related fitness testing.

Answer:

Educate client,

assess health status,

set goals,

monitor progress.

13. Explain the difference between fitness standards and fitness norms and how norms are used in fitness testing.

Answer: Standards: health goals.

Norms: population comparisons. Norms help interpret test results.

14. Describe and demonstrate the procedures for measuring resting heart rate and blood

pressure.

• Have the client sit quietly for at least 5 minutes in a comfortable position.

• Use the radial artery (located on the thumb side of the wrist) for manual palpation.

• Count beats for at least 30 seconds (preferably 60 seconds for accuracy) and multiply accordingly to get beats per minute.

• Ensure the environment is quiet and the client is relaxed to avoid artificially elevated readings.

• Preparation:

  • The client should be seated comfortably, arm supported at heart level, feet flat, and not talking.

  • Wrap the cuff around the upper arm, aligned with the brachial artery.

• Palpatory systolic estimation:

  • Inflate the cuff while palpating the radial pulse. Note the pressure where the pulse disappears—this gives a rough systolic estimate.

• Auscultation:

  • Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery (just below the cuff’s edge).

  • Inflate the cuff to 20–30 mmHg above the palpated systolic estimate.

  • Slowly deflate (~2–3 mmHg/sec) and listen for Korotkoff sounds:

    • First sound (Phase I) = Systolic pressure

    • Disappearance of sound (Phase V) = Diastolic pressure

• Record values to the nearest 2 mmHg.

• Wait at least 1 minute before repeating if multiple readings are needed.

15. Identify the healthy body composition percentage for men and women.

Answer: Men: 10-22%. Women: 20-32%.

16. Calculate an individual's BMI and their disease risk category.

Answer: BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²).

Categories: Underweight <18.5,

Normal 18.5-24.9,

Overweight 25-29.9,

Obese >=30.

17. Identify the various techniques used for assessing body composition, and explain the

advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each.

Skinfold Measurements (Anthropometric Method):

• Advantages: Inexpensive, portable, and practical for field use.

• Disadvantages: Accuracy depends heavily on the technician’s skill.

• Limitations: Assumes fat distribution is consistent; less accurate for obese or very lean individuals.

Hydrodensitometry (Underwater Weighing):

• Advantages: Very accurate when performed correctly; long considered the gold standard.

• Disadvantages: Requires a water tank, trained personnel, and full submersion.

• Limitations: Not ideal for individuals with aquaphobia; affected by estimation of lung volume.

Air Displacement Plethysmography (e.g., BOD POD):

• Advantages: Comfortable, fast, and accurate; no submersion needed.

• Disadvantages: Requires expensive equipment and proper clothing.

• Limitations: Sensitive to air leaks, hair, and clothing irregularities.

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA):

• Advantages: Highly accurate; measures bone, fat, and lean mass.

• Disadvantages: Expensive; requires trained technician and clinical setting.

• Limitations: Involves low-level radiation; body size may exceed scan area.

18. Identify the specific skinfold sites for estimating body composition.

Men (Jackson & Pollock 3-site method):

• Chest: Diagonal fold, taken halfway between the anterior axillary line and the nipple.

• Abdomen: Vertical fold, 2 cm to the right of the umbilicus.

• Thigh: Vertical fold, taken on the anterior midline of the thigh, midway between the hip and the top of the patella.

Women (Jackson & Pollock 3-site method):

• Triceps: Vertical fold, on the posterior midline of the upper arm, halfway between the acromion and olecranon processes.

• Suprailiac: Diagonal fold, taken above the iliac crest along the natural angle of the iliac crest at the anterior axillary line.

• Thigh: Same as for men.

19. Explain and demonstrate how to take skinfold and girth measurements used for

estimating body composition.

Answer:
Skinfold: pinch skin + fat, measure with caliper.

Girth: use measuring tape at standard sites

(e.g., waist, hips).

20. Calculate an individual's target/ideal body weight based on percent body fat percentage

ideal body weight = LBM / (1 - desired % body fat)

LBM = weight × (1 - current % body fat).

21. Describe the structure of the heart, and the pattern of blood flow through the valves and

Answer:

4 chambers: RA -> RV -> lungs -> LA -> LV -> body. Valves: tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral,

aortic.

22. Describe the electrical cardiac conduction system of the heart.

The heart’s electrical system controls the heartbeat.
It starts at the SA node
and passes through the AV node,
A bundle of His,
and Purkinje fibers to make the heart chambers contract in order.

23. Identify the basic components of the ECG with important aspects of cardiac function.

Answer:
P wave = atrial depolarization;
QRS = ventricular depolarization;
T wave = ventricular repolarization.

24. Describe the mechanisms for returning blood back to the heart at rest and during exercise

• Skeletal muscle pump: Muscle contractions compress veins, pushing blood toward the heart.

• Venous valves: Prevent backflow, ensuring one-way blood flow.

• Respiratory pump: Breathing creates pressure changes in the chest and abdomen that help draw blood back to the heart.

• During exercise, these mechanisms are enhanced due to increased muscle activity and deeper, faster breathing, which significantly improve blood return.

25. Define the following arrhythmias:

bradycardia,

tachycardia,

premature ventricular

contraction,

ventricular tachycardia,

and ventricular fibrillation

Premature ventricular contraction, an early heartbeat originating in the ventricles, is often felt as a "skipped beat."
Bradycardia: a slower than normal heart rate, typically below 60 beats per minute.
Tachycardia: a faster than normal heart rate, usually exceeding 100 beats per minute.
Ventricular tachycardia: a rapid heart rate originating in the ventricles, which may be life-threatening.
Ventricular fibrillation: a chaotic heart rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest, as the heart quivers instead of pumping blood effectively.

26. Define maximal oxygen uptake; describe how it is measured, and explain its relationship to sport performance and what determines its limits.

Answer:

Max oxygen uptake during intense exercise reflects aerobic fitness. Measured via graded

test with gas analysis

27. Identify the average VO2max for normally active 18-22-year-old college aged students,

and explain how VO2max is expressed.

Answer: Men: ~42-46, Women: ~38-41 mL/kg/min. Expressed as mL of O2 per kg per min

28. Describe the purpose of cardiorespiratory testing and explain how to select an

appropriate protocol for assessment.

Answer:

Assess aerobic capacity;

protocol depends on fitness level, health status, and goals (e.g., treadmill, cycle).

29. Identify the methods used for assessing cardiovascular fitness and those variables that are typically monitored during assessments.

Answer:
Methods: VO2 test, Rockport, step test.
Variables: HR, BP, RPE, ECG, VO2max

30. Explain how maximal heart rate is directly determined and/or estimated.

Answer: Direct: via maximal test. Estimate: 220 - age.

31. Explain the differences between maximal and submaximal exercise testing and the

assumptions that are made in using submaximal tests.

Answer:
Max: full effort, most accurate.
Submax: estimate based on HR response. Assumes HR-linear with workload, accurate max HR.

32. Define the Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale and explain how it is used in fitness

testing and monitoring exercise intensity.

Answer:

Rating of Perceived Exertion (6-20 scale). Used to gauge intensity without relying on HR data.

33. Identify normal and abnormal responses to an exercise test.

Answer: Normal: HR and BP rise, no symptoms. Abnormal: angina, dizziness, drop in BP, irregular heartbeat.

34. Identify the general indications for stopping an exercise test.

Answer: Chest pain, drop in BP, severe shortness of breath, dizziness, ST changes on ECG, request to stop.

35. Identify methods used for assessing muscular strength, and muscular endurance.

Answer: Strength: 1-RM test. Endurance: push-ups, sit-ups, plank hold.

36. Identify methods used for assessing range of motion and flexibility.

Answer: Sit-and-reach test, goniometer, inclinometer. Used to measure joint range of motion.

37. Explain how to interpret information obtained from the various fitness tests in relation to standards and norms and explain how goals are determined from this information.

Answer: Compare to norms/standards, identify weak areas, set SMART goals to improve or maintain fitness.