Notes on Physical Activity and Fitness

Understand the three basic principles of exercise.
Explain the FITT formula and its role in building fitness.
Learn how to use the Physical Activity Pyramid for planning a physical activity program.

FITT formula: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type.
Frequency: How often you do physical activity.
Intensity: How hard you perform physical activity.
Principle of overload: To produce fitness and health benefits, the body must do more than it normally does. An increased demand on your body (overload) forces it to adapt.
Principle of progression: The amount and intensity of exercise should be increased gradually.
Principle of specificity: The specific type of exercise determines the specific benefits received.
Target ceiling: The upper limit of activity.
Target fitness zone: The correct range of physical activity, above the threshold of training and below the target ceiling.
Threshold of training: The minimum amount of overload needed to build physical fitness.
Time: How long you do physical activity.
Type: The kind of activity you do to build a specific part of fitness.

Principle of Overload:
- The body must be challenged beyond its normal activity level to produce fitness and health benefits.
- Increased demand on the body forces adaptation.
- Underload (doing nothing) leads to decreased fitness and health.
Principle of Progression:
- The amount and intensity of exercise should increase gradually.
- The body adapts to an increase in load over time, so activity must be increased slightly when this happens.
- The minimum amount of overload needed to build physical fitness is the threshold of training.
- Activity above the threshold builds fitness and promotes health and wellness.
- Exercising too much leads to going above target ceiling which can lead to soreness and injury.
- The correct range of physical activity is called target fitness zone.
Principle of Specificity:
- The specific type of exercise determines the specific benefit received.
- Different activities produce different benefits.
- Exercises for specific body parts provide benefits only for those parts.

The FITT formula helps apply the basic principles of exercise.
- Frequency: Refers to how often you do physical activity. Should be done several days a week to be beneficial.
- Intensity: Refers to how hard you perform physical activity. If too easy, you won't build fitness. If too vigorous without working up to it, can be harmful.
- Time: Refers to how long you do physical activity. Depends on the type of activity and fitness goal.
- Type: Refers to the kind of activity you do to build a specific part of fitness or to gain a specific benefit. One type of activity may be effective for one part of fitness but not others.

The Physical Activity Pyramid helps understand specificity and which activities are best for fitness, health, and wellness.
Different activities build different parts of fitness and produce different health and wellness benefits.
For optimal benefits, perform activities from all parts of the pyramid each week.
Activities at the bottom of the pyramid should be done more frequently than those near the top.

Lifestyle Physical Activity:
- Bottom of the pyramid.
- Should be performed daily or nearly every day.
- Examples: yard work, climbing stairs.
- Benefits: controls body fat, builds cardiovascular fitness, suitable for all abilities.
Active Aerobics:
- Associated with many health and wellness benefits.
- Beneficial for cardiovascular fitness and controlling body fat.
- Perform 3-6 times a week.
Active Sports and Recreation:
- Associated with many health and wellness benefits if done moderately or vigorously.
- Helps maintain parts of fitness and builds skills.
- Can substitute for some aerobic activities.
Exercise for Flexibility:
- Perform flexibility exercises at least 3 days a week, up to every day.
- Builds flexibility and produces benefits like better performance, improved posture, and reduced risk of injury.
Exercise for Strength and Muscular Endurance:
- Exercise for muscle fitness at least two days a week to develop strength.
- Exercise at least three days a week to improve muscular endurance.
- Benefits include better performance, improved body appearance, a healthier back, good posture, and stronger bones.
Inactivity and Sedentary Living:
- Periods of rest and sleep are important for good health.
- General inactivity or sedentary living is discouraged during waking hours.
- Active choices should exceed inactive ones.

ACTIVITYGRAM is a computer program to monitor physical activity.
You enter activity for every 30-minute block from 7 A.M. to 11 P.M.
Record the type of activity and whether it was rest, light, moderate, or vigorous.
The computer prints a report showing the total number of minutes of activity each day, the amount of activity done at each level of the pyramid, and the amount of moderate and vigorous activity performed.

Discuss fitness ratings and how they apply to a physical activity program.
Identify factors that contribute to fitness.
Describe several factors to consider when creating a personal physical activity program.

Criterion-referenced health standards: Standards of health and wellness used to judge fitness.
Maturation: Becoming physically mature or fully grown and developed.

Fitness should be judged using criterion-referenced health standards, not by comparing to others.
Health and wellness standards require enough fitness to:
- Reduce risk of health problems.
- Achieve wellness benefits.
- Work effectively and meet emergencies.
- Enjoy free time.
Fitness is rated in one of four categories:
- High Performance Rating: Not necessary for good health, but increases chances of success in athletics or physically demanding jobs.
- Good Fitness Rating: Necessary level of fitness needed to live a full, healthy life. The goal of most people; requires continued physical activity.
- Marginal Fitness Rating: Shows important progress in fitness, but requires continued effort to achieve a good fitness rating.
- Low Fitness Rating: Indicates an above-average risk of developing health problems. Need to improve to look, feel, and function efficiently, as well as enjoy free time.

Physical activity is the most important thing you can do to improve and maintain health-related physical fitness.
Other important factors:
- Maturation.
- Age.
- Heredity.
- Environment.
- Lifestyle choices (including nutrition and stress management).
Maturation:
- Becoming physically mature contributes to fitness levels.
- Early developers often perform better on fitness tests.
Age:
- Older teens typically perform better on fitness tests than younger teens.
- This is mostly because they have grown more and are likely more mature.
Heredity:
- Plays a role in determining physical characteristics that influence physical fitness tests.
- Some people may have more fibers suited to particular things like running fast while others have more suited to endurance.
Environment:
- Where you live, school environment, availability of places to play, and your social environment all affect fitness.

The amount of exercise needed to get health benefits is sometimes referred to as an "exercise prescription" and is measured in doses.
Following the FIT formula for each type of physical activity helps achieve the right number of doses for good health and fitness.