Fitness
Fitness is the condition of being physically fit and healthy. There are 5 fitness components.
Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular Endurance (CVE) is the most important, single, best measure of fitness. It is defined as the ability to sustain aerobic activities for extended periods of time. It involves the heart, lungs and circulatory system and their ability to distribute oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. Aerobic activities use oxygen and cellular respiration to create ATP. The activity must last longer than 3 minutes in order to enter the Krebs Cycle and the Electron Transport Chain. Examples are running, cycling, skating and jumping rope.
CVE is known to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, colds/flu and even acne, among many other illnesses. Certain activities can even build bone density. Target heart rate during exercise should range between 60%-90% of maximum heart rate (calculate by 220-age).
All CVE activities should be maintained for a minimum of 30-90 minutes and be performed most days of the week. To continue to see improvement in fitness, the body must be subjected to greater and more challenging routines over time. This is called the Overload Principle This includes increasing intensities, duration and frequency of exercise.
CVE is known to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, colds/flu and even acne, among many other illnesses. Certain activities can even build bone density. Target heart rate during exercise should range between 60%-90% of maximum heart rate (calculate by 220-age).
All CVE activities should be maintained for a minimum of 30-90 minutes and be performed most days of the week. To continue to see improvement in fitness, the body must be subjected to greater and more challenging routines over time. This is called the Overload Principle This includes increasing intensities, duration and frequency of exercise.
Muscular Endurance |
Muscular Endurance is the ability to sustain or repeatedly generate an activity. Muscular Endurance activities should be performed 2-3x/week per muscle group. Examples consist of sit-ups, push-ups, plyometrics, and wall sits. To improve this type of endurance, each exercise should 3 sets of 12-15 reps/set (upward of 25); in other words, use low weights & high repetitions. If using weights, calculate 70% of your 1RM for that muscle group. This is what people use to "tone" or to "cut" a muscle.
|
Muscular Strength |
Muscular Strength is the ability of a muscle to lift a maximum weight 1 time. To increase muscular strength use high weights and lower repetitions. Typically, one would perform 6-10 repetitions (to failure)and 2-3 sets/muscle group. This will build muscle mass (size) or “bulk”. If you can lift your own body with each major muscle group then you are relatively "strong". Relative measurements are comparative to individual body weight. Absolute measurements refer to the exact weight lifted.
|
Flexibility |
Flexibility is the use of total range of motion around a joint. Maintaining flexibility helps to decrease injury and maintain activites of daily living (ADL's). Females are typically more flexible than males. To maintain functional flexibility, a person should stretch at least 3 days a week. Static stretching should be held for 10-30 seconds and be done after a workout. Dynamic stretching are moving stretches that should be done before the workout and after the warm-up
|
Body CompositionBody composition is a ratio of lean mass to fat mass in a person’s body. Cardiovascular exercises are the only true and healthy way to reduce the amount of body fat on your body. Females typically average between 20-25% body fat. 30% or more is considered to be obese. Male’s average between 15-20% body fat and 25% is considered to be obese in males.
Ways to measure body composition are Skin Folds, Hydrostatic Weighing, Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA), Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), Air-Displacement Plthysmography (BOD POD). |
Basal Energy Expenditure
Basel Energy Expenditure, also known as Basal Metabolic Rate( BMR), is the amount of energy required to maintain physiological processes (chemically and involuntary). BMR is expressed in calories needed to keep the body functioning at rest. People should consume about 1,244-1,400 calories per day. Energy for voluntary activity (walking, running, sports, etc.) is dependent on the size and number of muscles, kilograms of weight, intensity of activity and the duration of the activity. To maintain weight, calories in must match the amount of calories out. In other words, you need to eat the same amount of calories that you burn through out the day. Weight gain is considered a positive caloric intake, meaning that you are consuming more (+) calories than you are expending. Weight loss is considered a negative caloric intake because you are consuming less (-) calories than you are expending.