PATHFIT 2 (Fitness Exercises)

LESSON 1: THE CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

Physical fitness is the primary specific objective in teaching physical education. The specific
components of physical fitness are:

1. Organic Vigor – refers to the soundness of the heart and lungs which contributes to the ability to
resist disease.
2. Endurance – is the ability to sustain long-continued contractions where a number of muscle groups
are used, the capacity to bear or last long in a certain task without undue fatigue.
3. Strength – is the capacity to sustain the application of force without yielding or breaking; the ability
of the muscle to exert effort against resistance.
4. Power – refers to the ability of the muscles to release maximum force in the shortest period of time.
5. Flexibility – is a quality of plasticity which gives the ability to do a wide range of movement.
6. Agility – ability of the individual to change direction or position in space with quickness and
lightness of movement.
7. Balance – ability to control organic equipment neuro – muscularly; a state of equilibrium.
8. Speed – ability to make successive movements of the same kind in the shortest period of time.

There are two basic components of physical fitness: The health-related components and the
skill-related components. Health-related fitness pertains to the total functioning of the body.
Health-Related Components:
1. Cardio – respiratory Endurance – The ability of the heart and lungs to function efficiently and
effectively over a prolonged period of time.
2. Muscular Strength – The ability of muscle groups to contracts against a resistance.
3. Muscular Endurance – The ability to continue selected muscle group movements for a prolonged
period of time.
4. Flexibility – The functional capacity of a joint to move through a normal range of motion. The
muscular system is also involved.
5. Body Composition – One of the newer attributes in physical fitness components. It refers to the
relative distribution of lean and fat body tissues.

Each health related components of physical fitness has a direct relationship to good health and
reduced risk of hypokinetic disease. Possessing a moderate amount of each component is essential to
disease prevention and health promotion. High levels of Health-related fitness relate to performance
than health benefits. For example: moderate amount of strength are necessary to prevent back and
posture problems. Whereas high……contribute to improving performance such as in jobs which
involve heavy lifting.

Skill – Related Fitness

1. Balance involves vision, reflexes, and the skeletal, muscular system, which maintains equilibrium.
For example water skiing, performing on a balance beam, or working as a riveter on a high-rise
building are activities that require exceptional balance.
2. Coordination – It is the ability to integrate the senses with muscles to produce accurate, smooth,
and harmonious body movement.
3. Agility – It is the capacity to change the direction of the body quickly and effectively. Ability to
rapidly and accurately change the direction of the movement Skiing and wrestling requires
exceptional agility.
4. Speed – It is the ability to move one’s body from one point to another in the shortest possible time.
5. Power – Power is sometimes confused with strength. Speed of contraction, likewise, is the basic
ingredient which, when combined with strength, provides an explosive type of movement. Ability to
transfer energy into a force at a fast rate. Example: throwing the discus
6. Reaction Time – The time required to respond or initiate a movement due to a given stimulus. For
example: driving a racing car and starting a sprint race require good reaction time.

The skill-related components of physical fitness are more associated with performance than good
health. They are called skill-related because people who possess them to find it easy to achieve high
levels of performance in motor skills, such as thus required in sports and in specific types of job.
Elements of Exercise Program
- How frequent should the individual exercise be? ( Frequency ) 3 – 5 days per week
- How intense or vigorous should the exercise session be?
( Intensity ) Moderate to Vigorous

- How long should an exercise session be?

( Duration ) 20 – 60 minutes

- What type of exercise should be included?

( Type of Exercise ) specific including aerobics

Three Types of Exercises

1. Isotonic Exercise – where the muscles are made to do some contraction and relaxation to gain
tones. These movements are common to many physical education activities.
2. Isometric Exercise – where the muscles are made to undergo tension and hold a certain position
for sometime to develop muscle strength.
3. Aerobic Exercise – which entails vigorous movements such as brisk walking, jogging, running and
dancing. The body experiences fast breathing so that the muscles of the heart and the lungs are
exercised.

The Facts to Consider during Daily Physical Activity

1. There are three key components of the daily activity program: the warm-up exercise, workout, and
cool-down exercises.
2. The cardio-vascular warm-up prior to the workout is recommended to prepare the muscles and
heart for the workout.
3. The stretching portion of the warm-up should be done after the cardio-vascular portion.
4. A cool-down after the workout is important to promote an effective recovery from physical activity.

6 Scientific Rules That Lead to Fitness

By Elizabeth Quinn | Reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD
In the study of exercise science, there are several universally accepted scientific exercise training
principles that must be followed to get the most from exercise programs and improve physical fitness
and sports performance.
These rules apply to all athletes, from beginners to elite competitors. Of course, you don't need to
follow every one of them all the time, but if you want to get in better shape, improve your sports
performance, get better at a particular fitness discipline, or avoid stalling and back-slides, these
fundamental rules are the hidden force behind your ability to change your fitness level.
To design an optimal exercise program, workout, or training schedule, a coach or athlete should
adhere to the following six fundamental principles of exercise science.
Rule 1 - The Principle of Individual Differences

The principle of individual differences simply means that we will all have a slightly different response
to an exercise program because we all are unique individuals. This is another way of saying that "one
size does not fit all" when exercising. Well-designed exercise programs should be based on our
differences and responses to exercise.
Some of these differences have to do with body size and shape, genetics, experience, chronic
conditions, injuries, and even gender. For example, women generally need more recovery time than
men, and older athletes generally need more recovery time than younger athletes.
Rule 2 - The Principle of Overload
The exercise science principle of overload states that a greater than normal stress or load on the
body is required for training adaptation. This means that to improve our fitness, strength, or
endurance, we need to increase the workload accordingly.
For a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working
against a load greater than it is accustomed to. To increase endurance, muscles must work for a
longer period of time than they are accustomed to or at a higher intensity level. This could mean lifting
more weight or doing high-intensity interval training workouts.
Rule 3 - The Principle of Progression
The principle of progression implies an optimal level of overload that should be achieved and an
optimal time frame for this overload to occur. A gradual and systematic increase of the workload over
a period of time will result in improvements in fitness without risk of injury. If overload occurs too
slowly, improvement is unlikely, but overload that is increased too rapidly may result in injury or
muscle damage. For example, the weekend athlete who exercises vigorously only on weekends
violates the principle of progression and most likely will not see obvious fitness gains.
The Principle of Progression also stresses the need for proper rest and recovery. Continual stress on
the body and constant overload will result in exhaustion and injury. You should not train hard all the
time, as you'll risk overtraining and a decrease in fitness.
Rule 4 - The Principle of Adaptation
Adaptation refers to the body's ability to adjust to increased or decreased physical demands. It is also
one way we learn to coordinate muscle movement and develop sports-specific skills, such as bathing,
swimming freestyle, or shooting free throws. Repeatedly practicing a skill or activity makes it
second-nature and easier to perform. Adaptation explains why beginning exercisers are often sore
after starting a new routine, but after doing the same exercise for weeks and months, they have little,
if any, muscle soreness.
Additionally, it makes an athlete very efficient and allows him to expend less energy doing the same
movements. This reinforces the need to vary a workout routine if you want to see continued
improvement.
Rule 5 - The Principle of Use/Disuse
The Principle of Use/Disuse implies that you do actually "use it or lose it when it comes to fitness."
This means that your muscles hypertrophy with use and atrophy with disuse. This also explains why
we decondition or lose fitness when we stop exercise.

Rule 6 -The Principle of Specificity

We've all heard the phrase, "practice makes perfect." Well, this is the principle of specificity in
action. This principle states that exercising a certain body part or component of the body primarily
develops that part. The principle of specificity implies that to become better at a particular exercise or
skill, you must perform that exercise or skill. A runner should train by running, a swimmer by
swimming and a cyclist by cycling. While it's helpful to have a good base of fitness and to do general
conditioning routines, if you want to be better at your sport, you need to train specifically for that sport.
Source: Wilmore, J.H. and Costill, D.L. Physiology of Sport and Exercise: 3rd Edition. 2005.
Human Kinetics Publishing
Component of a Fitness Program

1. Warm-up – it prepares the body for physical activity. There are two good reasons for warming
up prior to the activity. The first is to prepare the heart muscle and circulatory system. A proper
warm-up decreases the risk of irregular heartbeats associated with poor coronary circulation.
The second reason for a warm-up is to stretch the skeletal muscle. By gradually warming up
the body, the muscles become more elastic and extensible. The skeletal muscle warm-up
should static stretching of the major muscle groups involved in the exercise.

2. The Workout – elevates the heart and achieves aerobic fitness. Activities that may be included
in this phase are walking, jogging, running, swimming, skipping, and aerobic dancing. This
phase should follow the principles of training with regard to frequency, intensity, and time.

3. The cool-down – is done immediately done after the work-out. This part helps in returning the
blood to the heart for re-oxygenation, thus preventing a pool of blood in the arms and legs'
muscles. After a vigorous activity, enough blood may not be circulated back to the brain, heart
and symptoms such as dizziness and faintness may occur without cool-down two principal
components of a cool-down: static muscle stretching and activity for the cardiovascular
system.

GUIDELINES FOR TRAINING

1. Train the way you want your body to change.

2. Train regularly.
3. Get in shape gradually.
4. Warm-up before exercising, and cool-down afterward.
 5. Listen to your body.
6. Try training with a partner.
7. Train your mind.

EXERCISE INJURIES
Exercise participants will incur an injury or two if they exercise long enough. Fortunately, most
injuries are minor and respond to minimal treatment.
The first step in treating the injury recognizes the symptoms, and treatment should begin as
soon as possible after its occurrence. The most common exercise-induced injuries are
musculoskeletal. Walking is a low-impact activity with an attendant low risk for injury. Jogging and
running, which are high impact activities, are associated with a higher risk for musculoskeletal
injuries. Approximately 35% to 60% of runners report sustaining injuries that temporarily interrupt
training, and a small percentage of these require medical treatment. The most common types of
running injuries are to the knees and feet and are a consequence of one or more of the following:
1. Jogging more than 3 times per week.
2. Wearing improper footwear.
3. Lack of proper warm-up.
4. Overloading the muscles by attempting to do too much too soon.
5. Utilizing poor form or technique.
6. Jogging when fatigued.

CARE OF COMMON EXERCISE INJURIES

Injury Symptoms and treatment
1. Blister Accumulation of fluid in one spot under the skin. Treatment: Don’t
pop or drain it unless it interferes too much with your daily
activities. If it does pop, clean the area with antiseptic and cover
with a bandage. Do not remove the skin covering the blister.
2. Bruise Pain, swelling and discoloration. Treatment: R-I-C-E
3. Fractures and dislocation Pain, swelling, tenderness, loss of function and deformity.
Treatment: Seek medical attention, immobilize the affected area
and apply cold.
4. Joint sprain Pain, tenderness, swelling, discoloration and loss of function.
Treatment: R-I-C-E
5. Muscle cramp Painful, spasmodic muscle contractions. Treatment: Gently stretch
and massage the cramped area. Drink fluids if exercising in hot
weather.
6. Muscle soreness or Pain and tenderness in the affected muscle. Stretch the affected
stiffness muscle gently and exercise at low intensity; apply heat
7. Muscle strain Pain, tenderness, swelling, and loss of strength in the affected
muscle. Treatment: R-I-C-E; apply heat after 36 – 48 hours if
swelling has disappeared. Stretch and strengthen the affected
area.
8. Shin splints Pain and tenderness on the front of the lower leg; sometimes also
pain in the calf muscle. Treatment: Rest; apply ice to the affected
area several times a day and before exercise; wrap with tape for
support.
9. Side stitch Pain on the side of the abdomen Treatment: Decrease the
intensity of your workout, or stop altogether; bend over in the
direction of the stitch.
10. Tendonitis Pain and tenderness of the affected area; loss of use. Treatment:
R-I-C-E; apply heat after 36 – 48 hours if swelling has
disappeared. Stretch and strengthen the affected area.

Prepared by: ARMIE A. MACAAMBAC, MAT-P.E

Instructor