PHYSICAL

FITNESS &
CONDITIONING
Unit 2: The Health Benefits of
Physical Activity
UNIT OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit students should be able to:

 Describe the health benefits of physical activity
 Identify diseases which are associated with a
sedentary lifestyle and the major risk factors for
these diseases
 Realize regular physical activity in terms of disease
prevention and healthy aging?
 Estimate physical activity needed for improved health
benefits?
 Identify physical activities suitable for typical people,
and how often should they exercise?
2.1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND
HYPOKINETIC DISEASES/ CONDITIONS

 Hypokinetic diseases are conditions

related to inactivity or low levels of
habitual activity.
 Hypokinetic diseases are many of the
diseases and conditions associated with
inactivity and poor fitness.
 Physical inactivity has led to a rise in
chronic diseases.
 Some experts believe that physical
inactivity is the most important public
health problem in the 21st century.
CONTD…
 Each year at least 1.9 million people
die as a result of physical inactivity.
YOUR LIFE IS AT RISK
 Individuals who do not exercise regularly
are at a greater risk for developing
chronic diseases such as
 Coronary heart disease (CHD),
 Hypertension,
 Hypercholesterolemia,
 Cancer,
 Obesity, and
 Musculoskeletal disorders
CONTD…
 For substantial health benefits, adults should
engage in aerobic exercise at least 150 min per
week at a moderate intensity or 75 min per week
at a vigorous intensity. In addition, adults and
older adults should do muscle-strengthening
activities at least 2 days per week. Children
should do at least 60 min of physical activity
every day. Most of the 60 min per day should be
either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity and
should include vigorous aerobic activities at least
3 days per week. Part of the 60 min or more of
daily physical activity should be muscle
strengthening activities (at least 3 days a week)
and bone-strengthening activities (at least 3
days a week).
CONTD…
 Physical activity lowers the risk of
hypokinetic conditions including dying
early, coronary artery disease, stroke,
type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome,
high blood lipid profile, cancers (colon,
breast, lung, and endometrial), and hip
fractures. It also reduces abdominal
obesity and feeling of depression and
anxiety. Physical activity helps in weight
loss, weight maintenance and prevention
of weight gain, prevention of fails, and
improved functional health, improved
cognitive function, increased bone
density, and improved quality of sleep.
THE EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PYRAMID
ILLUSTRATES A BALANCED PLAN OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE TO PROMOTE HEALTH
AND TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL FITNESS.
 CONTD…

• Daily physical
activity is the base for
physical fitness
• Try to be active for
at least 30 min every
day
THE POSITIVE RISK FACTORS FOR CHD
ARE:

 Age,
 Family History,
 Hypercholesterolemia,
 Hypertension,
 Tobacco use,
 Diabetes Mellitus or Prediabetes,
 Overweight and Obesity, and
 Physical Inactivity.
OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT

 Adult overweight and obesity are

classified using the body mass index
(BMI) (BMI = weight [kg] / height
squared [m2]). Individuals with a BMI
between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 are
classified as overweight; those with a
BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more are classified
as obese.
 Overweight and obesity as having
abnormal or excessive fat accumulation
that may impair health.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND POSTURAL
DEFORMITY

 Posture is the position from which

movement begins and ends. Having proper
postural alignment enables the body to
perform movements quicker with less joint
and muscular strain.
 The body is designed to work at the most
economical level, thus saving energy for
future use. We spend more energy
maintaining misaligned posture, which can
cause muscle and joint pain.
 To improve your posture and reduce
structural damage, you should adhere to a
corrective postural exercise program.
MAKING WELL-
INFORMED
FOOD CHOICES

UNIT THREE
UNIT OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit students should be
able to:-
 Summarize the basics of nutrition
 Define macronutrients and
micronutrients
 Categorize and describe the body’s
sources of energy
 Analyze intake of nutrition and make
appropriate changes for sound eating
practices
 Realize the management of nutrition for
better physical performance
3.1 SOUND EATING PRACTICES

 Nutrition can be defined as the science

of the action of food, beverages, and
their components in biological systems.
 A nutrient is a compound that provides
a needed function in the body.
 Nutrients can be further classified
based on the amount needed in the
body. Macronutrients are the nutrients
the body needs in larger amounts.
 Micronutrients are also important
nutrients, but ones the body needs in
smaller amounts.
3.1.1 MACRONUTRIENTS

 Carbohydrates: The word carbohydrate literally

means "hydrated carbon," or carbon with
water. Thus, it is no surprise that
carbohydrates are made up of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen. Some dietary examples
of carbohydrates are whole-wheat bread,
oatmeal, rice, sugary snacks/drinks, and pasta.
 Proteins: Like carbohydrates, proteins are
comprised of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen,
but they also contain nitrogen. Several dietary
sources of proteins include nuts,
beans/legumes, skim milk, egg whites, and
meat.
CONTD…
 Lipids: Lipids consist of fatty acids,
triglycerides, phospholipids, and sterols
(cholesterol). Lipids are also composed
of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Some
dietary sources of lipids include oils,
butter, and egg yolks.
 Water: Water is made up of hydrogen
and oxygen and is the only
macronutrient that provides no energy.
3.1.2 MICRONUTRIENTS

 Vitamins: These compounds are

essential for normal physiologic
processes in the body.
 Minerals: Minerals are the elements
(think periodic table) that are essential
for normal physiologic processes in the
body.
3.1.3 CALORIES (FOOD ENERGY)

 Food energy is measured in kilocalories

(kcals), commonly referred to as
calories.
 A kilocalorie is the amount of energy
needed to raise 1 kilogram of water 1
degree Celsius. A food’s kilocalories are
determined by putting the food into a
bomb calorimeter and determining the
energy output: Energy = Measurement
of Heat Produced.
 AMOUNT OF CALORIES
OBTAINED FROM NUTRIENTS

Nutrient Energy (kcal/g)

Carbohydrate 4

Protein 4

Lipids 9

Water 0

Vitamins 0

Minerals 0
STEP 1: ESTIMATE YOUR BASAL METABOLIC
RATE (BMR)

 As a rule of thumb, BMR uses 22

calories for every kg of a woman’s body
weight and 24 calories per kg of a man’s
body weight.
Women: BMR = weight in kg x 22
Men: BMR = weight in kg x 24
3.2 NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL
PERFORMANCE

 There is universal scientific consensus that

diet affects performance.
 A well-planned eating strategy will help
support any training programme,
 whether you are training for fitness or for
competition; promote efficient recovery
between workouts; reduce the risk of illness
or overtraining, and help you to achieve
your best performance.
 Each sport has its unique nutritional
demands. But it is possible to find broad
scientific agreement as to what constitutes a
healthy diet for sport generally.
3.2.1 NUTRITION BEFORE TRAINING
EXERCISE

 Get your pre-exercise nutrition right and

you’ll have plenty of energy to train
hard and perform at your best.
 Eating the right amount and type of
carbohydrate as well as timing your pre-
exercise meal correctly will help avoid
common problems such as fatigue,
dizziness, fainting and stitch.
CONTD…
Why eat before training?
 The main purpose of your pre-workout meal is
to stabilize your blood sugar levels during
exercise. It also staves off hunger and
minimizes the risk of problems such as stitch
and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels).
 For most regular exercisers, a daily diet
providing carbohydrates of around 280–350 g
for a 70 kg person.
Should you train on empty?
 It is definitely not advisable to train on an
empty stomach, especially if you want to
improve strength, endurance or performance.
HOW MUCH TO EAT BEFORE
TRAINING?

 The exact amount you should eat depends on

your body weight (heavier people need more)
and how hard and long you plan to exercise
(eat more for longer, harder workouts).
 In general, if you plan to workout for less than 2
hours, aim to eat around 1 g carbohydrate per
kg of body weight (or 70 g for a 70 kg person)
or 400–600 calories.
 For longer workouts or endurance events eat
around 2 g carbohydrate per kg of body weight
(or 600–800 calories).
 Don’t eat a big meal just before a workout
otherwise you will feel uncomfortable, sluggish
and ‘heavy’.
WHEN TO EAT BEFORE TRAINING

 Ideally, you should aim to have a meal 2–4

hours before a workout. This should leave
enough time to partially digest your food
although, in practice, the exact timing of
your pre-workout meal may depend on your
daily schedule.
 You should feel comfortable neither full nor
hungry.
 According to a study at the University of
North Carolina, United States, eating a
moderately-high Carbohydrate, low fat
meal 3 hours before exercise allows you to
exercise longer and perform better.
WHAT ARE THE BEST FOODS TO EAT JUST
BEFORE A WORKOUT?

 Slow-burning or low glycaemic index

(GI) foods – that is foods that produce a
gradual rise in blood sugar levels are
the best foods before a workout.
 Studies at the University of Sydney,
Australia, have found that athletes who
ate a low-GI meal before exercise were
able to keep going considerably longer
than those who ate a high-GI meal.
WHY DRINK BEFORE TRAINING?

 It is important to ensure that you are

properly hydrated before training to
minimize the risk of dehydration during
exercise.
 Even mild dehydration can result in
early fatigue as your body is unable to
cool itself efficiently, which puts extra
stress on the heart and lungs.
 Exercise feels tougher when you are
dehydrated and you cannot train as
hard.
WHEN TO DRINK BEFORE TRAINING?

 The best strategy is to keep hydrated

throughout the day rather than load up
with fluid just before your workout.
 Try to make a habit of drinking water
regularly.
 Have a glass of water first thing in the
morning and then schedule drinks
during your day. Aim for at least 8
glasses (11⁄2–2) daily, and more in hot
weather or workout days.
 Drink before you get thirsty!!!!!
HOW MUCH TO DRINK BEFORE
TRAINING?

 The American College of Sports

Medicine Drink recommends drinking 2–
4 glasses of water (400–600 ml) during
the 2–3 hours before you workout.
 Don’t drink it all in one go – divide into
several smaller amounts and sip at
regular intervals.
3.2.2 NUTRITION DURING EXERCISE

The ideal nutritional strategy during

exercise should:
 provide sufficient carbohydrate to
maintain blood glucose levels and
carbohydrate oxidation
 provide water and electrolytes to
prevent fluid imbalance
 not cause any gastro-intestinal
discomfort
 taste good.
3.2.3 NUTRITION AFTER EXERCISE

 The quicker you can begin refueling after

exercise, the quicker your body will recover.
How much to drink?
 Start drinking before you even get showered
and changed. The sooner you begin
replacing the fluid you have lost through
sweat, the sooner you will recover and cut
the risk of post-workout dehydration.
What to drink?
 If you have exercised for less than an hour,
plain water is a good choice followed by a
carbohydrate-rich snack within 2 hours.
CONTD…
When to eat or drink?
 Whether you are hungry or not, the
quicker you consume food or drink after
a workout, the quicker your body will
recover.
 If you work out daily, speedy recovery is
crucial so have a carbohydrate-rich
drink or snack as soon as possible after
your workout – ideally within 30 minutes
and no later than 2 hours.
3.2.4 HOW TO PLAN YOUR
TRAINING DIET

 Use the Fitness Food Pyramid to devise your

daily menu or to check your current eating
plan.
 The foods in the lower layers of the pyramid
should form the main part of your diet while
those at the top should be eaten in smaller
quantities.
 Include foods from each group in the
pyramid each day.
 Make sure you include a variety of foods
within each group.
 Aim to include the suggested number of
portions from each food group each day.
FITNESS FOOD PYRAMID
 HEALTH RELATED
COMPONENTS OF
FITNESS AND
PRINCIPLES OF
EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION

UNIT FOUR
UNIT OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit you should be able to:

 Identify the five components of health and skill related physical

fitness components

 Analyse health risks associated with excessively low body

fatness

 Understand health risks associated with over fatness

 Appreciate and value the benefits of regular physical exercise

to healthy living.

 Recognize the means and methods of developing the health

related components of physical fitness
 Health Related Components of Fitness

 The overall goal of a total health related physical

fitness program is to optimize the quality of life.
 The specific goals of this type of fitness program
are to reduce the risk of disease, to improve total
physical fitness so that, daily tasks can be
completed with less effort and fatigue.
 The single goal of sport conditioning is to
improve physical performance in a specific sport.
 Specifically, a health related fitness program
improves sport performance by increasing
muscular strength and endurance, improving
flexibility and reducing the risk of injury.
CONTD…
Exercise scientists do not always agree on
the basic components of physical fitness.
However, most do agree that the five
major components of total health-related
physical fitness are:
 Cardiorespiratory endurance
 Muscular strength
 Muscular endurance
 Flexibility and
 Body composition
 Cardiorespiratory Fitness

 Cardiorespiratory fitness: (sometimes called aerobic

fitness or cardiorespiratory endurance) is considered
to be a key component of health-related physical
fitness.
 It is a measure of a heart’s ability to pump oxygen-
rich blood to the working muscles during exercise.
 It is also a measure of the muscle’s ability to take up
and use the delivered oxygen to produce the energy
needed to continue exercising.
 In practical terms, cardiorespiratory endurance is
the ability to perform endurance-type exercise such
as (distance running, cycling, swimming, etc.).
 The individuals that have achieved a high measure
of cardiorespiratory endurance are generally
capable of performing 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous
exercise without undo fatigue.
 Muscle Fitness

 There are two components of muscle fitness:

strength and muscular endurance.
 Muscular strength: Is the maximal ability of
a muscle to generate force. It is evaluated by
how much force a muscle can generate during
a single maximal contraction. Practically, this
means how much weight that an individual
can lift during one maximal effort.
 Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance is
defined as the ability of a muscle to generate
force over and over again. Although muscular
strength and muscular endurance are related
they are not the same.
TYPES OF MUSCLE
CONTRACTIONS
 Muscle contractions are classified
into two major categories: isotonic
and isometric. Isotonic (also called
dynamic) contractions: are those that
result in movement of a body part.
 An isometric (also called static)
contraction: requires the development
of muscular tension but results in no
movement of body parts.
 Note that isotonic contractions can be
further subdivided into concentric,
eccentric, and isokinetic contractions.
CONTD…
 Concentric contractions are isotonic
muscle contractions that result in
muscle shortening.
 An eccentric contraction occurs
when, for example, an individual resists
the pull of a weight during the lowering
phase of weight lifting.
 Isokinetic Muscle Contractions are
concentric or eccentric contractions
performed at a constant speed. That is,
the speed of muscle shortening or
lengthening is regulated at a fixed,
MUSCLE FIBER TYPES
 There are three types of skeletal muscle fibers: Slow
twitch, fast twitch, and intermediate. These fiber types
differ in their speeds of contraction and in fatigue
resistance.
 Slow-Twitch Fibers: As the name implies slow-twitch
fibers contract slowly and produce small amounts of
force; however, these fibers are highly resistant to
fatigue.
 Fast-Twitch Fibers: Fast-twitch fibers contract rapidly
and generate great amounts of force but fatigue quickly.
These fibers are white and have a low aerobic capacity,
but they are well equipped to produce ATP anaerobically.
 Intermediate Fibers: Are al­though more red in color,
possess a combination of the characteristics of fast- and
slow-twitch fibers. They contract rapidly, produce great
force, and are fatigue resistant due to a well-developed
aerobic capacity.
 Flexibility

 Flexibility is the ability to move joints freely

through their full range of motion. Flexible
individuals can bend and twist at their joints
with ease.
 Individual needs for flexibility vary.
 Research suggests that flexibility is useful in
preventing some types of muscle-tendon
injuries and may be useful in reducing low back
pain.
 You must be able to bend and reach that
something you dropped on the floor. You must
be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on
your own. You must be able to reach that book
you need to read at the top shelf.
STRETCHING TECHNIQUES
 three kinds of stretching techniques are com­
monly used to increase flexibility: ballistic, sta­tic,
and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilita­tion.
 Static stretching is extremely effective for improv­
ing flexibility and has gained popularity over the
last decade. 20 to 30 seconds (repeated three to
four times) results in an improvement in flexibility.
 Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
combines stretching with alternating con­tracting
and relaxing of muscles. There are two common
types of PNF stretching: contract-relax (C-R)
stretching and contract-relax/antagonist contract
(CRAC) stretching.
 Body composition

 The term body composition

refers to the relative amounts of
fat and lean body tissue
(muscle, organs, bone) found in
your body.
 Lack of physical activity has
been shown to play a major role
in gaining body fat. Conversely,
regular exercise is an important
factor in promoting the loss of
HOW DO PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR BODY FAT?

The three most important factors to

maintain a healthy body fat percentage are:
1. Maintaining your lean muscle mass
through routine strength training (minimum
2x/week for each muscle group)
2. Maintaining a healthy well-balanced diet
that is low in fat (<30% of calories from fat)
3. Maintaining consistent sleep patterns
(minimum 7 hours/night). Always seek the
assistance of a medical or health and fitness
professional for personal program guidance
in reducing or managing your body fat.
 Principles of Exercise Prescription for Health and
Fitness

1. Fitness Goals: short–term and long-term

fitness goal.
Fitness category Current status Short term goal Long term goal

Cardiorespiratory fitness Poor Average Excellent

Muscular strength Poor Average Excellent

Muscular endurance Very poor Average Good

Flexibility Poor Average Good

Body composition High fat Moderately high Optimal

CONTD…
2. Mode of Exercise
Every exercise prescription includes at
least one mode of exercise that is, a
specific type of exer­cise to be performed.
Physical activities can be classified as
being either high impact or low impact
based on the amount of stress placed on
joints during the activ­ity.
3. Warm-Up
A warm-up is a brief (5- to 15-minute)
period of exercise that precedes the
workout.
CONTDE…
4. Primary Conditioning Period: The Workout
Plan
The major components of the exercise
prescription that make up the primary
conditioning period are the mode of
exercise (described earlier), frequency,
intensity, and duration.
5. Cool-Down
The cool-down (sometimes called a warm-
down) is a 5- to 15-minute period of low-
intensity exer­cise that immediately
follows the primary condi­tioning period.
SKILL RELATED PHYSICAL
FITNESS
 parts of fitness that help a person
perform well in sports and activities that
require certain skills. Such as:-
 Agility
 Coordination
 Power
 Speed
 Reaction Time
 Balance
SKILL RELATED
Agility
 The ability to change the position of
your body quickly and to control your
body’s movements
 Good agility: good at activities like
wrestling, diving, soccer and ice skating.
Balance
 The ability to keep an upright posture
while standing still or moving.
 Good balance: good at activities like
gymnastics and ice skating .
SKILL RELATED
Coordination
 The ability to use your sense together
with your body parts, or to use 2+ body
parts together
 Good eye/foot or eye/hand coordination:
good at activities like baseball, softball,
soccer, golf, tennis Power
 The ability to use strength quickly. It
involves both strength and speed.
 Good power: good at activities like shot
put, discus throw, high jump, football,
speed swim.
SKILL RELATED
Reaction Time
 The amount of time it take to move once
you realize the need to act.
 Good reaction time: activities like fast
starts in track or swimming
Speed
 The ability to perform a movement or
cover a distance in a short period of time.
 Good leg speed: can run fast
 Good arm speed: can throw or hit a ball
that is thrown fast.