WELLNESS is your overall physical and mental well-being

WELLNESS is your overall physical and mental well-being.

The components of health related fitness are:

cardio-respiratory endurance

muscular strength and endurance

flexibility

body composition

CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ENDURANCE

Energy is defined as your capacity to do work. When you exercise, your muscles need a large amount of oxygenated blood to produce energy. Your heart has to beat faster and harder to pump the blood carrying oxygen to the areas where it is needed most. Energy for your body is produced through chemical reactions.

A chemical reaction that does not require oxygen is called ANAEROBIC. Activities that require an explosive amount of energy for a short period are anaerobic.

A chemical reaction that requires oxygen is called AEROBIC. An exercise is aerobic if it uses large muscles for a long period of time with a steady intake of oxygen. The best fuel to produce energy is oxygen.

STROKE VOLUME is the amount of blood the left ventricle pumps out each time it beats. If you are physically fit, you will have a greater stroke volume than you would if you were not fit. Therefore, you will have a greater amount of oxygen to produce energy. Endurance training increases your stroke volume.

Maximum oxygen consumption is the greatest volume of oxygen used by your cells per minute per kilogram of body weight during strenuous exercise. A physically fit person will consume more oxygen and use it more effectively per kilogram during exercise than a non-fit person.

OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE

You must place a greater than normal physical demand on your body to achieve and maintain fitness. This is the overload principle.

Your target heart rate zone is a measure of intensity.

TARGET HEART RATE ZONE CHART

Resting

Heart

Age Rate 60% 80% 85%

153

185

186

152

179

185

FITT

If you apply all of the principle of FITT to your individual fitness program, you will improve and maintain your physical fitness level. An example of FIT for cardio-respiratory endurance would look like this:

F = four days a week

I = at heart rate of 155 bpm

T = for 15 minutes

T = jog

MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE

Muscular strength describes how much force a muscle can exert over a short period. Sprinters who run short, fast races have muscular strength, as do weight lifters who can lift an extremely heavy weight.

Muscular endurance describes how long a muscle can produce the force without becoming excessively fatigued. Can you run a long distance without getting tired? Can you lift a light weight many times without stopping? Can you ride your bike a long distance without stopping or tiring?

Good muscular strength and endurance allow your body to function efficiently and safely. They decrease your risk of developing low back problems, poor posture, and other injuries. One way to develop muscular strength and endurance is to create an increased demand on the muscles through a weight training program. You should be careful not to lift very heavy weights while training. Your bone growth plates have not yet been fully developed, therefore it is better to train with lighter weights and more repetitions.

An application of the FIT principle is:

F = Every other day

I = Ten to fifteen repetitions

T = 1 set (level 1), 2 sets (level 2), 3 sets (level 3)

When you can lift a weight for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, you should progress to a slightly heavier weight. Increase the amount of weight gradually in order to overload the muscle. This is called PROGRESSION.

If you want to strengthen your arms, you have to lift weights that work on your arms by targeting those muscles. Targeting certain muscles for strength training is called SPECIFICITY.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH EXERCISES

Curl-ups (Abdominals)

Do not arch your back as you pull up or pull on your head or neck.

Modified Pull-ups (Shoulders and Arms)

Keep your body straight and heels on the floor.

Push-ups (Arms and Chest)

Modified--on knees, beginning level

Regulation

Elevated feet--advanced level

Bench Press (Chest, Shoulders, Arms)

Keep knees bent and feet on bench.

Bent Arm Laterals (Flys) (Chest, Shoulders, Arms)

Keep knees bent and feet on bench.

Front Curl (Biceps)

Upright Rowing (Shoulders)

Tricep Pushdown (Triceps)

Tricep Extension (Triceps)

Leg Extensions (Quadriceps)

Leg Curls (Hamstrings)

Leg Presses (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Gluteals)

Adduction (Inner thighs = adductors)

Abduction (Outer thighs = abductors)

FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is the ability of joints to move through their full range of motion. In order to accomplish this, your muscles must be stretched. Flexibility will decrease with age if you do not stay active and continue to stretch. Stretching is the best way to improve your flexibility. Static stretching is the best type of stretching. Slowly stretch a muscle until you feel tension without pain. Hold the stretch, without moving, for at least 15 seconds.

Apply the principle of FITT to your flexibility program:

F = Stretch daily or at least 3 days per week

I = Stretch to the tension point without pain for 15-20 seconds

T = Do 3 sets of exercises

T = Stretch various muscle groups

BODY COMPOSITION

Your body consists of bone, muscle, and fat. All three of these combine to make up your body weight. Your body weight is divided into lean body mass and fat body mass. Lean body mass includes your bones, muscle tissue, tendons, and ligaments. Fat body mass is the fat that is stored in your body. You should be more concerned with your body fat percentage than your total weight.

Fat tissue is less dense and lighter than lean tissue. Individuals who have excess amounts of fat also have a lower level of physical fitness. Fat tissue has about 2 to 3 miles of blood vessels per 1 pound of fat. Extra stress is placed on the heart as it pumps blood through the extra blood vessels.