What You Will Do Design a personal fitness program by using specific guidelines. Define different levels of physical activity. Evaluate your current level of physical activity.

Terms to Know behavioral-change stairway regular physical activity or exercise moderate physical activity or exercise vigorous physical activity or exercise

Guidelines for Getting Started Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today. This is a good motto for someone who has made a commitment to become and stay personally fit.

Setting Fitness Goals Here are some guidelines for setting fitness goals: Make a contract with yourself to show your commitment to improving your personal fitness. Make a list of goals that are both reasonable and specific. Make a schedule of your fitness activities that fits in with your other obligations and responsibilities. Be patient: begin slowly and progress gradually. Enjoy it. Make it social experience by participating with others in a variety of activities that you like doing.

Setting Fitness Goals Choose a fitness program that will be effective and safe. Choose a variety of activities and consider safety.

Behavioral-change stairway Setting Fitness Goals Behavioral-change stairway A step-by-step approach for helping people achieve their fitness goals. Term to Know One approach that has helped many people achieve and maintain overall fitness is the behavioral-change stairway.

Setting Fitness Goals The steps in the behavioral-change stairway are: Not thinking about being personally fit Thinking about being personally fit Planning on becoming personally fit Starting to become personally fit Maintaining personal fitness behaviors Relapse or stopping of personal fitness behaviors

Setting Fitness Goals Beginning to Climb Moving from Step 1 (not thinking about fitness) to Step 2 (beginning to think about fitness) requires a conscious effort.

Setting Fitness Goals Planning Your Journey At Step 3 (planning on becoming personally fit), you develop your game plan, including setting goals and a realistic schedule.

Setting Fitness Goals Staying on Track Step 4 of the journey (starting to become personally fit) is the point where some people begin to slide back.

Setting Fitness Goals Staying at the Top Once you reach Step 5 (maintaining personal fitness behaviors), your goal should be to stay there. If you have a relapse, get back into a regular routine as soon as possible.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines The harder you work, the greater the rewards to your health and fitness. As a teen, you should strive to do a minimum of 225 minutes of activity or exercise per week. Adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes per week.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines Regular physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise performed most days of the week, preferably daily. Term to Know Fitness experts have devised these three ratings: Regular physical activity or exercise 5 or more days of the week if moderately intense activities are done. 3 or more days per week if vigorous activities are done.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines Moderate physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise that ranges in intensity from light-to-borderline-heavy exertion Term to Know Fitness experts have devised these three ratings. Moderate physical activity or exercise Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, and cycling on level terrain.

Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines Vigorous physical activity or exercise Any activity or exercise that ranges in intensity from heavy-to-maximum exertion. Term to Know Fitness experts have devised these three ratings. Vigorous physical activity or exercise Examples include jogging, shoveling snow, high-impact aerobics, swimming continuous laps, cycling uphill.

Jump Starting Your Personal Fitness Program Remember these tips when you start your personal fitness program: Begin your conditioning program at a low-to-moderate level. Gradually increase this level over a period of several weeks to reduce injury risks. Start with the cardiovascular and flexibility components. Add the muscular strength and endurance components later.

Vocabulary What is the behavioral-change stairway? Lesson 4 Review Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 3. Recall Teens should perform five or more days a week of moderate, and three or more days of vigorous, physical activity. 2. Recall Not thinking about fitness, and relapse. 1. Vocabulary A step-by-step approach for helping individuals achieve their fitness goals. Vocabulary What is the behavioral-change stairway? Recall Between which two steps does the behavioral-change stairway descend? Explain. Recall How often should teens perform regular physical activity?

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