Improving Fitness Ms. Anne Wenstrom Mr. Jeff Simonson 8 th Grade Lesson

What is fitness? (Fitness Terminology, 2002). Definition: Good health or physical condition especially as a result of exercise.

Fitness Components (Fitness Terminology, 2002). Five fitness components to consider when designing a fitness plan: 1. Cardiovascular Endurance 2. Muscular Strength 3. Muscular Endurance 4. Flexibility 5. Body Composition

What is Cardiovascular Endurance? (Fitness Terminology, 2002). Definition: The ability of your heart to pump blood to muscles during exercise that is done for an extended period of time. Benefits: Improves cardiovascular and respiratory systems, decreases resting heart rate, maintains caloric balance, decreases stress, and lowers blood pressure. Examples: Running, biking, swimming, rollerblading, aerobic class, and basketball.

How do you improve your Cardiovascular Endurance? Recommendations from the Surgeon General’s Report (Surgeon General’s Report, online).  minutes of exercise  5+ days each week  Within your Target Heart Range

Do you know how to find your heart rate?

How Can You Find Heart Rate During Exercise? Find your Carotid Artery on the side of your neck. Feel the beats/pulses Count the number of beats for 6 seconds. Multiply that number by 10. What does that number mean to you?

How do you find your target heart rate?

Target Heart Rate (THR) (American College of Sports Medicine, 2002). 220 – your age = Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) Your Target Heart Rate Range is between 60% and 80% of your MHR. Formula: (MHR x.6) and (MHR x.8) Your goal is to exercise in your THR in order to improve your cardiovascular fitness.

What is Muscular Strength? (Fitness Terminology, 2002) Muscular Strength is the maximum force that can be generated by a muscle. The most common way of improving muscular strength is through weightlifting. Getting to the weight room 2 or 3 times a week will improve your muscular strength.

Muscular Strength (cont.) An important factor of weightlifting for muscular strength… High weight + Low reps = Gain in muscular strength Benefits: Strong muscle fibers and tendons, increase metabolism, maintain good posture, reduce fatigue, prevent injuries, prevent back problems.

What is Muscular Endurance? (Fitness Terminology, 2002). Muscular Endurance is being able to use the muscles for a long period of time. A common way of improving muscular endurance is also to weight lift. Much like muscular strength, getting to the weight room 2 or 3 times a week will improve your muscular endurance.

Muscular Endurance (cont.) An important factor of weightlifting for muscular endurance… Low weights + High reps = Gain in muscular endurance Benefits: increases metabolism, maintains good posture, maintains muscle tone, reduces fatigue, prevents injury, prevents back problems.

What is Flexibility? (Fitness Terminology 2002). Definition: The joints ability to move through a range of motion. A common way to improve flexibility is to stretch. Stretching is usually done as a warm-up and cool down activity to prevent injury.

Flexibility (cont.) What are the benefits of flexibility? Increases range of motion, reduces risk of injury, prevents and reduces muscle soreness, improves athletic performance, improves body awareness, and improves circulation.

What is Body Composition? (Fitness Terminology, 2002). Definition: The amount of muscle, bone, and fat in the body. Body Composition is mainly affected by cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular endurance.

Why be Physically Fit? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002) Nearly half of American youths aged years are not vigorously active on a regular basis. About 14 percent of young people report no recent physical activity. Inactivity is more common among females (14%) than males (7%) and among black females (21%) than white females (12%). Only 19 percent of all high school students are physically active for 20 minutes or more, five days a week, in physical education classes.

Statistics from the CDC (cont.) Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases. Daily enrollment in physical education classes dropped from 42 percent to 25 percent among high school students between 1991 and 1995.

Summary of Improving Fitness What are the five fitness components? What are 3 benefits of Cardiovascular Endurance? How do you find your Target Heart Rate? What the difference between Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance?

THE END

Works Cited: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). [Online]. Available: Fitness Terminology. (2002). [Online]. Available: 8fitterms.html 8fitterms.html Surgeon General’s Report. (2002). [Online]. Available: American College of Sports Medicine. (2002). [Online]. Available: