Chapter 2 – Safe and Smart Physical Activity NASPE Standards: 2.1 - Getting Ready 2.2 – Physical activity and Injury

2.1 Getting Ready Objectives: Explain how to prepare yourself for physical activity. Explain how the environment affects physical activity. Explain how learning self-assessment helps you prepare for a lifetime of physical activity. In this lesson you will learn how to prepare yourself for physical activity. You will learn about self-assessments and how they can help you prepare for a lifetime of physical activity.

Medical Readiness Medical Exam - interscholastic sports (school) - help make sure it is safe for you to participate in vigorous activities Assessment of medical and physical readiness - questionnaires - fitness test A medical exam is recommended if you are going to participate in vigorous activity. Here at CCHS you must have a physical exam in order to play sports for the school. A medical exam simply helps to make sure that you are free of disease, such as heart problems, and that it is safe for you to participate.

Readiness for Extreme Environmental Conditions Heat related Cold related Environmental Understanding how environmental conditions can affect your body during exercise is important. By following some simple guidelines you can reduce the risk of developing some conditions.

Heat exhaustion- caused by excessive exposure to heat. Hot, humid weather causes your body temperature to rise more quickly than it can be cooled. Heat exhaustion- caused by excessive exposure to heat. Cold, clammy skin Profuse perspiration Tiredness, weakness Headache, cramps Nausea, dizziness Fainting Heat Stroke- caused by exposure to excessive heat. High body temperature (105*F or higher) Hot, red, dry skin Rapid, strong pulse May lose consciousness Excessive exposure to heat can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is more serious.

Guidelines to prevent heat-related conditions: Begin gradually – start with short periods of activity and gradually increase the time. Drink water – during hot weather your body perspires more to cool itself. Drink plenty of water to replace this water loss. Wear proper clothing – Wear light colored clothing that allows air to pass through. Rest frequently – physical activity creates body heat. Stopping to rest in the shade helps lower it. Avoid extreme heat and humidity – use caution when doing activity in hot environments, understand and use a heat index chart.

Using a heat index chart can help in deciding if the weather is too hot for outdoor exercise. You should do activity in the CAUTION zones (orange and red) only if you have adapted to hot environments.

Exercising in extreme cold Frostbite – body tissues become frozen. White or grayish-yellow, glossy skin Feel no pain Affected area feels very cold and numb Hypothermia – body temperature becomes abnormally low. Shivering Numbness Drowsiness Muscle weakness Confused/disoriented/ apathetic Exercising in cold, windy weather can be dangerous. Extreme cold can result in two conditions, frostbite and hypothermia.

Avoid extreme cold and wind Blowing wind makes cold air feel even colder. Understand and use a wind-chill chart. Exercising when the temperature is cold and the wind is blowing is especially dangerous because the air feels colder. You can use a wind chill chart to determine what the temperature feels like. If the wind chill factor is in the great danger zone you should postpone activity. If you are active when the wind chill factor is in the increasing danger zone, be sure to take precautions and be aware of frostbite and hypothermia symptoms.

Guideline to prevent cold-related conditions- Dress properly – wear several light weight layers of clothing, a cap, ski mask, and mittens as needed. Avoid ice or wet, and cold – ice or wet and cold pose special problems – shoes, socks, pant legs get wet, increasing the risk of falling.

Other Environmental Conditions Air pollution – high levels of air pollution can affect ability to breath. Avoid exercising when air pollution levels are high. Altitude – people who live in high altitude areas have little trouble, however if you are from a lower altitude area give your body time to adjust by exercising for short periods of time. (Snow skiing) Conditions other than weather, including air pollution and altitude can influence the effectiveness and safety of exercise.

Readiness for Self-Assessment Why do self-assessment Why do more than one self-assessment for each fitness part? Determining your current level of fitness. Learning to make your own assessments. Learning to rate each fitness part. Some assessments are better suited to some individuals than others. Some assessments are easy to do but may have more error. Having a choice of assessments may help you avoid some types of problems. Several assessments are usually better than one. STOP In this class we use the self-assessment called the FitnessGram to assess your current level of physical fitness. Self- assessments help determine how much health-related fitness you have.

2.1 Check for Understanding How does altitude affect exercise? symptoms of heat stroke? What precautions should be taken when getting ready to exercise in cold weather? What does it mean to be ready to exercise or participate in interscholastic sports? Why is it important?

2.2 Physical Activity and Injury Objectives: List and describe some exercise-related physical injuries. List some guidelines for preventing injuries during physical activity. Explain how to apply the RICE formula to the treatment of physical injuries. Identify different types of risky exercises. STOP

*Injuries* Over use injuries – occur when you do more activity than the body can handle - wear and tear occur on your body. (Common among long distance runners.) Blisters Shin splint Runner’s heel Side stitch – pain in the side common among people who do not exercise regularly. Not really an injury, because it usually goes away if you stop or slow down. Microtrauma – small invisible injury. Many adults experience problems caused by microtrauma done in their youth. Back problems Neck aches Stiff painful joints STOP

Preventing Injuries There are 206 bones in the human body. Joints where bones meet. Ligaments hold bones together. Tendons hold muscle to bone. Biomechanical Principals help you to use levers in your body (your bones) to move efficiently and avoid injury. To prevent injury: Start slowly Listen to your body Warm-up before activity and cool-down after Be fit! Use moderation Dress properly STOP

Simple Treatment of Minor Injuries *RICE Formula* R is for rest I is for ice C is for compression E is for elevate STOP

Risky Exercises - Hyperflexion and Hyperextension Flexion – decreases the angle between joints. Hyper-flexion exercises over stretch ligaments. Avoid: Deep knee bends Duck walk Hands-behind-the-neck sit-ups Extension – increases the angle between joints. Hyper-extension exercises over stretch tendons and muscles. Avoid: Straight-leg sit-ups Back bends Rocking horse Incorrect weight lifting Neck circles to the rear

2.2Check for Understanding What is the RICE formula? Explain. R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is a treatment for injuries. Rest: Reduce or stop using the injured area for 48 hours. If you have a leg injury, you may need to stay off of it completely. Ice: Put an ice pack on the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times per day. Use a cold pack, ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with crushed ice that has been wrapped in a towel. Compression: Compression of an injured ankle, knee, or wrist may help reduce the swelling. These include bandages such as elastic wraps, special boots, air casts and splints. Ask your doctor which is best. Elevation: Keep the injured area elevated above the level of the heart. Use a pillow to help elevate an injured limb. STOP

2. Unnoticed injuries that may be delayed for months or years are ____________. microtraumas ___________ connect muscle to bone. Tendons STOP