1. Exercise Tips for “FITT-ness”
Remember aerobics is exercise of moderate intensity and extended duration. If the exercise becomes so difficult that you are forced to stop, it is not aerobic.
Any exercise can be aerobic if it meets the “FITT” characteristics.
Aerobics is the most efficient means of weight management through the elevation of one’s metabolism.

2. Remember “FITT”
F= FREQUENCY. Must be a minimum of 3 days per week. As much as 5 days can be helpful.
I=Intensity. Low fitness level:60% of max heart rate
Average:70% of max heart rate
High: 80-85% of max heart rate
T=Time. A minimum of minutes (for some exercises) nonstop.
T=Type. Any aerobic activity that keeps heart rate within your target heart rate zone is good.

3. Aerobics and Weight Management
Diets alone DON’T Work!
Many Studies have demonstrated that strict dieting alone causes as much or more loss of lean body weight (muscle) than fat! It is possible to lose the “weight” but be in worse shape than before you began dieting!

4. Two Major benefits of Aerobic exercise:
1. Control of appetite
2. Elevation of body metabolism.
Light exercise: several minutes
Heavy exercise: several hours
Prolonged, exhaustive exercise: hours
“The critical factor in breaking out of the cycle (of off-again on-again dieting) is not diet. It’s exercise.”

5. MYTH: Sit-ups can flatten stomachs
Fact: Sit-ups can strengthen abdominal muscles, but will not reduce observable fat. The whole idea of spot-reducing is, in fact a myth. The most effective way to lose weight is to decrease caloric intake and do aerobic exercise.

6. Resting Heart Rate
The resting heart rate is at most a crude indication of the type of shape your heart is in, varying considerably among individuals, sometimes despite their fitness. Generally, however, persons with fit hearts have slower, stronger, heavier, and thus more efficient hearts.

7. Resting Heart Rate
With regular (aerobic) exercise you should see a decrease in RHR of 1 beat per minute every two weeks for the first weeks of your exercise program as the heart increases in volume and weight.

8. Exercise Precautions If in doubt always consult your doctor first.
Watch out for pain, swelling, constant fatigue, rapid weight loss, nausea, etc.
Don’t exercise when ill.
After an illness, start again slowly.
Wear proper equipment and support.
It is better to exercise before a meal than right after. Allow about 2 hours between exercise and your last meal.

9. Warm-up first.
Cool down…(5-10 minutes, especially before a hot shower.)
Rubber or Plastic suits should not be used.
Watch out for “overtraining,” generally recognized by an elevated morning pulse rate for several days, or by an injury.

10. Five components of Fitness
1. Muscle Strength is the amount of force that a muscle can apply in a given contraction. 2. Muscle Endurance is the ability of the muscles to keep working over a period of time.

11. 3. Cardiorespiratory Endurance is the ability of your heart, blood vessels, lungs and blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all of your body’s cells while you are being physically active.

12. 4. Flexibility is the ability of the joints to move through their full range of motion. 5. Body Composition refers to the ratio of lean body tissue (muscle and bone) to body-fat tissue.

13. Total Fitness is based on these Seven factors:
Flexibility- ability to move the joints of the body easily and smoothly when you bend, twist and stretch.
Coordination- entire body is working smoothly. Practice improves coordination.

14. Equilibrium-ability to balance yourself easily if your body begins to sway or lean in one direction.
Speed-how fast your body parts can move.
Agility-reacting quickly with fast sure movements, dodging.

15. Strength- ability to push, pull and lift heavy objects.
Endurance-ability to stand up to stress (physical) for long periods of time. Most important factor for over all fitness.
You can have all other six factors but without endurance, you can still be physically unfit!