1. How Much is Enough?
How much physical activity is needed to produce health benefits, and how much is too much?

2. Overload Principal
A basic principal that specifies that you must perform physical activity in greater than normal amounts to get an improvement in physical fitness or health benefits.

3. Principle of Progression
Optimal benefits are achieved by gradually increasing the overload in exercise or physical activity.

4. Principal of Specificity
To receive benefits for a specific part of the body or for a specific fitness component, overload must be applied to an exercise specific to that fitness component or part of the body.

5. Principle of Reversibility.
Disuse or inactivity will result in a loss of the benetits achieved as a result of overload.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

6. Principle of Diminishing Returns
The more benefits you gain as a result of physical activity, the harder it will be to acheive additional benefits.

8. F.I.T.T. Frequency Intensity Time Type
How often (most benefits require 3-6 days per week)
Intensity
How hard (the level of intensity varies depending on the desired benefit)
Time
How long (most benefits require 15 minutes with longer times recommended for optimal benefits
Type
What exercise or activity (activities should be specific to the benefits desired)

9. References
Corbin, C.B., Lindsey, R., & Welk, G. (2000). Concept 4. In V. Malinee, & T.R. Musel (Eds.), Concepts of Physical Fitness: Active Lifestyles for Wellness (pp ). Dubuque, IA: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.