PE

NOTES
___

COMPONENTS OF EXERCISE TRAINING-CONCEPT NOTES

Three Components of Exercise

Which of the following are the most important for your health? Aerobics, strength training, or
stretching? Technically, you can say that it depends on what you're aiming to do. Maybe you
want to be Mr. Universe, ironman, the best runner at your city's marathon, or a rhythmic
gymnast. All are commendable, and all require at least some of all three components of
exercise we're going to be discussing.

Different Types of Stretching

Flexibility, the ability for joints to move through their normal range of motion, may be
improved through stretching, exercises designed to allow for the lengthening of a muscle.
Stretching is just one component of exercise programs for everyone from runners to tennis
players to even weightlifters.

Actually, there's more than one kind of stretch exercise that you can employ in order to try
and improve your flexibility, and we'll have time to discuss a couple of them in more detail
right now.

One of these is called static stretching. This is a type of stretch exercise where you hold a
position in place. It's easy to remember since the word static means that there's no
movement.

So, in static stretching, you may hold a certain position for about 10-30 seconds after
slowly lengthening the muscle to that position. Examples of static stretch exercises
include:

• Quadriceps stretch
• Groin stretch
• Hamstring stretch
On the opposite side of the spectrum of stretch exercises is something called ballistic
stretching. The word ballistic implies someone has gone crazy and is performing wild
movements quickly and repeatedly.

So, in ballistic stretch exercises, you forcefully stretch your muscles by doing something like
bouncing or bobbing up and down to touch your toes in multiple dips in quick succession.
This type of stretching, unlike static stretching, is more likely to lead to injury and isn't
recommended for all people.

Overall, though, the American College of Sports Medicine, recommends the following when it
comes to flexibility:

• Adults should perform flexibility exercises 2-3 days a week.

• A stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds at the point where there is a bit of
discomfort.

• Repeat the stretch 2-4 times, for a total of 60 seconds per stretch.

• Try to perform these exercises when the muscles are warm, such as after a hot
bath or after light aerobic activity.

Aerobic Exercises and Endurance

Speaking of aerobic activity, running, walking, bicycling, and swimming are some examples of
aerobic exercises, exercises that build cardiorespiratory endurance. Cardiorespiratory
endurance is defined as the ability to sustain high levels of energy for a long period of time
thanks to heart, lung, and blood vessel maintained supplies of oxygen and other nutrients.

That sounds a bit more complex than it really is. Think back to the time when you last ran.
Your heart rate increased, your breathing rate increased as well, and your pulse was jumping
out of your skin. This happened because the muscles you were using to run start begging for
energy.

To produce energy for movement during running,your muscles need lots of oxygen. Your
lungs inhale more oxygen as you breathe faster, your blood becomes filled with oxygen
thereafter, and your heart pumps this oxygen rich blood really quickly to the muscles that
were asking for it in the first place.
The reason aerobic exercises should be a component of your exercise program is
multidimensional. Aerobic fitness has been shown to:

• Increase aerobic capacity, a sign of the ability of the body to use oxygen effectively
during exercise. This capacity increases with exercise as your heart muscle becomes
stronger and works better with your lungs during exercise.

• Increase bone strength

• Control weight

• Help a person sleep better

• Release feel-good hormones

• Improve the immune system to ward off stuff like the cold and flu

Adults need a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, like brisk walking,per
week. Preferably this should be over the course of several days and each exercise session
should last at least 10 continuous minutes. The frequency, intensity, and duration should be
gradually increased to avoid risk of injury.

Strength Training
Other than stretching and aerobic exercises, another common component of an exercise
program is strength training, a physical activity that uses resistance to build muscle
strength. Strength obviously helps you lift more stuff. But muscular strength training goes
beyond

lifting heavy boxes when a neighbor you've talked to once in your life asks you to help them
move. (I hate when that happens!)
If your muscles are strong and healthy, they also help support your joints and help to build
strong bones. The obvious way to build strength is to lift weights, but you can also use
resistance bands in order to increase your strength if lifting weights isn't an option for you.

Although there is some variation for this with increasing age or medical conditions, in general it
is recommended that adults:
• Strength train the major muscle groups 2-3 days each week

• Perform 2-4 sets of each exercise

• For each set, do 8-12 repetitions to increase power and strength

• Wait 48 hours between each resistance training session

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Picture yourself working out. Are you lifting heavyweights? Stretching Your muscles?
Or maybe you're performing an activity that causes you to sweat and breathe hard that
makes your blood pump through your veins as it carries oxygen to your muscles to
keep you going. If you're performing this last activity, then you're engaging in aerobic
exercise.

Aerobic exercise is any physical activity that makes you sweat, causes you to
breathe harder, and gets your heart beating faster than at rest. It strengthens your
heart and lungs and trains your cardiovascular system to manage and deliver oxygen
more quickly and efficiently throughout your body. Aerobic exercise uses your large
muscle groups, is rhythmic in nature, and can be maintained continuously for at least
10 minutes.

Before going into the benefits of aerobic exercise, let's break down some key terms
we just mentioned. Cardiovascular system is made up of your heart and blood
vessels e.g., arteries, veins, and capillaries that transports blood throughout the
body. Aerobic refers to how your body uses oxygen to sufficiently meet energy
demands during exercise.
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
In addition to strengthening your heart and cardiovascular system, participation in
regular aerobic exercise has many health benefits. Aerobic exercise:

• Improves your circulation and helps your body use oxygen better

• Increases energy

• Increases endurance, which means you can work out longer without getting tired

• Helps reduce the risk of developing heart disease

• Helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes

• Helps reduce body fat

• Helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight

• Helps reduce stress, tension, anxiety, and depression

• Improves sleep

Examples of Aerobic Exercise

Physical activity such as walking, jogging, indoor cycling, or aerobic dancing are all
examples of aerobic exercise that strengthen the heart and lungs, therefore improving your
body's utilization of oxygen. For general health, aim for a 30-minute workout (or three
10-minute workouts per day) three to five days a week at moderate intensity. Moderate
intensity refers to an activity that will increase your breathing and get your heart beating
fast. You should be able to talk with ease during moderate intensity workouts, though trying
to sing would be more challenging.

For weight loss, gradually work up to 45 minutes or longer at moderate to vigorous intensity
five to six days a week, allowing for at least one day of rest a week. Vigorous intensity
refers to an activity that will have your heart beating quite a bit more than moderate
intensity workouts, and your breathing will be harder so saying more than a few words will
be difficult.

Walking is a great moderate intensity aerobic exercise. The beauty of walking is that it is
easy to do with minimal costs. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable
clothing,and places to walk: for example hiking trails, around your neighborhood, and on
rainy days, you can take your walk indoors and use a treadmill.

As with walking,jogging is an activity that is relatively simple to do without spending a lot

of money. However, it is important to purchase a pair of good running shoes that fit
comfortably and properly. Stick to loose fitting and lightweight clothes that allow your body
to breathe and move easily. Jogging is a vigorous activity, so if you are new to jogging you
may want to begin by walking for three or four minutes and then jogging for one. As you get
stronger, you can begin to increase the lengths of the jogging intervals.

Indoor cycling is a group exercise class performed on stationary bikes. During the class, the
instructor guides you through simulated flat roads, hill climbing, sprints, and races, while
you control resistance on your bike to make the pedaling as easy or difficult as instructed. It
is a fun, vigorous cardiovascular workout. The instructor, the people around you, and the
music help keep you motivated.

Aerobic dancing involves any kind of dance put to music and can include everything from
Zumba (a Latin-inspired dance aerobics) to hip­ hop dancing. A typical dance class usually
begins with a 5 to 10 minute warm-up, followed by a 20- to 30-minute aerobic routine, and
ends with a 5- to 10-minute cooldown.

Aerobic and Anaerobic

Before we can talk about developing aerobic endurance, we need to know what it is.
Aerobic refers to the use of oxygen in the body to produce energy. At low levels of exercise
intensity,low amounts of oxygen are needed to supply the necessary energy. You usually
aren't breathing heavily by just walking across the room,right?

As exercise intensity increases, the level of oxygen needed will also increase. Walking up steps
will make you breathe harder in order to take in more oxygen. At some point,the amount of
energy the body can produce using oxygen alone will not be enough. This is where anaerobic
energy kicks in,which uses fuel sources other than oxygen.

There are two potential problems with anaerobic energy. The first is that it creates lactic
acid, a substance that breaks down the fuel glucose and, in high concentrations, inhibits
muscle contraction. Secondly, this glucose is used up at a very rapid rate. If an athlete goes
above their aerobic threshold for too long,one of two things will happen: their muscles will
stop responding as quickly,or they will simply run out of fuel. Either one results in a dramatic
loss of performance, referred to as 'banking,' 'hitting the wall,' or 'blowing up'.
Defining Aerobic Endurance
Since endurance refers to the length of time that a specific work rate can be maintained,
aerobic endurance is the length of time that an athlete is able to maintain maximum
aerobic effort. It has been estimated that the body can only hold enough fuel to work at
maximum aerobic capacity for somewhere between 90 minutes and 120 minutes.
Maintaining this level of effort longer than that is possible, but requires refueling along the
way. However, only elite athletes are able to maintain such intensity for that long. The rest
of us don't have the aerobic capacity or muscular endurance to do so.

Increasing Aerobic Endurance

There are two ways to increase aerobic endurance: increasing the duration of the efforts or
increasing the intensity level if the athlete is below their aerobic threshold. Let's take a look
at how to develop these skills.

The first way to increase aerobic endurance is to increase the duration. Imagine that a
runner is able to comfortably maintain a pace of eight minutes a mile for three miles. One way
to increase the aerobic endurance would be to increase the duration of the effort,up to,
say,four miles. Keeping the same pace but adding the extra mile will increase the duration.

The second way to increase aerobic endurance is to increase the intensity by upping the
pace and lowering the duration. The runner could cover the same distance at a slightly faster
pace and still be within their aerobic capacity to reach this goal;three miles at a 7:45 pace, for
example.
Safety and Aerobic Endurance
It's important to stay safe when increasing aerobic capacity. There are laboratory tests to
determine whether you're maintaining safe levels, but they are expensive and
time-consuming. There are also published charts and formulas that can be useful in
estimating appropriate running times for various distances. The easiest indication in most
cases is going to be the breathing rate of the athlete and how the athlete can speak.

When at aerobic capacity, an athlete will be breathing harder than normal but will still be
able to talk in short sentences. When an athlete is well below aerobic threshold, they can
speak in a regular conversational pace. On the contrary, when an athlete is above aerobic
capacity, the demonstrate labored breathing or answers that are only one or two words long.

In order to be safe, short sentences are ideal because they suggest an oxygen supply that's
limited, but not critically. Also, athletes should always be hydrated when attempting to
increase endurance. Signs of dehydration include dizziness, a sudden, intense headache, and
dry mouth.

Muscular Endurance
What is muscular endurance? This references how long muscles can sustain continued
contractions during resistance exercise. When someone trains regularly, they can
increase their muscular endurance so that they are able to exercise for longer periods of
time.
• Ex: The first time someone goes on a jog, they may only be able to go half of a
mile before needing a rest, but after a month of jogging every day, they may be able
to jog two miles before needing a break. This is due to their increased muscular
endurance.

Muscular endurance is built through endurance training. This triggers the production of
mitochondria in slow-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are responsible for
maintaining contractions over a long period of time through aerobic respiration, which
uses mitochondria to produce energy for the muscle tissue.

• Endurance training also increases the levels of myoglobin in the muscle

cells so that they can store more oxygen for the mitochondria to utilize.

• In addition, it can trigger the formation of more capillaries around the muscle
through angiogenesis to bring oxygen and remove waste more efficiently.
 o To maintain this efficiency, muscles typically do not increase in mass
much with endurance training so that the capillaries can reach all of the tissue.

Muscular Endurance Importance

Improving muscular endurance can enhance sports performance since athletes will be able to
maintain their energy and power for longer periods of time. However, this may lead some to think
that muscular endurance is not important to them if they do not want to run a marathon or play a
sport, which is not true. Muscular endurance is relevant in many areas outside of sports training.

Endurance, or lack thereof, can influence the ease with which one takes the stairs when the
elevator is broken or walks to the bus stop. It can reduce the risk for injury, improve confidence in
movement, and also have significant impacts on health, including:

• Helping maintain a healthy weight

• Increase bone strength

• Improve cardiorespiratory health

• Bettering metabolism health

• Reduce overall fatigue

• Improve sleep
• Help improve mental health

Running is a popular way to train muscular endurance since it uses many muscles of the
body

Training for muscular endurance can help the body become healthier and make the person
feel better in many areas.

How To Increase Muscular Endurance

There are many ways to train and improve muscular endurance. The best regimen will
include multiple types of exercises to create well­rounded endurance. Over-training injust
one area can increase the risk for injury; it will be less effective over time than employing
a variety of approaches.

Cardiovascular training (also called 'cardio') is a popular way to increase muscle

endurance. This may include running, bicycling, swimming, walking,or using an elliptical
machine or other cardio equipment. These types of exercises are good because they
use many muscle groups together. Incorporating a variety of these exercises so that
each day is something different can be helpful for more well­rounded endurance, and
can also reduce the risk of injury.

• Ex: Running every day can cause shin splints and knee problems, but running
some days and swimming or bicycling other days can reduce stress on the bones
and joints.

Resistance training, or exercising using added weights, is also a good way to improve
muscular endurance. For endurance training specifically, people should opt for lower
weights and higher repetitions with shorter rests between sets, rather than trying to lift
very heavy weights a few times. Even bodyweight exercises, or those without added
weights, can be helpful and do not require a gym or weights.

• Circuit training is a good method that utilizes rotating through various

resistance exercises that work different muscles to shorten rest times
without over-stressing any one muscle.

• Combining resistance training with cardio is usually better than employing

one or the other alone when it comes to overall health.

• While it is encouraging to see progress when regularly performing the

same exercises, it is important to not train the same muscles with the same
exercises every day.

• Rest is an important part of muscle growth and health.

When starting any new workout plan, it is important to get advice from a doctor and/or
exercise professional to reduce the risk of injury. It is also important to start small and
increase the length, weight, and intensity over time to reduce the risk of injury, rather than
trying to jump into training every day with intense workouts right away.
Assessment
Muscle endurance can be tested in different ways depending upon what muscles are being
assessed. It is a good idea to get a baseline before starting an exercise program to help in
tracking progress. Some examples of endurance tests can be found below:

• Push-up test for upper body endurance: Do as many push-ups as possible before
breaking good form, or within a certain time length, and record that number

• Running endurance: Run or jog for as long as possible before needing a rest, record
the distance and/or time

• Plank test for abdominal endurance: Hold a plank position for as long as possible,
record the time before breaking form

Other exercises can be used to test muscular endurance in the same way. Endurance will
vary for everyone,so it is better to track personal progress and compare to previous
personal records (PR) rather than competing with others.

Muscular Strength

What does muscular strength mean? This is a different measure than endurance; this refers
to the amount of force the muscles can generate at one time, rather than a measure of how
long the muscles can maintain that force. People can increase their muscle strength so that
they can lift or move heavier weights. This characteristic of muscles also corresponds more
with muscle size than endurance, so those looking for a more muscular physique may train
muscle strength more.

• Ex: The first time they attempt a deadlift, a person may only be able to lift 100 lbs
(-45 kg); after strength training for a month, they may be able to lift 145 lbs (-66 kg).

Muscular strength depends more on fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for
short-term powerful movements, which use anaerobic respiration to produce energy.
 Fast-twitch fibers are larger and can generate much more force than slow-twitch fibers, but
they fatigue much more quickly. Strength training increases the formation of myofibrils, a
type of structural protein in the muscles that thickens the fibers and makes the muscles
larger.

This type of training also increases the development of connective tissues and tendons,
which further raises the muscle mass and force that it can produce.

lifting weights is a good way to train muscular strength

Muscular Strength Importance

Strength can be helpful in doing everyday things as well as working out in the gym. When people
think of strength training,they may envision big bodybuilders lifting giant barbells, but that is not
always how it looks. For example, physical therapy typically works on building muscle strength after
injury or improving function and reducing pain. Strength is needed for opening heavy doors,
standing up from a sitting position (especially on the floor), carrying groceries, and more.

Improving muscular strength has impacts on much more than just gym performance. Just a few of
the beneficial effects are:

• Posture improvements (if training is balanced)

• Reduced joint pain

• Increased stability, balance,and coordination

• Promotion of healthy sleep

• Increased metabolism

• Injury prevention

Strength training can benefit people in many ways and does not always mean bulking up.

How To Increase Muscular Strength

Strength training looks different from endurance training in a couple of ways. For one thing,
cardio is much less important for building strength (this is not to say that it should be left out of
the exercise regimen, because it has many benefits!). And strength training will involve more
weight and have less emphasis on repetition.

Resistance training is the best way to build muscle strength. Bodyweight exercises are good,and
a great place to start, but adding weight is a good way to increase the intensity of exercises
without adding repetitions. Training to increase strength typically involves heavier weights, fewer
repetitions, and longer breaks in between for the fast-twitch fibers to recuperate.

• Squats, bicep curls, planks, deadlifts, and other exercises like this are good for
targeting muscles and increasing their strength.

• Especially as weight is added, form is VERY important in training like this to prevent
injury.

• Rest days are vital for muscle recovery; otherwise, growth and strength will be slowed.

• Eating lots of protein is important when regularly strength training so that the muscles
can produce new tissue.

Assessment

Measuring muscular strength will look somewhat similar to assessing endurance in that it is
good to determine a baseline before starting a new exercise program to compare progress
and PR's along the way. Some examples of standard tests include:

• One-repetition maximum tests (1-RM): Attempt to perform one rep of an

exercise with as much weight as possible without sacrificing form; record that
weight

• Five-repetition maximum test (5-RM): Attempt 5 reps of an exercise with as much

weight as possible with good form, record that weight

For safety purposes, it is VERY important to have a spotter present when attempting a
maximum weight. It is also wise to consult with an exercise professional to ensure that form
is correct. There are also tools like the cable tensiometer (which uses a cable that can read
tension) or a dynamometer (which uses a spring to measure compression) to determine the
amount of force a muscle is exerting.These tools can be used to assess maximum strength
without as much of a risk of injury.

Muscular Endurance vs. Muscular Strength

Muscular strength and endurance are similar and often are correlated, but they have some
distinct differences that are important to note:
 Muscular Endurance Muscular Strength

Determines how long muscle contraction can Determines how much force the
be supported muscles can exert

Dependent upon slow-twitch muscle fibers Depends on fast-twitch muscle fibers

Uses aerobic respiration Uses anaerobic respiration

Lighter weight, more reps, shorter breaks Heavier weight, fewer reps, longer
breaks

Muscles stay smaller for efficiency Increases muscle mass

Muscular endurance and strength are both different for every muscle,so training the biceps
by doing dumbbell curls will not increase endurance or strength in the triceps.Training and
its effects mentioned above impacts the muscles directly, so a variety of exercises would be
needed to build all-around endurance.

• Which type of training is best for each individual will vary based on their goals
and weaknesses.

• Almost always,some combination of both will yield the greatest health benefits.

Workout fads come and go. New ways to lose weight and gain strength are always being
touted as the latest,greatest thing.Most are gimmicky and expensive. There are many things
that you can do at home or with limited gym equipment to build strength and muscular
endurance.

Muscle Strength & Endurance

Muscular strength and endurance might sound similar, and they are, but to achieve them
both you have to approach them with slightly differing mentalities. Muscular strength is
the ability to exert the maximum amount of weight or force possible in a short span of time.
An example of muscular strength is the classic gym stereotype of someone lifting a heavy
weight 6-10 repetitions each time.

Muscular endurance is the ability to repeatedly perform an activity for a longer

period of time. For example, 15-30 repetitions per exercise. Endurance taxes your
muscles because of the extended time and repetition. Think smaller weights and more
repetitions. Muscular strength taxes your muscles because of the heavy weight
involved. Think heavy weights and fewer repetitions.

Now for those of you who may not be up to date on your gym lingo, a rep, or repetition, is
how many times you perform an exercise. A set is how many times you repeat that particular
number of reps. For instance, if someone was bench pressing, they might lift 185 lbs. for 10
repetitions. However, they may perform this exercise as a set 4 different times, taking a short
break between each set.

Balance & Benefits

Both muscular strength and muscular endurance are essential for being physically fit. A fit
individual is one who has achieved success in terms of both endurance and strength. In some
cases people train in one area, but not another. As with most things in life, the key is balance.

Extreme examples of muscular strength can be found on television, say on ESPN, in a

powerlifting or strongman competition. In these types of competitions, you'll typically see
very large, barrel chested men lifting huge boulders or cars; ridiculous amounts of weight in a
short period of time, with very few reps. By comparison, in CrossFit games, the competitors
are still lifting weights, but not boulders or cars. Instead, they're doing handstand push-ups
and pull-ups and cleans. However, they're not simply performing 5 reps. Instead, they're
performing them for 20,30, and 50 reps each,over multiple sets. This is an extreme example of
muscular endurance.

Strength Template

As a basic and generic template, activities for someone looking to build muscular strength
would involve heavier weights and fewer reps. One of the quickest ways to build strength is
to utilize more complex moves that work every muscle at once. A bench press is an effective
strength builder, but there are better alternatives. Complex movements such as a clean and
press, squats, and deadlifts all address the major and minor muscle groups in one exercise.
In short, Olympic lifts are the name of the game when working to build strength quickly. Not
that our other classic gym exercises aren't any good. Bench presses, shoulder presses,
pull-ups, push-ups,and curls are all effective movements that, if utilized correctly, will result
in significant gains.

To work on muscular strength, use any of the previously mentioned movements. Choose a
weight that's heavy but not so heavy that you'll hurt yourself. Aim for at least 3-4 sets
(minimum) resting 60-90 seconds between sets. Each set should have no more than 10
repetitions. Athletes and personal trainers typically recommend a minimum of 4 repetitions.
Remember to choose a weight that you can lift 4-8 times; one that's fairly heavy. Just because
you can lift a huge weight once, doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good strength building
workout.

Ifyou don't have access to weights and weight lifting equipment, you'l l have to alter your
workout accordingly. Think outside of the box and try to lift your body or objects around or
outside the house, like cinder blocks, rocks, and tires. For example,you can do push-ups
using a 1-2 count,down and up. Pull-ups can be accomplished using any sort of a straight
bar. Body weight exercises are a good choice for beginners, as they often find it challenging
to do a movement usingjust their bodies. Handstands (against a wall if need be) followed by
a push up,pull-up, push-ups, and squats can help to increase body strength.

Endurance Template

As with muscular strength, let's start with a generic template for endurance. High repetitions
with lower weights are an excellent starting point. If you have access to a gym,feel free to
complete any routine gym exercises. Instead of 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps, aim for at least 4-5 sets
of 15-20 reps. Exceeding that range will increase your endurance. Weight isn't as big of a
factor as keeping your muscles going until exhaustion.

Body weight exercises are an excellent alternative when you don't have access to gym
equipment. However,you'll need to do them for an extended period of time. For example,
50-100 instead of 1O push-ups.

One of the points of endurance training is to tax your body for as long as you possibly can.
This occurs when the heart rate is up, providingyou with a cardiovascular as well as a
muscular endurance workout. Activities include boxing,martial arts, running, or even a
recreational sport such as baseball or soccer. Many gyms offer classes that will boost your
heart rate, thereby boostingyour endurance. If you don't have access to a gym, try a
cardiovascular or endurance-type workout available on a DVD.
Endurance workouts will also help to increase your muscular strength,albeit not as well as a
specific strength workout. But pushingyour muscles to their limit will increase your strength.

Flexibility is important notjust to athletes but also to everyday people. In this lesson, you'll
learn what flexibility is, as well as certain things you can do to help improve your flexibility
no matter how old you are.

Flexibility: Definition
Have you woken up in the morning feeling stiff? In other words, your body just didn't
move right? Instead, it felt rigid and tense. This is because your flexibility was limited; in
other words, the range of motion of your joints and muscles. You know those people at
the circus who can fold themselves in half? They're really flexible! That level of flexibility
is not only pretty uncommon, but also unnecessary in daily life.

However, improving your flexibility will not only make getting out of bed in the morning
easier, but also make you feel better when engaging in other activities as well, such as
lifting and pulling things, or just walking down the street. And if you're into physical
fitness, then flexibility is definitely something that you should be aware of and work to
improve. Running, throwing a ball, jumping, twisting, turning, and even stopping quickly
all require good flexibility. And the more flexible you are, the less likely you are to get
injured.

Use of Stretching
One of the best ways to improve your flexibility is through stretching. Stretching is often
seen as a warm-up or cool-down activity, but adding stretching exercises to your daily
exercise routine is actually pretty important. Stretching won't lengthen your muscles any
more than pulling on your legs will make your bones longer. However, it does increase
blood flow and train your joints to better run through their full range of motion.

For example, if you try to open a rusty hinge, you’ll find that it's difficult to do because it's
not able to perform that type of movement. But if you grease up that hinge and get rid of
the rust, it'll move more easily and perform that type of movement more freely.
There are lots of ways to stretch your muscles, but there are some things to keep in
mind for effective stretching. First, make sure you stretch both sides evenly. Second,
stretch enough to feel it but not so much that it hurts, and then hold that stretch for about
30 seconds. The stretch should also be a smooth, not a bouncy, movement. Stretching
can also be tailored to your specific activity, such as jogging or kickboxing.

There are lots of games that are designed to stretch your muscles and improve flexibility
as well,like the limbo. While having fun trying to walk under the stick, you're also
stretching your back and hips!

Flexibility Exercises
Strengthening exercises are another good way to improve your flexibility. Things like yoga, tai
chi, Pilates, and even resistance training, such as lifting weights, are all good ways to increase
flexibility while at the same time strengthening your muscles and bones and greasing up
those joints.

Yoga, which is an exercise of both mind and body, is an old practice. Our modern version of
yoga focuses on body postures that both stretch and strengthen specific muscle groups.
Because tai chi focuses on slow, steady movements of muscles and joints, it's often seen as
being very graceful. Like yoga, it helps to both strengthen and stretch specific muscle groups
at a time. Pilates, named for its creator Joseph Pilates, may be compared to calisthenics
because of its endurance component. Like the other exercises mentioned, Pilates also works
to strengthen and stretch the body, with an emphasis on the core of the body, including the
abs, back, and hips.

Resistance training is yet another way to improve flexibility that doesn't necessarily
involve lifting weights at the gym. For kids, climbing trees or swinging on the monkey bars
is an excellent method of strength training. Games like tug-of-war involve strength
training,though we doubt anyone will notice with all the fun that's being had! Digging holes
in the sand at the beach or helping with yard work will help strengthen and stretch the body.

For adults, strength training may include pumping iron. However, calisthenics,
gardening,and even just carrying equipment or groceries can help improve strength and
flexibility. While activities such as yoga and Pilates are helpful, if you can't find time to get
to the gym, everyday activities can help you maintain your stretching and exercise routine
throughout your daily life.
Assessing Flexibility
Have you ever watched an Olympic gymnast and marveled as she stretched her body like
a pretzel and performed amazing feats of athleticism? Many of us would like to be more
flexible, but we do not quite know how to measure our progress. In this lesson, you will
learn techniques and resources to assess your flexibility, including methods of
self-assessment.

Flexibility Defined
Flexibility is the quality of being pliant and able to bend without breaking. It is also the
ability to move body parts through a range of motions.

Why Measure Flexibility?

Here is an interesting and surprising fact. There is no general test to measure total body
flexibility. This is due to the makeup of the human body. In addition to the human trunk, the
arms and legs protrude from the sides with the head and neck moving in different
directions as well. Thus, flexibility must be measured in parts, breaking tests down into
upper and lower body tests. In fact, flexibility is for the most part joint specific, so you could
be very flexible in your shoulder region and not at all flexible in your hips or vice-versa,
which is a common complaint of golfers. One reason to measure flexibility is that
flexibility is literally required for efficient body movement. Secondly, flexibility may help
prevent and reduce pain in regions such as the dreaded lower back. Third, being flexible
may help prevent a serious injury. Part of the reason for the latter is that maintaining
flexibility can help the athlete better maintain balance since there is a connection between
the two.

Factors Affecting Flexibility

Gender
Who hasn't been amazed watching the television series, Survivor, as the women often
defeat the men in physical challenges involving muscular flexibility and muscular
endurance? As a general rule, women have been considered to be more flexible than
men, although there are some exceptions. The reason for this is two-fold. First of
all,women usually have longer, leaner muscles than men, and secondly,their muscles
tend to be more elastic.

Age
Most people lose flexibility as they age. One reason is that older people often tend to
exercise less per day, and another reason is due to a natural loss of soft tissue
elasticity as we age.

Posture
So many of us are hunched over laptops or peering down at handhelds playing
'Pokemon Go' that our flexibility is actually diminished.

Temperature
Have you ever played Frisbee on the beach and felt limber and loose or sat in the
stands during a cold football game and felt frozen stiff? There's science behind this.
Warming a joint to 113 degrees Fahrenheit increases ROM (range of movement) by
20 percent while cooling the same joint to 65 degrees Fahrenheit decreases ROM by
up to 20 percent.

Tests

The Sit and Reach Test

The sit and reach test may be the most well-known method of assessing lower
body flexibility. The subject sits on the floor with legs extended and bends forward
from the waist very slowly and as far as possible. A yardstick is then used to
measure the distance. There are many variations of this test, but the important factor
is that the subject does the measurement consistently about once a month so that
the results can be compared over time.

Accuflex Ill Shoulder Rotation Test

This test involves an aluminum bar placed at about head height behind the subject. The
arms are reached back behind the body and up at roughly a forty-five degree angle to grab
the bar. Afterward, a measurement is taken with built-in calipers that are sold with the bar.
A similar test can be done by simply using a towel, but it is much tougher to get an accurate
reading without the calipers. Therefore, using this method would mostly an estimate.

Trunk Rotation Test

This test only requires a pencil and a wall and measures both shoulder and trunk flexibility.
First, the subject marks a vertical line on a wall. Next, the subject stands at arms length from
the wall in front of the line with his back against the wall. He raises his arms up and out
parallel to the floor, sort of like Frankenstein, and then rotates to the right, touching the
wall without moving his feet. He marks that spot with a pencil. Last, the subject repeats
these steps to the left and again marks the wall.

Goniometer

The goniometer is an odd-looking device that appears to be a cross between a ruler, a

protractor, and a device a ship's captain might use. The circular section of the device is
placed at a joint such as the elbow, with the ruler sections running up and down the lower
and upper arm. After that, the angle of the elbow bend is read in degrees.
 Leighton Flexometer

The Leighton Flexometer is another bit of an odd looking device that works by being strapped
onto the client's limb. It has a weighted dial and a pointer, and the client's limb is moved
through a full range of movement as gravity helps measure the level of flexibility.

Thomas Test

This is a test r can tell you how much of an angle your knee and thigh are bent.

Back Scratch Test

This test is commonly used to test senior citizens. The subject places one hand over the right
shoulder and touches the back as far as possible with the palm touching the back.
Subsequently, the left-hand reaches around low and touches the back with the palm away
from the back. Next, he attempts to overlap fingers, and a spotter measures the overlap. This
is a bit awkward, so if any pain is felt, the test should be stopped immediately. Finally, the
scoring is done on a chart.

GYMNASTICS
● REFERS TO A SYSTEM OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE USED FOR THERAPEUTIC,
EDUCATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE PURPOSES.
● ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE AREAS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
● DEFINED AS A SELF-MOTIVATING ACTIVITY WHERE ONE CAN MANIPULATE
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY IN VARIED MOVEMENT.
● IT IS A COMPETITIVE SPORT IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS PERFORM OPTIMAL AND
PRESCRIBED ACROBATICS MOSTLY ON SPECIAL APPARATUS AND BODY CONTROL.

HISTORY OF GYMNASTICS

● GYMNASTICS TERM DERIVES FROM THE GREEK WORD “GYMNOS”, MEANING

NAKED.
● GYMNASTICS AS SPORT ACTIVITY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 2000 YEARS.
 ● IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST OLYMPIC SPORTS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE
ANCIENT , AS WELL AS THE MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES.

PHASES OF GYMNASTICS

● CONDITIONING PROGRAM
● RHYTHMIC GYMNASTIC
● STUNTS
● TUMBLING
● APPARATUS EXERCISE (HEAVY)
● PYRAMID BUILDING

BASIC POSITIONS IN GYMNASTICS

● CONDITIONING PROGRAM
● RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS
● STUNTS
● TUMBLING
● APPARATUS EXERCISE (HEAVY)
● PYRAMID BUILDING

STANDING POSITION

● FEET TOGETHER
● STRIDE POSITION
● LUNGE POSITION
● HALF-KNEE BEND
● FULL KNEES BEND

SITTING POSITION
● LONG SITTING
● HOOK SITTING
● LONG SITTING REST
● TUCK SITTING
● STRIDE SITTING
● SIDE SITTING
● HURDLE SITTING
● HEELS SIT
 ● CROSS SITTING
● FROG SITTING

KNEELING

● KNEELING
● STRIDE KNEELING
● HALF-KNEELING RIGHT OR LEFT
● KNEELING POSITION ONE LEG

LYING

● BACK OR SUPINE LYING

● FRONT LYING
● SIDE LYING
● HOOK LYING POSITIONS
● TUCK LYING POSITIONS

ADDITIONAL POSITIONS

● ARM SUPPORT POSITION

● FOUR BASED POSITION
● HAND POSITIONS
● ARM POSITIONS

DAILY CALORIC NEEDS

1. Calculate your BMR. The formula is as follows:

W=weight in kilograms

H=height in centimeters

A=age in years

Male: BMR=66.47 + (13.75x W) + (5.0x H) - (6.75x A)

Female: BMR= 665.09 + (9.56 x W) + (1.84 x H) - ( 4.67x A)

2. Determine the number of calories you use for these kinds of

physical activities.

For little or no exercise:

BMR calories x 0.2 = calories for physical activity

For light exercise, 1-3 days/week:

BMR calories x0.3 = calories for physical activity

For moderate exercise, 3-5 days/week:

BMR calories x 0.5= calories for physical activity

For hard exercise and sports activities every day:

BMR calories x 0.75 = calories for physical activity

3. Determine the calories that your body needs to digest food.

(BMR calories + calories for physical activity) x 10% = calories to

digest food

4. Calculate your total caloric needs per day.

Just add all the data you gathered from steps 1-3.

Your BMR calories + calories for physical activity + calories to

digest food = total calories you need per day

QUIZ ANSWERS

1. It is the amount of fat mass compared to lean mass. BODY COMPOSITION

2. Steffie stands 160 cm and weighs 60 kg. With the given variables in solving BMI, what is
the interpretation of her result? NORMAL WEIGHT
3. What is the acronym BMI stands for? BODY MASS INDEX
4. It is a hierarchy of food groups that shows their recommended daily servings. FOOD
PYRAMID
5. It is defined as the intake of nutrients derived from the diet to meet the nutritional
needs for all healthy persons. RDA
6. Type of vitamins needed for maintaining normal vision. VITAMIN A
7. Type of mineral required for preventing anemia and transporting oxygen in the
bloodstream. IRON
8. It aids in normal bowel movement; prevents constipation. FIBER
9. It is needed for growth and development of bones and muscle tissues. PROTEIN
10. Which of the following is a source of protein and can supply highly absorbable iron in
your diet?
11. Increased intake of food containing sugars, such as candy, soft drinks, ice cream and
cakes are needed for energy. FALSE
12. Increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, and root crops help correct micronutrient
deficiencies. TRUE
13. Regularly engage in physical activities to reduce body fat, which is associated with high
blood pressure
14. Carefully read food labels to ensure intake of high amounts of sodium in processed and
food snacks. FALSE
15. Excessive intake of salty food particularly in individuals has made them susceptible to
the risk of hypertension and heart disease. TRUE
16. What kind of personalized fitness program caters to an ectomorphic body type?
RESISTANCE TRAINING, STRENGTH TRAINING
17. What kind of personalized fitness program caters to an endomorphic body type? cardio
and strength training/ INTERVAL TRAINING
18. What kind of personalized fitness program caters to a mesomorphic body type? LIGHT
CARDIO AND MORE STRENGHT TRAINING
19. Which of the following body types is considered athletic and muscular? MESOMORPH
20. Which of the following descriptions characterizes an ectomorph body type? Small
shoulders, typically skinny, low body fat
21. Which of the following descriptions characterizes an endomorph body type? High body
fat, difficulty to lose weight, slow metabolism
22. What kind of training tips are suitable for an endomorph body type? Do cardiovascular
training to burn more fats
23. Which of the following body types would be most appropriate for an athletic swimmer?
MESOMORPH
24. Which FITT principle will be changed when you increase the length of a run from 1 mile
to 2 miles? INTENSITY
25. Why is it important to design a personal fitness training program? To cater to the
individual health and well-being of the person’s different body types.
26. What does the Frequency principle refer to? How often a person performs the targeted
physical activity.
27. Which of the FITT principle refers to the duration of effort invested in a training
program? TIME
28. The given choices below describes the physical, genetic predisposition to particular
physic, fat to muscle ratio, and stature. SOMATOTYPE
29. Write two (2) advantages of being an ectomorph. fast metabolism and gaining weight is
not a problem
30. Compute the total caloric needs per day of a 39 years old female who weighs 63 kg,
stands 5 feet and 3 inches, with light exercise. Show your solution.
BMR= 665.09 + (9.56 x W) + (1.84 x H) - ( 4.67x A)
= 665.09 + (9.56 x 63KG) + (1.84 x 160.02CM) - ( 4.67x 39)
= 1379.68
For little or no exercise:
1379.68 x 0.2 = 275.94
(BMR calories + calories for physical activity) x 10% =
(1379.68+ 275.94) x 10%= 165.56
1379.68+ 275.94 +165.56= 1821.18 calories per day

31. His coach advises Michael to improve his cardio-respiratory training by including
continuous running, walking, swimming, dancing, cycling, and aerobics. So, what is the
FITT principle being applied? TYPE
32. Why is it important to design an individualized fitness training program? To cater to the
individual health and well-being needs of the person’s different body types.
33. A certain job placement needs to hire flight attendants and fashion models who are lean
and well-balanced body built. What body type is the agency pick? ECTOMORPH
34. How will you describe a mesomorph person? Mesomorphs fitness goal easier to hit it,
and weight goes on and comes off easily.
35. What kind of training tips are suitable for an ectomorph body type? Heavyweight
training and weight-bearing exercises
36. Rey is training twice a week for his endurance and footwork. His trainer has instructed
him to increase the training straight from Monday to Friday in the following weeks.
Which principle of training is being applied? FREQUENCY
37. What is the BMI of a girl that weighs 70 kg and stands 185 cm? 20.45
38. Based on the given variables in number seven, what is the BMI interpretation of the girl?
NORMAL
39. Leo is 25 years old and weighs 60kgs, and stands 1.85m. He does sports activities every
day. What are his total caloric needs per day? 3171.86
40. How many calories does he need for doing sports activities every day? 1235.79
41. These foods represent carbohydrates-rich foods like rice, root crops, pasta, whole grains,
etc., that contain fibers and nutrients that lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Energy-giving
42. What statement below best describes the principle of reversibility? Losing fitness levels
when you stop exercising
43. What training principle states that to improve physical fitness, the body or specific
muscles must be stressed? Principle of specificity
44. What principle of training dictating that overload should be increased gradually during a
physical fitness program? Principle of progression
45. If a member of your family has hypertension, which of the nutritional guidelines will
you advise to help them manage their disease? Eating less saturated fat and total fat,
getting plenty of potassium, and limiting the amount of sodium in the diet.
46. You can get all the nutrients you need by eating one single food. FALSE
47. Eating disorders can put one’s health at risk. TRUE
48. Iron is an example of fat-soluble vitamin.FALSE
49. Fat should make up only 30% of your diet. TRUE
50. FITT is an exercise program where individuals can plan their fitness design according to
their needs. TRUE
51. Jogging is a type of FITT exercise. FALSE
52. Nutrients and other healthful substances do not make your body healthy. FALSE
53. For endurance athletes, what are the principal problems of producing energy in an
anaerobic fashion? lactic acid production and glucose consumption
54. Which of the following is NOT a recommendation for strength training? Only stretch
before workouts, not after.
55. Modern yoga focuses on _____ that both strengthen and stretch certain muscle groups.
BODY POSTURES
56. Which of the following would NOT be considered vigorous aerobic exercise? WALKING
57. It refers to the difference between maximal heart rate and resting heart rate. heart rate
reserve
58. To increase muscular strength, which would be the better choice (assuming the weights
for each choice are tough for the person)? Bench press 185 pounds 4-8x for 4 sets
59. Muscular endurance is best achieved by doing an exercise _____. For a longer period of
time
60. If you got 72 resting heart after multiplying it by 6, what's your resting heart rate then?
12
61. Which physical activity is NOT aerobic exercise? YOGA
62. This pulse is taken from the artery just beside the larynx. carotid pulse site
63. Why is stretching considered a good way to increase flexibility? It increases blood flow
to the muscles.
64. Why do people do aerobic activity? In order to be able to exert a lot of energy for a long
time.
65. If your joints can't move through their normal range of motion, what should you do?
STRETCH
66. Which is the most expedient way to tell if the athlete is performing near, but not above,
their aerobic capacity? how hard they are breathing
67. The cable tensiometer measures which one of the following? Muscle strength
68. What is meant by aerobic endurance? how long an athlete can perform at aerobic
capacity
69. Which of the following might be considered a resistance training exercise? Lifting
weights, Digging a Hole, Climbing a tree
70. The estimated maximal heart rate of an 18-year old male high school student. 202 bpm
71. What does aerobic refer to? How your body uses oxygen
72. Short bursts of lifting very heavy weights with low repetitions can be referred to as this
type of exercise. Muscular strength
73. Which of the following would be the best endurance-based workout? 50 push-ups
followed by 50 pull-ups nonstop
74. It refers to the pulse rate measuring techniques where you take it at the apex of the
heart. apical pulse site
75. Which of the following is TRUE about moderate intensity exercise? An activity that gets
you exercising hard, but you are still able to talk with ease
76. What is the difference between static stretching and ballistic stretching? Static
stretching is holding a pose for a while, whereas ballistic stretching is bouncing up and
down.
77. Which of the following is FALSE about the health benefits of aerobic exercise? Helps
increase muscle size
78. Pilates is compared to calisthenics because of its _____. endurance component
79. In which of the following devices does the athlete compress a spring to test muscular
strength? Dynamometer
80. Joan wants to build up her muscle mass. What should she do? Strength training
81. Which one of the following is NOT a way to test muscular endurance? Do one bench
press as heavy as possible.
82. The ability to contract muscles over a period of time is better known as _____. muscular
endurance
83. Pilates emphasizes which of the following? The core of the body
84. The pulse is taken from the artery at the wrist, in line wit the thumb. radial pulse site
85. What is the most accurate way to figure out an athlete's aerobic capacity? expensive
laboratory tests
86. The basic way to test muscular strength is with the 1-RM, which stands for which of the
following? One-repetition maximum
87. What are the two basic ways to change a workout to increase aerobic endurance?
increase the intensity OR the duration
88. When lifting for muscular strength, pick a weight that you can lift _____. 4-8 TIMES
89. What is the estimated maximal heart rate of a 30-year old? 190