Chapter 4: Exercise Concepts and Fitness Education

What is Fitness Education?

Fitness education is a component of movement education

Contributing to the Development of a Physically Educated Person

HAS learned skills necessary to perform a variety of physical activities

HELP - FITNESS GOALS

H for Health
E for Everyone
L for Life
P its Personal

NAASPE National Association for Sport and Physical Education

Fitness education includes the why and how of physical activity, physical fitness, and exercise

Fitness education emphasizes the importance of State Standards 3 and 4:

3. Assess and maintain a level of physical fitness to improve health and performance
4. Demonstrate knowledge of physical fitness concepts, principles and strategies to improgve
health and performance

Wellness & Health

Physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity

Wellness

A holistic term encompassing emotional, spiritual, mental, social, and physical wellness

Health Promotion

The science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health

Fitness Education Goals

Provide opportunities for ample physical activity at school

Encourage physical activity during non-school hours

Promote physical activity in a way that students will exhibit a physically active lifestyle and maintain a
health enhancing level of physical fitness

Role of the Classroom Teacher as a Fitness Educator

The classroom teacher will engage their students in physical activity whenever possible during the
school day so as to develop behaviors that encourage children to be active

Use data from formative (at the beginning), and summative (at the end) assessment strategies as well
as on-going progress monitoring (throughout the year) to measure and record student progress

Health-related fitness
4 COMPONENTS OF FITNESS

FLEXIBILITY- range of motion

STRENGTH- Muscular strength/endurance

ENDURANCE (Aerobic Capacity)- Cardio-respiratory function,

BODY COMPOSITION-Height & weight

A quality program will address each of these components. They are assessed through Fitness Testing.
The Musculoskeletal System
Muscular Strength

Defined as the ability to create a large amount of force at one time

Example: pull-up, tug of war

Muscular Endurance

Defined as the ability to perform a contraction repeatedly

Example: abdominal curl

Flexibility

Defined as the ability of a limb or body part to move through its complete range of motion

Example: stretching

The Bodys Composition

Mesomorph: muscular

Ectomorph: thin, slight of build

Endomorph: rounded body type, may be plump

PICTURE
Defined as the relationship of body fat to lean body weight

Lean body weight = weight of the nonfat components of the body, made up of muscle mass and bone

Improving body composition

Exercise increases muscle mass and decreases body fat

Improved nutrition, reducing fat and refined sugars in the diet

Physical Fitness & Physical Activity

Defined as a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical
activity

Physical Activity

Defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles which results in energy expenditure
above the resting level

Physical Activity vs. Exercise

Defined as physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposive, in the sense that
improvement or maintenance of physical fitness is an objective

A well-conditioned heart will work more efficiently and will release more blood per beat causing the
heart rate to be slower.

Physical Activity vs. Exercise

Goal = exercise at a moderate intensity for 2030 minutes, 34 times per week

Children: Physically active, play

Goal = accumulate 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity during most days of the week

Implementing Fitness Education

Overload: To improve fitness you must do a little more work than you are accustomed to

Specificity: Exercise must be specific to the type of training that will be done

Progression: Gradually increasing the workload during a training session so that overtraining does not
occur

Implementing Fitness Education MVPA (assessed as VO2 max - Oxygen consumption during exercise)

Warm up: (50-60% MHR) Prepares the body for activity by increasing the heart rate which increases
blood flow to the muscles (stretching, jogging in place, etc)

Activity: (60 85% MHR) Participation in a variety of activities that increase and maintain aerobic
activity (running, soccer, swimming, etc.)

Cool down: (50-60% MHR) Gradually decreasing the intensity of exercise

Implementing fitness activities

Games should be designed so that players are not out very long; students must be back in as soon
as possible (example: limit waiting)

Avoid elimination games

Games and activities must fit each childs developmental level and be appealing (example: heart rate
games)

Emphasize the role that physical activity has in a childs life

Create and design opportunities for activity for the children (example: participation points)

Role of the Classroom Teacher as a Fitness Educator

The classroom teacher can play an important role in helping children remain healthy and fit

The classroom teacher will ideally serve as a positive role model and express positive attitudes toward
fitness and physical activity

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Diabetes- assists with Type II & insulin levels

Obesity-burns calories, modifies body composition (fat & muscle)

High cholesterol: HDL levels increased; LDL levels decreased

Hypertension (high blood pressure): reduces plaque in arteries and reduces stress

Smoking: Improves lung capacity, cardiorespiratory function, and reduces stress

Sedentary Lifestyle (inactivity): Healthy Lifestyle!

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Risk factors that can be improved through a healthier lifestyle

Include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and inactivity

Non-modifiable

Risk factors that cannot be changed

Include age, sex, race, and family history

FITNESS GRAM Fitness Assessment

Fitness gram was created in 1982 by The Cooper Institute to provide an easy way for physical
education teachers to report to parents on children's fitness levels.

Students are assessed in these areas of health-related fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength,
muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

Scores are evaluated against objective criterion-based standards, called Healthy Fitness Zone
http://www.fitnessgram.net/history/#advboard
The FG2010 standards classify children into three zones:

Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ)

Needs Improvement

Needs Improvement Health Risk (in BMI and VO2)

Analysis of findings was conducted to find levels of body fatness (BMI) and aerobic capacity (VO2 max) that are
associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. .

A person is considered to have Metabolic Syndrome if they have three of the five conditions:

High blood pressure

High fasting glucose

High waist circumference

High triglycerides

Low HDL cholesterol