MODULE 2 CONCEPTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

1.1 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy
expenditure. ... Physical activity includes exercise as well as other activities which involve bodily movement
and are done as part of playing, working, active transportation, house chores and recreational activities.

More specific descriptors such as sedentary behavior, light, moderate, vigorous, or moderate-to-vigorous
should be used when talking about a specific range of intensities. Based on predominant physiologic effect,
physical activity can be categorized in to aerobic physical activity and anaerobic physical activity.

AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

Aerobic exercise is any type of cardiovascular conditioning or “cardio.” During cardiovascular conditioning,
your breathing and heart rate increase for a sustained period of time. Examples of aerobic exercise include
swimming laps, running, or cycling.

BENEFITS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE

Aerobic exercise can offer numerous benefits for your health, including reducing your risk of a heart
attack, type 2 diabetes Trusted Source, or a stroke Trusted Source.

Other benefits of aerobic exercise include:

 can help you lose weight and keep it off
 may help lower and control blood pressure
 may increase your stamina and reduce fatigue during exercise
 activates immune systems, making you less likely to get colds or the flu
 strengthens your heart
 boosts mood
 may help you live longer than those who don’t exercise

RISKS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE

Aerobic exercise can benefit almost anyone. But get your doctor’s approval if you’ve been inactive for a long
time or live with a chronic condition.
If you’re new to aerobic exercise, it’s important to start slowly and work up gradually to reduce your risk of an
injury. For example, start by walking 5 minutes at a time and add 5 minutes each time until you’re up to a 30-
minute brisk walk.

EXAMPLES OF AEROBIC EXERCISE

During aerobic activities, you’ll move large muscles in your arms, legs, and hips. Your heart rate will also go up
for a sustained period of time.

Examples of aerobic exercises include:

 jogging
 brisk walking
 swimming laps
 aerobic dancing, like Zumba
 cross-country skiing
 stair climbing
 cycling
 elliptical training
 rowing
Anaerobic exercises involve quick bursts of energy and are performed at maximum effort for a short time.
Examples include jumping, sprinting, or heavy weight lifting.
Your respiration and heart rate differ in aerobic activities versus anaerobic ones. Oxygen is your main energy
source during aerobic workouts.
During aerobic exercise, you breathe faster and deeper than when your heart rate is at rest. You’re maximizing
the amount of oxygen in the blood. Your heart rate goes up, increasing blood flow to the muscles and back to
the lungs.

During anaerobic exercise, your body requires immediate energy. Your body relies on stored energy sources,
rather than oxygen, to fuel itself. That includes breaking down glucose.

Your fitness goals should help determine whether you should participate in aerobic or anaerobic exercise. If
you’re new to exercise, you might want to start with aerobic exercises to build up endurance.
If you’ve been exercising a long time or are trying to lose weight quickly, add anaerobic workouts into your
routine. Sprints or high intensity interval training (HIIT) may help you meet your goals.

BENEFITS OF ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

Anaerobic exercise can be beneficial if you’re looking to build muscle or lose weight. It can also be beneficial if
you’ve been exercising for a long time, and are looking to push through an exercise plateau and meet a new
goal. It may also help you maintain muscle mass as you age.

Other benefits include:

 strengthens bones
 burns fat
 builds muscle
 increases stamina for daily activities like hiking, dancing, or playing with kids

RISKS OF ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

Anaerobic exercise can be hard on your body. On a 1 to10 scale for perceived exertion, high intensity
anaerobic exercise is anything over a seven. It’s not typically recommended for fitness beginners.

Get your doctor’s approval before adding anaerobic workouts to your routine. Work with a certified fitness
professional who can help you create an anaerobic program based on your medical history and goals.

For workouts like HIIT and weight training, a fitness professional can also demonstrate the correct exercise
techniques. Performing the exercises with proper technique is important for preventing an injury.

EXAMPLES OF ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

Anaerobic exercises are performed at maximum effort for a shorter period of time. Examples include:
 high intensity interval training (HIIT)
 heavy weight lifting
 calisthenics, like plyometrics, jump squats, or box jumps
 sprinting (while running, cycling, or swimming)

How often should you do aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise?

The American Heart Association recommends healthy adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity 3 days a week. You
can also add in strength training two times a week to round out your routine.

Anaerobic exercises can be taxing on the body. With a doctor’s approval and the help of a certified fitness
professional, anaerobic exercises can be added into your weekly exercise routine.
Perform anaerobic exercise like HIIT workouts no more than two or three days each week, always allowing for
at least one full day of recovery in-between.

Takeaway

Aerobic and anaerobic exercises can be beneficial for your health. Depending on your goals and fitness level,
you might want to start with aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, and strength training two to three
times a week.

As you build up endurance and strength, you can add in anaerobic exercises such as HIIT and plyometrics.
These exercises can help you gain muscle, burn fat, and increase your exercise stamina.

Before beginning any exercise routine, check with your doctor. You can also work with a certified fitness
professional at your gym or community center who can recommend the best routine for you.

1.2 PHYSICAL EXERCISE:

The term "exercise" has been used interchangeably with "physical activity", and, in fact, both have a number of
common elements. For example, both physical activity and exercise involve any bodily movement produced by
skeletal muscles that expends energy, are measured by kilocalories ranging continuously from low to high,
and are positively correlated with physical fitness as the intensity, duration, and frequency of movements
increase. Exercise, however, is not synonymous with physical activity: it is a subcategory of physical activity.

Exercise is physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposive in the sense that
improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is an objective. The formula
relating physical activity and exercise is:

kcalExercise + kcalNon exercise` = kcalTotal daily Physical activity

Physical activity is complex behavior, however, and may be meaningfully partitioned into other categories
mutually exclusive of each other but not activity except sleep. However, it is more likely to be an important part
of some categories of physical activity than of others. For example, virtually all conditioning and many sports
activities are performed to improve or maintain components of physical fitness. In such instances they are
planned, structured, and, more often than not, repetitive.

Activities such as occupational, household and many daily tasks are typically performed in the most efficient
manner possible. These physical activities are done with little regard to physical fitness and are often
structured with conservation of energy expenditure as a goal. However, a worker may plan and structure the
performance of some work tasks in a less efficient manner to develop muscular strength or to "burn up"
calories. Similarly, a person may plan and structure the performance of household or other tasks in a labor
producing rather than a labor-saving manner. Tasks regularly performed in this manner are considered
exercise.

Generally, Exercise describes as planned structured and repetitive bodily movement done to improve or
maintain one or more components of physical fitness and is subset of physical activity. Exercise is usually goal
related and designed in the sense that the improvement or maintenance of one or more components of
physical fitness (i.e., endurance, strength, flexibility etc.…).
ACTIVITY 1: Physical Activity Self-Assessment Questionnaire

POINTS
SCORES
(A) SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR 1 2 3 4 5

How much time do you spend sitting +5h 4 to 5 h 3 to 4 h 2 to 3 h Less than 2 h

each day (leisure activities, TV,     
computer, work, etc.)?

Total (A)

(B) SPORTS AND 1 2 3 4 5 SCORES

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Do you regularly engage in one or more No Yes

physical activities?  

How often do you do all those 1 to 2 times/ Once a week Twice a week 3 times/week 4 times/week
activities? month    


On average, how many minutes do Less than 15 16 to 30 31 to 45 46 to 60 More than 60

you spend on each session of min min min min min
physical activity?     

How much effort do you feel you 1 2 3 4 5

normally make?     
1 means very little effort and 5 means
a great deal of effort

Total (B)

(C) EVERYDAY PHYSICAL 1 2 3 4 5 SCORES

ACTIVITIES

How much physical activity does your Not much A moderate Average Intense Very intense
job require?  amount   


Outside your regular job, how many Less than 2 h 3 to 4 h 5 to 6 h 7 to 9 h More than
hours do you spend each week on     10 h
light work such as household repairs, 
gardening, house-cleaning, etc.?

How many minutes do you walk each Less than 15 16 to 30 31 to 45 46 to 60 More than 60
day? min min min min min
    

How many flights of stairs do you climb Less than 2 3 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 More than 16
each day?     

Total (C)

Total (A)+(B)+(C)
After answering all the questions, put the score for each question (1 - 5) in the column on the right and then
add them up.

Results:

Your score is less than 18: You have the profile of a person who doesn't do much physical activity. Like a car
that is left in the garage too long, your body tends to get rusty and your risk of experiencing a non-communicable
disease (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer) and depression is higher
than for an active person. We encourage you to do regular exercise.

How? Take every opportunity each day to move: go on foot or take a bike, do housework, small errands,
gardening, play with your children, take the dog for a walk, etc. If you need advice on how to start, be sure to
contact an adapted physical activity or 'Health through Sports' professional.

Your score is between 18 and 35: Good job! You have the profile of a fairly active person. Your physical activity
level is within the recommended guidelines for healthy living. Thanks to the efforts you make, your body works
efficiently, limiting the risks of non-communicable diseases and depression. Keep up the good work so you can
maintain those health benefits.

To stay motivated, think about varying your activities and the places where you do them (e.g. walks in the ocean,
mountain hikes, indoor sports).

Your score is higher than 35: Great job! You have the profile of a very active person. Your level of physical
activity not only allows you to stay healthy, but it also improves your overall physical condition (better cardio-
respiratory endurance, increased muscle mass, etc.) Don't change anything but be careful not to overdo it!

ACTIVITY 2: Try to mention the elements of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sports in the box below

Physical Activity Exercise