PATHFIT 2:

EXERCISE-BASED FITNESS
ACTIVITIES
COURSE MODULE
AUTHORS
Ponciano Brian Joseph I. Cruzata
Dhovie Mae P. Fernando
THE AUTHORS. Mr. Cruzata and Ms. Fernando instructors of MAPEH and Humanities Unit
of Leyte Normal University.

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 Module 1: Fitness
and Wellness for All

Components of Physical
Fitness
and
its Benefits
 Course Information
Course Code: PATHFIT 2
Course Title: Exercise-based Fitness
Activities
Course Credit: 2 Units
Pre-requisite: None
Year level: 1st Year
Semester Offered: 2nd Semester

Content Writers
Ponciano Brian Joseph I. Cruzata
Dhovie Mae P. Fernando

Layout Artists
Ponciano Brian Joseph I. Cruzata
Dhovie Mae P. Fernando
 MODULE 1: Fitness and Wellness for All, Components
of Physical Fitness and its Benefits

OVERVIEW
Welcome to Module 1!

Physical Education today has the potential of contributing to the enhancement

of positive lifestyle changes which ultimately lead to a better quality of life. This
means that through physical education, you will be able acquire sufficient knowledge
and deeper understanding on the things that you will be doing. It can also develop
your activity skills and desirable attitudes that will contribute to your well-being. In the
process, you can achieve total fitness which will enable you to avoid common
illnesses, use leisure wisely, practice safety from harm, and overcome life’s stresses.
Ultimately, physical education can contribute toward a relatively long and happy life.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
After going through this module, students are expected to:
a. define physical fitness, health, and wellness;
b. identify the health related and skill related components of fitness
and its benefits; and
c. perform health related and skill related exercises.
 KEY TERMS
As you navigate the module, you will encounter the following terms
which will aid your comprehension in the different learning activities.

Exercise – is a physical activity done by an individual especially for the purpose

of getting fit.
Health – is a word often associated with good fitness.
Physical activity – movement using the larger muscles of the body.
Physical fitness – ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to
allow you to be healthy and effectively perform activities of
daily living.
Wellness – a state of being that enables you to reach your fullest potential.
Lesson 1 Fitness for Life

Physical Fitness

Is the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to allow

you to be healthy and effectively perform activities of daily living. Being
efficient means being able to do daily activities with the least amount of effort.
A fit person is able to perform school work well as responsibilities at home and
still have enough energy and vigor to enjoy school sports and other leisure
activities. A fit person has the ability to respond to normal life situations such
as raking the leaves at home, stocking shelves at a part-time job, marching in
the band at school. A fit person also has the ability to respond to emergency
situations such as running to get help or aiding a friend in distress.

Health and Wellness

Health is a word often associated with good fitness. Early definitions of

health focused on illness. The first medical doctors concentrated on helping
sick people get well; they treated illness. Health was considered as nothing
more than absence from disease (the World Health Association [WHO] uses
this term). But as medical and public health experts received better training,
they began to focus on prevention of illness and disease as well as on the
treatment of people who were already sick. This new focus led world health
experts to define health as more than absence from disease.

In recent years the definition of health has been expanded to include

wellness, a state of being that enables you to reach your fullest potential.
Wellness includes intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual
aspects. It has to do with feeling good about yourself and with having goals
and purposes in life. Wellness is more likely to be present in individuals who
assume responsibility for their own health. So, illness is the negative
component of health that we want treat or prevent, while wellness is the
positive component of health that we want to promote.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Good physical fitness, health, and wellness are states of being that a
person possesses. One of the principal ways that you achieve these states of
 being is by performing regular physical activity. The people in the pictures in
this lesson is all engaged in physical activity- movement using the large
muscles of the body. Physical activity is a general term that includes sports,
dance, and activities done at home or work, such as walking, climbing stairs,
or mowing the lawn. You may do physical activity to complete a specific job, to
enjoy recreation, or to improve your physical fitness. Sometimes you do
physical activity with a specific purpose in mind; other times you just do it with
no real purpose other than enjoyment.

When people do physical activity especially for the purpose of getting

fit, we say they doing exercise. Even though the terms physical activity and
exercise have slightly different meanings, they are sometimes used
interchangeably. What you should remember is that physical activity and
exercise are important to your fitness, health, and wellness.

Lesson 1.1 Components of Physical Fitness; and

Benefits of Physical Fitness Components

Health-Related Components of Physical Fitness

❖ Cardiovascular fitness. Is the ability to exercise your entire body for long
periods of time without stopping. Cardiovascular fitness requires a strong
heart, healthy lungs, and clear blood vessels to supply cells of your body
with the oxygen they need.

Good cardio fitness allows you to perform different activities for

longer because your heart and lungs are able to deliver oxygen and
nutrients to your working muscles. Examples of activities that benefit from
good cardio endurance include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and
other sports that require continuous movement.
 It’s recommended that you get 150–300 minutes of moderate-
intensity exercise, 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or a
combination of both each week (1Trusted Source).

Moderate-intensity exercise can be sustained for longer than

vigorous-intensity exercise, though exactly how long varies between
individuals and their fitness levels. A good way to test if you’re exercising at
moderate intensity is to do the talk test. If you can talk but not sing, you’re
likely at moderate intensity. If you can’t even talk without pausing for a
breath, you’re likely at a vigorous intensity. What is moderate intensity for
one person may be vigorous for another. Therefore, it’s best to make goals
based on your current fitness level.

If you become fatigued or out of breath quickly, decrease the

intensity or duration of your exercise and build up from there. Any increase
in cardio exercise is beneficial, so make realistic goals that work best for
you.

Cardiovascular endurance, or cardio, is important for

strengthening your heart and lungs, which help to deliver oxygen
and nutrients throughout your body.

❖ Muscular Strength. Is the amount of force your muscles can produce.

Strength is often measured by how much weight you can lift or how much
resistance you can overcome. People with good strength can perform daily
tasks efficiently – that is, with the least amount of effort.

Muscular strength
can vary between
different muscle groups.
For example, you may
have strong glutes and
quads but weaker
biceps.

To ensure well-
rounded muscular
strength, it’s important to
prioritize muscular
strength training of all major muscle groups like legs, arms, core, shoulders,
back, and hips. To measure your muscular strength, you can test your one-
rep max, which is the maximum weight you can lift for one rep.
 That said, your one-rep max isn’t the only way to tell if you’re getting
stronger. Progressive overload — defined as gradually increasing weight,
volume, training frequency, or intensity over time — is another great way to
measure your progress.

In addition to building strength, you may want to aim for muscle

hypertrophy, or building muscle mass. To do so, aim for 8–12 reps per set.
Once you can easily perform 12 reps, increase the weight, as this indicates
you’re getting stronger.

If you want to increase your one-rep max, focus on your maximal

muscular strength. You can do so by incorporating exercises with heavy
weights and low reps — usually 2–6. Make sure you practice proper form to
reduce the risk of injury. Ideally, try to add strength training to your workout
program at least 2–3 times per week.

Being physically strong helps you move and lift heavier objects
with ease, which can make day-to-day tasks much easier.

❖ Muscular Endurance. Is the ability to use your muscles many times

without tiring. People with good muscular endurance are likely to have
better posture and fewer back problems.

In addition to training for muscular strength, make sure you add

some muscular endurance activities into your routine, such as:
Weight training. Instead of aiming for a low rep range, try to lift lighter
weights with a higher rep range — like 20 or more reps — until your
muscles become fatigued.
 Isometric exercise. This involves holding your body in the same position
for an extended period of time. For example, holding a plank for as long as
you can.

Longer duration training. Using your muscles for long periods of time, like
cycling, running, swimming, or stair climbing, relies on muscular endurance
to keep you going. The more you train, the longer your muscles can go
before reaching fatigue.

If you’re looking to improve your general endurance, low-intensity

bodyweight exercises are a great starting point. For example, pilates, yoga,
stair climbing, and long-distance activities are good options.

If you’re looking to improve your athletic performance, consider

incorporating higher rep strength training and sport-specific training to
increase your muscular endurance.

Muscular endurance is how long your muscles can endure an

exercise. It’s important for longer duration exercise as it allows
you to withstand exercise for longer without getting fatigued.

❖ Flexibility. Is the ability to use your joints fully through a wide range of
motion. You are flexible when your muscles are long enough and your joints
are free enough to allow adequate movement. People with good flexibility
have fewer and injure muscles.

Being flexible is important

for daily living. For instance, it
can make it easier to maintain
good balance, reach the top
shelf of a cupboard, or bend
down to pick up something from
the ground.

Further, some activities

require more flexibility than
others, such as gymnastics,
dance, and martial arts.

Though there is debate on its benefits in reducing pain and injury risk,
stretching can increase your flexibility and may enhance your performance
in activities that require you to be more flexible.
 When stretching, the goal is to be gentle and limit the risk of injury.
Avoid stretching your muscles to the point of extreme discomfort or pain.
Aim to do stretching activities at least 2–3 days per week.

To increase your flexibility, there are three types of stretching to utilize:

Static stretching. This involves stretching and holding a muscle

for 10–30 seconds. When stretching this way, your brain relaxes the
muscles that support your joints. While helpful for flexibility, it may
increase the risk of injury prior to activities that rely on joint support,
such as weight training or high intensity sports. Therefore, this type of
stretching is generally best reserved for the cool-down phase of a
workout.

Dynamic, or active, stretching. These are active movements that

take your muscles and joints through a full range of motion. This is
usually done during a warm-up or can be done by itself like during a
stretching break at work. Examples include shoulder rotations, leg
swings, walking lunges, and trunk twists.

Dynamic exercises. These include exercises that elongate and

stretch the muscle during movements, such as when performing
pilates, yoga, tai chi, and barre. Unlike static stretching, the muscles
aren’t held in a single position for a longer period of time. The purpose
of dynamic movement is to wake up the muscles needed for the
upcoming exercise.

It’s great to include dynamic stretching in a warmup routine before both

endurance and strength training to prepare your body for movement.
Endurance exercises that benefit from dynamic movement include biking,
running, and swimming, as well as sports activities like basketball, soccer,
and volleyball.

Regular stretching can help increase flexibility and may support

your performance in sports that require flexibility. Being flexible
may help you perform daily tasks easier and maintain better
balance, though more research is needed.
❖ Body Composition. Is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle
mass, bone and organs.
Body fat is essential to human health. However, having too much —
especially around the stomach area — has been linked to poorer health
and a greater risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
and certain types of cancer.
Meanwhile, having greater muscle and bone mass is linked with
improved health outcomes and a lower risk of chronic diseases. Keep in
mind that health looks different for everyone.
You will be able to understand how your body composition impacts
certain key areas of your health and well-being using the tests below:
a. Body Mass Index – BMI – is used to measure body fat based on one’s
height and weight. By entering one’s height and weight into a BMI
calculator, one can quickly know if they are considered overweight and
how much they would have to lose to be considered in a healthy, normal
range. BMI however is not a good diagnostic tool to measure fat or
overall health; most often it is used to categorize average people into
general categories.

b. Skinfold Calipers – also known as the pinch test – involves pinching the
subcutaneous layer of fat at predetermined sites around the body, then
measuring the thickness of the pinched area with a caliper.

What is a Healthy Body Composition?

A healthy body composition depends on your gender, age, and fitness

level. The "normal" range can also vary depending on the accuracy of the
body composition assessment you choose. Generally speaking, you can use
the following chart to assess your body composition status. Anything at or
below average would be considered a healthy body fat percentage.
Skill-Related Components of Physical Fitness
❖ Agility. Is the ability to change the position of your body quickly and no
control your body’s movements. People with good agility are likely to be good
at activities such as basketball, wrestling, diving, soccer, and ice skating.

Basketball players, for

instance, are incredibly agile.
They have to move in every
direction, jumping, sliding,
twisting, and backpedaling in
quick response to the movement
of the ball and other players.
Their bodies have to be trained to
respond and change course at
the drop of a hat.

Agility drills commonly involve exercises that develop foot speed and
direction change, such as: Ladder drills: Use an agility ladder to practice
quick and specific foot placement. Cone drills: Set up cones in a "T" or star
shape, then sprint, slide, backpedal, or change direction depending on which
cone you're approaching.

❖ Balance. Is the ability to keep an upright posture while standing still or

moving. People with good balance are likely to be good at activities such as
gymnastics and ice skating.

Gymnasts, yogis, skaters,

and surfers all need highly refined
balance skills to be able to
participate in their sports. But
these aren't the only athletes who
benefit from balance training.

Balance itself refers to

your ability to adjust your body
position to remain upright. It deals
with proprioception, or knowing where your body is in space, and being able
to make adjustments to your position as your center of gravity changes during
movement.
 There are few sports where balance doesn't play an important role, and
there are lots of activities where balance is required for enhanced
performance and safety. Trail runners, for instance, benefit from balance
training because it can help prevent them from rolling an ankle or taking a fall
after tripping over a root or slipping on a muddy path. To train your balance,
try: standing on one foot, standing yoga poses, BOSU ball workouts, and
using balance discs to perform squats, lunges, and push-ups.

❖ Coordination. Is the ability to use senses together with your body parts or to
use two or more body parts together. People with good eye-hand or eye-foot
coordination are good at hitting and kicking games such as baseball, softball,
tennis, and golf.

So many sports and activities

require well-honed hand-eye (or foot-
eye) coordination, including badminton,
golf, soccer, basketball, football,
racquetball, archery, softball, ultimate
Frisbee, and more. All require you to be
able to see an external object and
respond precisely with your hands
and/or feet to meet a pre-determined
objective.

Think of hitting a golf ball off a tee, catching a fly ball, or blocking a shot
on net in hockey or soccer. To improve your coordination, try exercises such
as: playing catch, jumping rope, juggling, dribbling a ball, throwing
objects at specific targets.

❖ Power. Is the ability to use strength quickly. It involves both strength and
speed. People with good power might have the ability to put the shot, throw
that discus, high jump, play football,
and speed swim.
Power combines speed and
strength. In essence, it's how fast
you can generate a maximal force. In
sports, "power athletes" are those
who exert brute strength in short, all-
out efforts, such as Olympic
weightlifters, football players, and
gymnasts.
 But athletes in other sports, like basketball, volleyball, and tennis, can
also benefit from developing greater power. Jumping to get a rebound
requires leg power, while forcefully spiking a volleyball requires a combination
of upper- and lower-body power.

Enhance your power by combining resistance and speed with fast-

paced strength-training moves, such as: plyometric box jumps, pushing a
weighted sled while sprinting, clean and jerk lifts, kettlebell swings.

❖ Reaction time. Is the amount of time it takes in to move once you realize the
need to act. People with good reaction time are able to make fast starts in
track or swimming or to dodge a fast attack in fencing or karate. Good
reaction time is necessary for your own safety while driving or walking.

Reaction time refers to how

quickly you can respond to an
external stimulus. Think about a
tennis match for a moment: The best
competitors react almost
instantaneously when the ball comes
off their opponent's racquet, sprinting
toward the location where they
expect the ball to bounce.

Reaction time hinges heavily

on your mind-body connection. Your eyes see a stimulus, your mind interprets
the stimulus, and your body reacts in accordance with that interpretation.

Much of this mind-body reaction relates to knowledge of the sport or

activity in question. A professional tennis player can almost instantly interpret
and predict the movement of a ball. This knowledge enables them to react
more quickly (and accurately) to the stimulus.

On the other hand, a novice tennis player may see the ball coming off
the opponent's racquet, but won't be able to interpret what they're seeing as
quickly, causing their reaction time to slow. Reaction-time training tends to be
sport-specific, but these activities can help: Fielding a ball (softball,
baseball), Protecting the goal as other players try to score (soccer,
hockey, lacrosse), Tools such as lopsided reaction balls, and Playing
table tennis or hacky sack.
❖ Speed. Is the ability to perform a movement or covert a distance in a short
period of time. People with good leg speed can run fast, while people with
good arm speed can throw fast or hit a ball that is thrown fast.

When you think of speed, you

might think of an event like the 100-
meter sprint. But speed, by nature, is
relative. An elite 100-meter sprinter
needs to be very, very fast, but only
for about 10 seconds.

On the other hand, if a

marathon runner wants to improve
their speed to set a new personal
best, they might aim to reduce their
per-mile race pace from 10 minutes
per mile to 9.5 minutes per mile—a
speed they would have to maintain for a little over four hours.

These two fictional athletes train differently, but with a similar goal:
become faster for their sports. So, speed training will differ based on the sport
you're training for. Regardless of sport, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is
one of the best ways to improve speed.

This training involves working at an all-out or near all-out effort for set
periods of time, followed by set periods of rest.3 It repeatedly challenges your
aerobic and anaerobic systems, teaching your muscles, heart, and lungs to
grow accustomed to working at higher levels of intensity.

The length and intensity of the intervals you use will be longer or
shorter, less challenging or more, depending on your sport. Runners can try
HIIT speed drills like these:

For marathon training: Try mile repeats, a style of interval training where the
runner goes all-out for a full mile before resting and doing it again. For sprint
training: Focus on shorter intervals. A sprinter would be better off performing
shorter, more intense intervals ranging from 40- to 400-meters in length,
running all-out, and then resting before repeating.

These same concepts apply whether you want to be faster in

swimming, cycling, or even sports like soccer and basketball. Interval training
featuring bouts of high-intensity exercise related to your specific sport can
help you improve your speed.