First Term School Year: 2023-2024

I. Course Code : Pathfit 1

II. Course Title : Physical Activities towards Health & Fitness

III. Credit Units : 2

IV. Course Description:

This course reintroduces the fundamental movement patterns that consist of non-locomotor and
locomotor skills, which are integrated with core training to meet the demands of functional fitness and
physical activity performance. Emphasis will be on exercise regression and progression for the
enhancement of fitness and the adaptation of movement competencies to independent physical activity
pursuits. In conjunction with fitness and wellness concepts, exercise and healthy eating principles,
periodic evaluation will be conducted of one‘s level of fitness and physical activity, as well as eating
patterns to monitor one‘s progress and achievement of personal fitness and dietary goals.

v. Course Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. Explain personal fitness, wellness, physical fitness components and benefits of exercise;
2. Demonstrate confidently the different physical and fitness activities with mastery and
precision;
3. Apply basic principles of exercise to develop lifelong habits for mental and physical well-
being;
4. Assess eating habits based on the Philippine Food Pyramid/My Food Plate and
determine risk factors for lifestyle diseases; and
Design a personalized fitness plan for improving one‘s fitness level incorporating the principles of training,
conditioning and safety.
VI.Course Requirements
To pass the course, the student must be able to comply with the following requirements:
1. Class standing
a. Regular Class Attendance
b. Active Class Participation
c. Participation to Fitness
d. Individual and Group Performance
2. Midterm and Final Examinations
 NUTRITION FOR WELLNESS

Introduction

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the important parts of maintaining your
health is to eat healthy food. While there are no foods or supplements that can help
‗boost‘ our immune system and prevent or treat COVID-19. However, there are lots of
ways to eat well and support your health at this difficult time.
In this module, you will learn about the importance of good nutrition, food
choices, and what makes up a good diet. You will learn about the different categories of
food that your body needs and what foods you should avoid in large quantities to stay
healthy. You will also learn to evaluate your eating patterns based on the Nutritional
Guidelines for Filipinos (2000) or the Philippines Food Pyramid and interpret food labels
accurately.
Learning Outcome
At the end of the module, you will be able to:
 give the importance of eating healthy food in one‘s life;
 make a healthy choice by understanding the sections of the Nutrition Facts label;
 promote health and wellness by consuming healthful diets and to achieve and
maintain healthy body weights;
 compute their own body mass index;
 create a food diary.

Learning Content

―You are what you eat,‖ people sometimes say – that‘s how vital this subject is.

Importance of Good Nutrition

Good nutrition means your body gets all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it
must work its best. Plan your meals and snacks to include nutrient-dense foods that are
also low in calories.

According to the Food Agriculture Organization (2020), good nutrition is very

important before and after an infection. While no foods or dietary supplements can
prevent COVID-19 infection, maintaining a healthy diet is a significant part of supporting
a healthy immune system

Good nutrition can help:

 reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke,
some cancers, and osteoporosis
 reduce high blood pressure
 lower high cholesterol
 improve your well-being
 improve your ability to fight off illness
 improve your ability to recover from illness or injury
 increase your energy level

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to get all the essential nutrients we
need for good health and normal immune function.

To maintain healthy diets, FAO encourages everyone to:

• Eat a variety of foods within each food group and across all the food groups to
ensure adequate intake of important nutrients.
 • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide lots
of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber that you need for a healthy diet.

• Consume a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats such as in olive,
sesame, peanut, or other oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Such diets may support
your immune system and help to reduce inflammation.

• Watch your intake of fats, sugar, and salt. Foods in which we find comfort
are oftentimes very palatable because they are high in fat, sugar, salt, and calories. Try
to avoid eating too much of these ingredients not only as comfort foods but across
everything you eat.

• Continue to practice good food hygiene. It‘s always good to remember how
we can support food safety by practicing the five keys to food safety:

(1) keep clean;

(2) separate raw and cooked;
(3) cook thoroughly;
(4) keep food at safe temperatures; and
(5) use safe water and raw materials.

• Drink water regularly. Staying well-hydrated, mainly through drinking ample amounts
of plain water (6-8 glasses a day for most adults) also helps our immune

system. Drinking plain water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages also helps

reduce the risk of consuming too many calories for maintaining a healthy weight.

• Limit consumption of alcohol. Alcoholic drinks have little nutritional value,

these are oftentimes high in calories, and excess consumption which is linked to
numerous health problems.

The Fundamentals of Healthy Eating

You need a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in
our diets to sustain a healthy body. It‘s very important to know about different foods,
what they contain, and why we need to eat them.

Protein

It gives you the energy to get up and go and keep going while also
supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much protein is often harmful to
people with kidney disease, but the newest research suggests that a lot of us
need more high-quality protein, especially as we age. If you need a lot of energy
for a long time or are starving, amino acids can be converted to glucose to
provide energy.

Fat
 Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase
your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. Healthy fats
like omega-3s are vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more
healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and
even trim your waistline.

Fiber

Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and
beans) can help you stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke,
and diabetes. It can also help you to lose weight and improve your skin.

Calcium

Whatever your age or gender, it‘s vital to add calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those
with reduced calcium, and obtain enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to assist
calcium do its job.

Carbohydrates

These are one of your body‘s main sources of energy. But most should
come from complex, unrefined carbs (vegetables, whole grains, fruit) rather than
sugars and refined carbs. Lessen on white bread, pastries, starches, and sugar
can prevent rapid spikes in blood glucose, fluctuations in mood and energy, and
a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline.

Extra carbohydrate is converted to fat. Exercise increases the storage

capacity of glycogen, so store less fat.

Vitamins

These are necessary for normal body metabolism, growth, and

development. They do not provide the body with energy. They allow the energy
from consumed carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to be released. Although
vitamins are vital to life, they are required in minute amounts.

Minerals

Minerals are contained in all cells and are concentrated in hard parts of
the body – nails, teeth, and bones – and are crucial to maintaining water balance
and the acid-base balance. Minerals are essential components of respiratory
pigments, enzymes, and enzyme systems, while also regulating muscular and
nervous tissue excitability, blood clotting, and normal heart rhythm. Examples of
these minerals include chromium, cobalt, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron,
manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc.
 Water

It is a substance that is essential to life. Water lubricant joints absorb

shock, regulates body temperature, maintains blood volume, and transports
fluids throughout the body while comprising 60 percent of an individual's body.

You should consume approximately six to eight-ounce glasses of water each day when
not exercising. When working out, drink two to three eight-ounce cups of water before
exercising, four to six ounces of cool water every fifteen minutes during the workout,
and rehydrating thoroughly after the activity.

Follow the "Healthy Eating Food Pyramid" guide as you select your food. This will
assist you to achieve a balanced diet and foster health.
Build a Healthy Plate

My Plate may be a tool designed by the United

States Department of Agriculture illustrates the five
food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy
diet. Building a healthy plate and good portion control
starts with the proper foods in the right amounts.
These simple guidelines will help you build a healthier
plate.

Fruits

Fruits provide important vitamins and minerals—including potassium, vitamins A

and C, and folic acid.

Vegetables

Vary your veggies. Low in fat and calories, vegetables also can protect against
heart disease and certain cancers.

Vegetable options include asparagus, artichoke, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,

cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, dark green leafy lettuce, eggplant, green
beans, mushrooms, onion, pepper, spinach, squash, sweet potato, and tomato.

Grains

Make half your grains whole grains. Whole grains contain fiber and key nutrients
such as iron, magnesium, and folic acid. Make half of the grains you eat whole grains.

Good grain options include brown rice, bulgur wheat, high-fiber cereal, oatmeal,
whole-grain pasta, whole-grain bread, whole-grain tortillas, and whole-wheat couscous.
Protein Vary your protein routine. Protein helps the body repair muscles and cartilage.
Choose lean proteins such as chicken or turkey without the skin, fish (tuna, salmon,
tilapia), lean cuts of beef or pork, tofu, beans, eggs, and peanut butter.

Dairy

Switch to low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt. Dairy products contain calcium that
helps keep bones strong.

Good choices include low-fat cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese, and low- fat or
fat-free milk.
Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label
According to U.S Food and Drugs Administration, reading food labels can assist
you to make wise food choices. Most foods list nutrition information on the package
label, called Nutrition Facts. These facts can assist you to compare foods and choose
the healthiest option.
Make healthy choices easier by understanding the sections of the Nutrition Facts
label.
1. Serving Size

The serving size may be a measured amount of food. Within the sample
label, the serving size is one cup, and there are two servings per container. If you
ate the whole container, you would eat two cups, which doubles the calories and
other nutrient numbers. Check the serving size on food labels to work out if the
amount of servings you are eating is smaller or larger. This may assist you to
stay within your daily calorie goal.
2. Calories

The number of calories is the total amount of energy the food provides. If
you eat more calories than your body uses, over time you will gain weight.
Another important part of the label is the number of calories from fat. You ought
to limit the number of calories from fat to 20-35% of your total daily calories.
Within the sample label, there are 250 calories in one serving and 110 calories
from fat. This suggests almost 50% of the calories in one serving of this food
come from fat. Because of its high-fat content, this food is not considered a
healthy choice.

3. Limit These Nutrients

When you eat an excessive amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol,
and sodium, this can increase the danger for a heart condition, cancer, or
diabetes. Total fat is important to observe. Saturated fat and trans fat are likely to
harm your health. They may raise your blood cholesterol level, which can
increase your risk of heart disease. Choose foods containing less than 10% of
calories from saturated fat.

4. Get Enough of Those Nutrients

You should get more fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in your
diet. Eating enough of those nutrients can reduce your danger for particular
cancers, osteoporosis, or hypertension. It is suggested to consume 100% of
each of these nutrients daily to avoid nutrition-related diseases.

5. Percent Daily Value

Understanding the Percent Daily Values (% DV) on a food label can assist
you to select foods high in good nutrients and low in bad nutrients. The % DV is
based on a 2,000-calorie diet. If you eat more than 2,000 calories a day, your
daily value could be higher. Remember, 5% DV or less is low and 20% or more is
 high. Choose foods with a low % DV for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol,
or sodium.

6. Understanding the Footnote

The footnote refers to the Percent Daily Value, mentioned in number five.
It states that the percentages are created on a 2,000-calorie diet, which does not
change from product to product. This footnote also reminds consumers of the
daily intake of various recommended nutrients depending on their caloric needs.

Assessment of Nutritional Status

A Nutrition assessment involves an evaluation of objective and subjective data, is
used to determine an individual's nutritional status or growth patterns.
Overnutrition and undernutrition can be the two reasons causing Malnutrition.
Malnutrition is a condition of imbalance in nutrition. The health of a person is not only
dependent upon the physical well-being of a human but, it depends upon mental and
social well-being and good nutrition as well.

Anthropometric
A nutritional assessment can be done using Anthropometric.
The word anthropometry comes from two words: Anthropo means ‗human‘ and metry
means ‗measurement‘. Anthropometrics are objective measurements that help
determine the amount of muscle and percentage of body fat. Anthropometrics may
include height, weight, body mass index, skinfold measurements, and body frame
size.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

It is the weight of a person in kilograms divided by their height in meters

squared. You will have to convert measurements in cm to m (100 cm = 1 m). BMI
= weight (kg) height2 (m) BMI can also be found using look-up tables or a BMI
wheel.

BMI values below or above the WHO range for normal nutritional status
(shown in the table below) indicate a need for nutrition interventions to slow or
reverse weight loss or to reduce overweight.

BMI(Kg/m2) Nutritional status

more than 40.0 Very obese
30.0-40.0 Obese
25-29.9 Overweight
18.5-24.9 Normal
17-18.49 Mild malnutrition
16.0 -16.9 Moderate malnutrition
less than 16.0 Severe chronic energy
deficiency
Sources: WHO. 1999. Management of Severe Malnutrition: A Manual for Physicians and
Other Senior Health Workers. Geneva: WHO; WHO. 2013. ―Obesity and Overweight.‖
Fact Sheet No. 311.