Core Fitness Concepts: Health, Stress & Exercise Principles

Five Health-Related Fitness Components

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance: The ability to persist in a physical activity requiring oxygen for physical exertion without experiencing undue fatigue.
• Muscular Strength: The ability or capacity of a muscle or muscle group to exert force against resistance.
• Muscular Endurance: The ability of muscles to perform or sustain a muscle contraction repeatedly over a period of time.
• Flexibility: The ability to move the joints in your arms, legs, and trunk freely throughout a full, non-restricted, pain-free range of motion.
• Body Composition: The percentage of fat in the body relative to the percentage of all other tissues.

Understanding and Managing Stress Effectively

Stress is a state of material or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Signs of stress can include anxiety, vomiting, crying, and more.

Reactions to stress can be positive, known as eustress, which is beneficial. Conversely, negative stress is called distress. Positive stress, or eustress, can be a motivator that helps you become stronger and more fit. However, excessive stress (distress) can lead to mental illness.

Stress can be effectively managed by adopting a healthier lifestyle.

The S.A.I.D. Principle in Fitness Training

The S.A.I.D. principle stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. This principle states that when the body is subjected to stresses and overloads of varying intensities, it will gradually adapt over time to overcome whatever demands are placed on it.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise Differences

Aerobic Activity: This occurs when the intensity of the activity is low enough that the cardiovascular system can supply sufficient oxygen to the muscles. Example: Walking for a long duration.

Anaerobic Activity: This occurs when the intensity is so great that the demand for oxygen is greater than the body's ability to deliver it. Example: Sprinting or performing explosive exercises.

Starting Your Strength Training Journey

If you were to begin a type of strength training today, which would you choose and why?

Specific exercise:

Key Stretching Techniques: Static, Dynamic, PNF

• Static Stretching: A technique involving passively stretching a given antagonist muscle by placing it in a maximal position of stretch and holding it there for an extended time.
• Dynamic Stretching: Uses hopping, skipping, bounding activities, and active muscular effort to stretch a muscle.
• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): A group of stretching techniques, including slow-reversal-hold-relax and contract-relax. These involve a combination of alternating contraction and relaxation of both agonist and antagonist muscles.