Chapter 7: Answers to Questions in the Text

Transcription

1 Chapter 7: Answers to Questions in the Text 1) How would you distinguish between short term and long term fitness goals? In practice, what is the relationship between the two types of goals? short term goals are specific and can be completed in a few hours, days, or weeks. short term goals may involve measuring your progress in a single workout or comparing your progress over a series of exercise sessions. long term goals specify what you want to achieve over a longer period. long term goals may include reaching a particular body weight over a month, a semester or even a few years. in practice, long term goals are easier to achieve when broken up into short term goals your long term goals may have different lengths as well, so long term goals may even be part of longer term goals. 1

2 2) What is meant by each component of the SMART principle of goal setting? Give examples of each. SMART: specific, meaningful and measurable, action oriented, realistic, time bound Specific: this means your objectives are clear and specific and will give you a clear motivation to act. ex. "I want to walk to school at least 3 times a week" is better than "I want to be more active" Meaningful and Measurable: this means deciding on goals that mean something to you and creating a series of progressive, measurable, short term goals that show gradual improvement ensuring that you achieve your set of goals. ex. you can ensure that your goals are measurable(and that you are measuring them) by asking yourself, "what will be different once I've accomplished my goal"? Action oriented: this means that you take action through a series of well planned steps to achieve your goal. ex."i want to lose 2 pounds a week until I'm at a healthy body weight" is better than "I want to lose 15kg in 2 weeks." Realistic: your goal is realistic if it involves a convenient location and appropriate equipment, if it is within your physical and mental capabilities, and if it is something that you want. ex."i will attend aerobics classes at my local recreational center once a week" is better than "I will start biking more" if you don't really enjoy biking. Time bound: this means that you know how long it will take you to reach your goal, what steps you will take along the way, and a time or date expect to reach the goal. ex. reaching goals is harder without firm time lines. "I want to add a new activity to my fitness routine each week for three months" is better than "I need to do more exercise and activity." 2

3 3) Investigate the main ideas behind the "overload" and "progression" principles in relation to fitness training. Overload Principle: basic premise unless some sort of overload is created there can be no benefit to you. you create the overload by giving your body more to do than it is accustomed to doing. when exercising, you have to create an overload so that your cardio respiratory system or muscles become stronger and more efficient. once your body has adapted to these additional demands, you must increase the amount of exercise again in order to see further improvement. Progression Principle: Basic premise: fitness improvements occur gradually, not overnight. when starting a fitness program, you may see immediate improvement, but as your body becomes accustomed to activity, gains will plateau or slow down. if you systematically and progressively add to your "overload" you will see further improvement. YOU BE PATIENT AS THESE THINGS TAKE TIME! 3

4 4) Define what is meant by the "specificity" and "reversibility" principles in relation to fitness training. Specificity Principle: basic premise: in sports, maximum training effect comes when mimicking the effort required in the actual sport as closely as possible. benefits and improvements from exercise will depend on the type of exercise being done. lifting resistance objects improves muscle strength, aerobic activity leads to aerobic improvements and stretching exercises increase flexibility. sometimes one activity can improve several aspects of personal fitness. the more specificity an activity focuses on a particular area, the more improvement or benefits will be seen in that area. Reversibility Principle: basic premise: if you do not exercise regularly (or if you do not continue to do so) you will lose the gains you have made. our state of fitness is fluid and directly tied in to how much we exercise. short breaks in our fitness routine are okay but longer breaks (sometimes called "detraining") can be problematic. gains may start to decrease in as little as 3 days. in only a few months you can revert back to your starting level of fitness. 4

5 5) Explain what is meant by the term "one repetition maximum" in relation to resistance training. Describe why this particular benchmark is inappropriate at your age and grade level. one repetition maximum is a way of determining the maximum amount of weight that you can lift. finding your one repetition maximum by going "all out" is not safe as you can risk injury to your bones, muscles and joints. 5

6 6) The FITT principle outlines the main factors to consider when developing a balanced fitness program. Describe what FITT stands for and present examples. FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type of Activity Frequency: how often you do an exercise; this is just as important as the type of exercise you do. you should aim to have your exercise frequency at about 3 times a week or more. Intensity: how hard you are working while doing an exercise. you heart rate can indicate how hard your cardiovascular system is working. Time: how long you spend at an activity. for aerobic activity (walking, jogging, cross country skiing), you should aim for at least 20 minutes of continuous activity. duration depends on the intensity, your goals and your available time. Type of activity: what kind of exercises or activities you are doing variety is recommended in training programs unless you are training for a specific type of activity or sport. variety helps prevent boredom and helps you stay motivated. 6