Benefits of Physical Activity Across Age Groups

• Physical activity (PA) offers numerous benefits across all age groups.

Benefits of Physical Activity by Age Group

• Preschoolers: PA aids in motor skill development and strengthens bones, also helps maintain healthy weight status.
• Children and Adolescents: Encourages healthy exercise habits, enhances cognitive development, improves bone health, reduces depression symptoms, and helps maintain healthy weight status.
• Adults: Reduces the risk of mortality from all causes, lowers the incidence of various cancers, enhances cognitive function, reduces dementia risk, and helps prevent excessive weight gain.
• Older Adults: Improves muscle and joint health, prevents falls (especially important due to lower bone density), and enhances physical function even with frailty.
• Pregnancy: Lowers the risk of excessive weight gain, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes and postpartum depression, and poses no risk to the fetus at moderate intensity.

Sedentary Behavior Defined

• Sleep is not considered sedentary time.
• More than 8 hours per day is generally classified as a sedentary lifestyle.
• Sedentary behavior includes sitting or reclining for extended periods, such as more than 2 hours of sitting, watching TV, or screen time.
• Inactivity is defined as not meeting the recommended amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (less than 150 minutes of moderate intensity PA).
• Unfit describes state of being out of shape based on physical activity levels

Dose-Response Relationship

• Dose-response refers to the amount of physical activity needed to achieve a specific health outcome.
• It is based on the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) guidelines.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

• The guidelines are population-based, but individual needs may vary.
• Any amount of physical activity is beneficial.
• Most benefits are achieved with 150-300 minutes of moderate PA per week.
• The recommendation is to move more and sit less.
• Aim for less than 6-8 hours of sedentary time per day.
• Movement should occur every 30 minutes.
• Achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week.

Training Intensity and Time Techniques

• Constant Intensity: Training at a steady, comfortable pace.
• Interval Training: Alternating periods of high and low intensity during a training session.
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Involves 30-second to 4-minute "on" periods at >85% max effort, followed by 3-5 minute "off" periods.
• Overload Intensity: Training at a level that is higher than what the individual is accustomed to.
• Threshold or Tempo Training: Sustaining a comfortably hard intensity for an extended period, such as a 20-minute run at lactate threshold (LT).
• "Fartlek" Workouts: Unstructured workouts with alternating intensities like walking, jogging, and sprinting.
• 10-20-30 Protocol: 30 seconds of low intensity, 20 seconds of moderate intensity, and 10 seconds of near-maximal effort, repeated 5 times with a rest, and repeated 3-4 times through the set.

Measuring Relative Exercise Intensity

• Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE): Using scales from 1-10 or 6-20 to gauge intensity.
• % VO2 or MET max: Aiming for 40-89% of VO2 max.
• Heart Rate: Use either HR max (64-95%) or HR reserve (40-89%) methods.

VO2 Max for Training

• VO2 max is the most precise method when known.
• The equation: (VO2 max) x (% effort) = training intensity.
• Example: 40% intensity for someone with VO2 max of 12 = 4.8 METs; 89% intensity = 10.7 METs.

VO2 Max Intensity Levels

• Light intensity = 1.5 MET for 2 hours.
• Inactive = less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic PA.
• VO2max x 3.5 = upper limit.
• 50% of VO2 max is moderate relative intensity.

Muscular Strength and Power

• While improvements are universal rates will vary.
• Muscular Strength: The ability to generate force slowly, often measured by 1 repetition maximum (1RM).
• Muscular Power: The ability to generate force quickly, exemplified by a vertical jump.
• Muscular Endurance: The ability to contract muscles repeatedly (anaerobically), such as performing multiple bodyweight squats.
• Muscle Hypertrophy: The increase in the size of muscle tissue.

Resistance Training Goals

• Common goals include health, strength, endurance, and hypertrophy (muscle growth).
• Frequency: The number of training sessions per week.
• Intensity: Load relative to maximum capacity.
• Time: Determined by sets and repetitions.
• Type: the exercises performed.

Resistance Training Frequency

• Train each muscle group 2-5 times per week.
• Balance overload and recovery to prevent decreased performance.
• Aim to meet a minimum of 2 sessions per week per muscle group.
• RPE scale can be used, ranging from 0 (extremely easy) to 10 (extremely hard).

Muscle Training

• Symmetry (both arms) and balance (biceps and triceps) are paramount in muscle training.
• Target muscle groups include the back, arms, shoulders, lower back, abs, chest, legs, and hips.
• Focus movements based on function-movement specific training.
• Consider overall muscle balance with push-pull exercises (bench press is push, row is pull).
• Focus on fun and challenging workouts to maintain motivation.

Modes of Resistance Training

• Weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells).
• Machines.
• Body weight.
• Elastic bands.
• Yoga/Pilates.
• Olympic lifting.
• CrossFit.

Exercise Order and Sets

• Large muscle groups should be worked first.
• Alternate between upper/lower body or push/pull exercises.
• One set is better than no sets.
• Circuit training involves no rest between sets.
• Multiple sets of the same exercise can be performed.

Training Considerations

• Appropriate form is crucial for minimizing risk and maximizing benefits (e.g., proper lat pulldown technique).
• Lift weights with control.
• Maintain proper breathing; avoid holding your breath to avoid passing out.
• Utilize a complete range of motion, do a mobility warm up before.

Resistance Training Goals

• Beginners utilize fewer sets, lighter loads, and higher reps, performing basic exercises.
• Advanced lifters perform more sets, use moderate to heavy loads, and vary reps.
• Complex exercises for them yield better results.

Flexibility Training

• Flexibility is a health component,
• There are no clear FITT guidelines for flexibility for disease prevention.
• It improves movement ability.
• Warm up is important to prep the muscles for stretching
• Maintain flexibility by stretching at least 2 times/week, to a comfortably hard intensity, holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds.