Extra Readings On Physical Fitness PDF

What is It Physical Fitness as Defined A person who is free from illnesses and can do physical or sports activities and still has an extra energy to do more activities is considered to be physically fit. Physical fitness is a combination of health fitness and body fitn...

What is It Physical Fitness as Defined A person who is free from illnesses and can do physical or sports activities and still has an extra energy to do more activities is considered to be physically fit. Physical fitness is a combination of health fitness and body fitness. Health fitness refers to your body’s ability to fight off diseases. Body fitness, on the other hand, is refers to the ability to do strenuous physical or sports activities without getting tired easily. It is not enough for someone to only look good and feel good in order to be called physically fit. An individual should also take into consideration his kind of lifestyle including the food he takes every day because it can lead him to better health. Health Related Fitness This is primarily associated with disease prevention and functional health. Participating in regular health-related fitness helps you control your weight, prevents diseases and illness, improves mood, boosts energy and promotes better sleep. Health Related Fitness Components 1. Body Composition – The combination of all the tissues that make up the body such as bones, muscles, organs and body fat. 2. Cardiovascular Endurance – The ability of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and blood to work efficiently and to supply the body with oxygen. 3. Flexibility – The ability to use your joints fully through a wide range of motion. 4. Muscular Endurance – The ability to use muscles for a long period of time without tiring. 5. Muscular Strength – The ability of the muscles to lift a heavy weight or exert a lot of force one time. Skills Related Fitness Components 1. Agility – The ability to change body positions quickly and keep the body under control when moving. 2. Balance – The ability to keep the body in a steady position while standing and moving. 3. Coordination – The ability of the body parts to work together when you perform an activity. 4. Power – The ability to combine strength with speed while moving. 5. Reaction Time – The ability to move quickly once a signal to start moving is received. 6. Speed – The ability to move all or a part of the body quickly. Specific Components of Physical Fitness 1. Agility –The ability of the individual to change direction or position in space with quickness and lightness of movement while maintaining dynamic balance. 2. Balance – The ability to control organic equipment neuro-muscularly; a state of equilibrium. 3. Coordination - The ability to integrate the body parts to produce smooth motion. 4. Endurance – The ability to sustain long continued contractions where a number of muscle groups are used; the capacity to bear or last long in a certain task without undue fatigue. 5. Flexibility – The quality of plasticity, which gives the ability to do a wide range of movement. 6. Organic Vigor – It refers to the soundness of the heart and lungs which contributes to the ability to resist disease. 7. Power – The ability of the muscles to release maximum force in the shortest period of time. 8. Speed – The ability to make successive movements of the same kind in the shortest period of time. 9. Strength – The capacity to sustain the application of force without yielding or breaking; the ability of the muscles to exert efforts against resistance. Physical Activity and Exercise Activities done by the skeletal muscles that utilize energy is called Physical Activity. Activities you are doing at home or in school are considered to be physical activity. It is classified into 4 domains: occupational, domestic, transportation, and leisure time. 1. Occupational – These are the activities you do at your work place. Lifting computers and books, going your friend’s desk or preparing lunch at the pantry. 2. Domestic – These are the activities you do at home. Washing clothes and dishes, gardening, carpentry, baking or cleaning the house. 3. Transportation – These are the activities that involves travelling. Riding a jeepney, tricycle, motorcycle, or bikes. 4. Leisure Time – These are the activities you do during recreational activities. Playing, swimming, hiking or craft making. Exercise according to a study by Buckworth and Dishman, is the “planned, structured, repetitive bodily movements that someone engages in for the purpose of improving or maintaining physical fitness or health. Aerobic, Muscle-strengthening, and Bone-strengthening Activity Aerobic Aerobic activities, also called endurance activities, are physical activities in which people move their large muscles in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period. Muscle-Strengthening Activity This kind of activity, which includes resistance training and lifting weights, causes the body’s muscles to work or hold against an applied force or weight. Bone-Strengthening Activity This kind of activity (sometimes called weight-bearing or weight-loading activity) produces a force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength. Barriers to Physical Activities  We understand the benefits of physical activities to our health specially our body but there are circumstances when we become lazy in performing physical activities. Below are some of the barriers that hinder us to do physical activities: 1. Lack of time 2. Social Support 3. Lack of Energy 4. Lack of Motivation 5. Fear of Injury 6. Lack of Skill 7. High Costs and Lack of Facilities 8. Weather Conditions Eating Habits The term eating habits (or food habits) refers to why and how people eat, which foods they eat, and with whom they eat, as well as the ways people obtain, store, use, and discard food. Individual, social, cultural, religious, economic, environmental, and political factors all influence people's eating habits. Influences on Food Choices There are many factors that determine what foods a person eats. In addition to personal preferences, there are cultural, social, religious, economic, environmental, and even political factors. Individual Preferences. Every individual has unique likes and dislikes concerning foods. These preferences develop over time, and are influenced by personal experiences such as encouragement to eat, exposure to a food, family customs and rituals, advertising, and personal values. Cultural Influences. A cultural group provides guidelines regarding acceptable foods, food combinations, eating patterns, and eating behaviors. Compliance with these guidelines creates a sense of identity and belonging for the individual. Social Influences. Members of a social group depend on each other, share a common culture, and influence each other's behaviors and values. A person's membership in particular peer, work, or community groups impacts food behaviors. Religious Influences. Religious proscriptions range from a few to many, from relaxed to highly restrictive. This will affect a follower's food choices and behaviors. Economic Influences. Money, values, and consumer skills all affect what a person purchases. The price of a food, however, is not an indicator of its nutritional value. Cost is a complex combination of a food's availability, status, and demand. Environmental Influences.  The influence of the environment on food habits derives from a composite of ecological and social factors. Foods that are commonly and easily grown within a specific region frequently become a part of the local cuisine. Political Influences. Political factors also influence food availability and trends. Food laws and trade agreements affect what is available within and across countries, and also affect food prices. Food labeling laws determine what consumers know about the food they purchase. Eating habits are thus the result of both external factors, such as politics, and internal factors, such as values. These habits are formed, and may change, over a person's lifetime. Improving Your Eating Habits When it comes to eating, we have strong habits. Some are good (“I always eat breakfast”), and some are not so good (“I always clean my plate”). Although many of our eating habits were established during childhood, it doesn’t mean it’s too late to change them. Making sudden, radical changes to eating habits such as eating nothing but cabbage soup, can lead to short term weight loss. However, such radical changes are neither healthy nor a good idea, and won’t be successful in the long run. Permanently improving your eating habits requires a thoughtful approach in which you Reflect, Replace, and Reinforce. REFLECT on all of your specific eating habits, both bad and good; and, your common triggers for unhealthy eating. REPLACE your unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones. REINFORCE your new, healthier eating habits.