FITT Principles PDF

FITT PRINCIPLES  THE FITT PRINCIPLE (OR FORMULA) IS A GREAT WAY OF MONITORING YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM. THE ACRONYM FITT OUTLINES THE KEY COMPONENTS, OR TRAINI NG GUIDELINES, FOR AN EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM. Frequency: refers to the frequency of exercise u...

FITT PRINCIPLES  THE FITT PRINCIPLE (OR FORMULA) IS A GREAT WAY OF MONITORING YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM. THE ACRONYM FITT OUTLINES THE KEY COMPONENTS, OR TRAINI NG GUIDELINES, FOR AN EFFECTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM. Frequency: refers to the frequency of exercise undertaken or how often you exercise. Intensity: refers to the intensity of exercise undertaken or how hard you exercise. Time: refers to the time you spend exercising or how long you exercise for. Type: refers to the type of exercise undertaken or what kind of exercise you do. FREQUENCY Frequency is a key component of the FITT Principle. Remember that it’s important to know why you’re exercising and what you want to achieve before rushing into any exercise program. INTENSITY This is an extremely important aspect of the FITT Principle and is probably the hardest factor to monitor. The best way to gauge the intensity of your exercise is to monitor your heart rate. TIME The time you spend exercising is also an important part of the FITT Principle. The time dedicated to exercise usually depends on the type of exercise undertaken. TYPE The type of exercise you choose will have a big effect on the results you achieve. That’s why it’s important to know what you want to gain from your efforts. FITT FOR CARDIO AND WEIGHT LOSS Frequency – 5 to 6 times per week. Intensity – Easy to moderate, or about 60-75% of your maximum heart rate. Time – Anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes or more. Type – Any exercise you can do continually, like dancing, running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing, stair-climber, elliptical trainer, etc.  FITT FOR STRENGTH Frequency – 2 to 3 times per week, but NOT on consecutive days (leave 1 or 2 days rest between each strength session). Intensity – The intensity of your strength training depends on the amount of weight lifted and the sets and reps you do. Basically, the heavier the weight, the less sets and reps, while the lighter the weight, the more sets and reps you can do. Time – The time you spend doing strength training will depend on the intensity of the workout. If the intensity is extremely high, then reduce the time spent doing strength training or include extra rest. If the intensity is low, the time spent doing strength training can be a lot longer. Type – The best types of strength training exercises include free weights, machine weights, hydraulic weight machines, resistance bands and body-weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups and dips, etc.  FITT FOR STRETCHING Frequency – 5 to 7 times per week. Unlike other types of exercises, like cardio and strength training, stretching (when done properly) is very relaxing and therapeutic, and will help you recover from your other activities. So feel free to add stretching to your exercise program every day. Intensity – Slow, easy and relaxed. When the goal is to improve flexibility and range of motion you should do your stretching at a low intensity. Move into the stretch position and as soon as you feel deep tension within the muscle group, stop there. If it’s hurting or painful, you’ve gone too far. On a scale of 1 to 10 aim for a tension of about 6 or 7 out of 10. Time – Anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes, and hold each stretch for 40 to 60 seconds. Type – Static and Passive. For improving range of motion and creating permanent changes in your flexibility the best types of stretching to use are long-hold static stretching and passive (or assisted) stretching.