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Program Design
Understanding the Cardiorespiratory System
Exercise and the Cardiorespiratory System
To improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, participate in aerobic exercises – exercises
which involve continuous use of the large muscles of your body for a duration of several
minutes.
Screening for Cardiovascular Disease
Blood lipids (fats):
High total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high
triglyceride levels are directly related to your risk of heart disease.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is considered the most important aspect of physical fitness. A
high level of cardiorespiratory fitness means that your heart, lungs and blood vessels
are functioning effectively. Cardiorespiratory fitness enables you to have more energy, a
lower level of body fat and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Your heart is a twosided pump. The right side supplies the lungs with blood and the left side sends blood to
the various systems of the body. The vascular system distributes blood to all the tissues
of the body through arteries, veins and capillaries. Blood is made up of plasma, white
blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Hemoglobin gives red blood cells their color
and carries oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the blood stream. A lack of red blood
cells or hemoglobin is called anemia.
Most cardiovascular problems are related to lifestyle – lack of exercise, tobacco use,
diet and stress problems. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the
United States. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of cardiovascular
disease. You should do everything you can to reduce your chances of dying of
cardiovascular disease, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or
diabetes.
Achieving Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Applying the Principles of Training
Frequency 3-5 days per week
Intensity 60-85% of maximum heart rate
Time 20-60 minutes of continuous activity
Type Large muscles movement – walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, aerobic exercise
to music, - that can be maintained at the appropriate intensity
Guidelines for the Exercise Session
Activity Time
Warm up 5-10 minutes
Exercise program 20-30 minutes
Cool down 5-10 minutes
Muscle toning 10-12 minutes
Suggested Cardiorespiratory Exercise Programs
• Walking
• Aerobic exercise to music
• Jogging
• Low impact aerobics
• Interval Training
• Step aerobics
• Cycling
• In-line skating
• Rope jumping
• Spinning
• Water exercise
• Rowing
Regular moderate physical activity can improve your general health and well-being.
Exercise and training programs can improve the efficiency of your cardiorespiratory
system. It is especially important to follow the principles of training: overload,
progression and specificity when training. Aerobic exercise is the best type of program
to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness.
When participating in a cardiorespiratory workout, it is important to know your target
heart rate and strive to reach your target heart rate training zone while you workout. A
typical exercise session should follow a specific plan and include four phases: warm up,
exercise, cool down and muscle toning. There are a variety of aerobic activities you can
include in a cardiorespiratory fitness program.
Understanding the Muscular System
Muscle Basics
A muscle is a band of muscle fibers which contract (shorten) and produce movement.
A ligament connects bones together.
A tendon attaches skeletal muscles to bones.
Cartilage acts as a cushion between the ends of the bone.
Both muscular strength and muscular endurance are important to achieve an optimal
level of fitness and to meet the demands of daily living. The relationship between
muscular strength and muscular endurance is called muscular fitness. Adding muscle
mass increases the amount of calories burned each day.
There are three types of muscles – cardiac, smooth and skeletal. Weight training can
lead to hypertrophy of the skeletal muscles. There are three types of muscle fibers –
slow twitch, fast twitch and intermediate fast twitch. Slow-twitch fibers are used in long
duration aerobic activities. Weight lifting, jumping and sprinting use fast-twitch fibers.
The proportion of muscle fiber types you possess partially determines your success in
certain activities.
Since the hormone testosterone is necessary for the development of large muscles,
women usually do not achieve the muscular size of males, but can still increase
strength through weight training programs.
The three types of muscular contractions are concentric (shortening), eccentric
(lengthening) and static (no change in length). Exercise causes many changes to occur
in the muscles and leads to increased strength and endurance.
Achieving Muscular Fitness
Applying the Principles of Training for Muscular Fitness
Frequency:
Muscular strength: every other day (2-4 times per week)
Muscular endurance: every other day (3 days per week)
Intensity:
Muscular strength: High resistance – heavier weights
Muscular endurance: Low resistance – light weights
Time:
Muscular strength: 8-12 repetitions
Muscular endurance: 12-20 repetitions
Type:
Muscular strength and endurance: resistance type activity (weights and weight
machines)
Note: Exercises such as curl ups, crunehes, pushups, pull-ups (no weights) can be
performed daily.
Weight training helps you maintain strong bones and muscle as you age. It is a great
way to improve your self image, help control your weight and enhance your
performance in sports and other activities. Weight training is a lifetime activity – don’t
ever stop.
To develop muscular strength use heavy weights and few repetitions. To develop
muscular endurance use light weights and many repetitions.
The three different methods of exercising your muscles are isometric, isotonic, and
isokinetic. A variety of exercises can be performed with and without special equipment
to develop muscular strength and endurance.
It is very important to follow safety precautions while weight training. Warming up
properly, starting at low weights, using correct body mechanics, breathing regularly and
having a spotter present will help you lift safely. Never sacrifice correct technique while
trying to lift heavy weights.
Achieving Flexibility
Applying Training Principles to Flexibility
Frequency:
At least 2 to 3 times per week
Ideally 5 to 7 times per week
Intensity:
Slow stretch until mild tension is felt
Time:
Hold each stretch 15-30 seconds, 2 to 4 repetitions.
Type:
Stretching should be slow and steady – no bouncing.
Flexibility is the ability to move body joints through a full range of motion. The structure
of a joint can limit the range of motion. Muscles, ligaments and tendons can also
influence the range of motion of a joint. Stretching exercises can improve the flexibility
of a joint that has a limited range of motion. Flexibility influences our ability to work and
play. Some of the benefits of adequate flexibility are fewer lower back problems, less
chance of exercise-induced injury and reduced muscle soreness.
It is important to follow the principles of training in developing your flexibility. The degree
of flexibility is specific to each joint in the body. Assessing your current level of flexibility
in your shoulders, lower back and trunk will help you plan your flexibility program.
Increasing muscle temperature by jogging, cycling, brisk walking or running in place
before stretching is recommended. A variety of static, dynamic and contract and relax
stretching exercises may be used to improve each muscle group or joint. You can
stretch as part of the warm up and cool down of your cardiorespiratory and/or strength
program, or you can design a separate flexibility program.
Avoid ballistic stretching and exercises which force sideways movement or more than
normal extension or flexion of a joint. Use proper techniques when improving your
flexibility. Make a commitment to yourself to stay flexible throughout your entire life.
Designing Your Fitness Program
By setting goals you are making a commitment to do something – you are taking
responsibility for your own behavior. Learning to do this successfully is a skill that will
benefit you throughout life.
Goal setting is a very personal activity – the goals you set must mean something to you.
The reason you set goals is to motivate yourself to follow your plan. Therefore, a goal
must be written down and must state exactly what you hope to achieve and the target
date for reaching the goal. It helps to establish short-term, intermediate and long-term
goals. A suggested schedule or time frame to achieve intermediate goals helps keep
you on track. Setting goals for reaching an optimal level of fitness begins by identifying
the personal fitness areas that are problems for you and those areas for which you did
not achieve the health-related fitness standards. Once these areas are identified, you
can set reasonable goals for improvement and plan specific activities you will participate
in to achieve success. It is important to use the principles of training to guide you in
establishing your plan.
By thinking through your plan and considering potential obstacles, you will be more
likely to maintain your fitness program. Remember that your plan is yours – you can
and should modify it as your needs and interests change. Be flexible and ready to adjust
the plan as your situation changes. Design an activity plan that works for you.