health, fitness and exercise. © boardworks ltd 20062 of 24 learning objectives definitions of...

Health, Fitness and Exercise

© Boardworks Ltd 20062 of 24

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Definitions of health, fitness and exercise

The definition of exercise and health related exercise

The effect of physical fitness upon health and performance



HealthHealth is defined as…

So a healthy person is:

physically well

mentally well

socially happy

free from disease.

…a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being, and not merely, the absence of disease or infirmity.

Smoking- Short term- Greater risk of developing illnessesLong term- serious diseases such as bronchitis, heart disease, lung cancer

Alcohol-Short term- lack of co-ordination, vomitingLong term- damage to liver, heart and muscles

Drugs-illegal drugs or prescription drugs can release chemical substances and may effect your performance


FitnessFitness is defined as…

Fitness is not necessarily about how far you can run or how good you are at sport.

Being fit means being physically able to cope with the demands of everyday life.

These demands will vary from person to person, depending on things like lifestyle, occupation and age.

…the ability to meet the demands of the environment.

A fit person is able to make short journeys on foot or on a bike.


ExerciseExercise is defined as…

…a form of physical activity done primarily to improve health and physical fitness.

It is important to understand that ‘exercise’ is not the same as ‘sport’.

Exercise can be any physical activity, even just going for a short walk.

Sport tends to be competitive in some way.


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HealthNot doing enough physical activity can greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease. Seven out of ten adults in the United Kingdom do not take enough regular physical exercise.

The British Heart Foundation suggest that you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease by doing 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity at least five times a week.

This can include walking.


The benefits of exercise: mental well-being

Exercise also improves your mental well-being and helps you feel good about yourself.

It can burn stored body fat so your physical shape improves and you could lose weight.

Exercise can improve your muscle definition (tone).

It can strengthen your bones, joints and muscles, improving your posture as a result.

Exercise can improve your flexibility so you can move more efficiently and easily.

Being fit gives you more energy, so everyday tasks become easier and you feel less tired.

How does your physical appearance affect how you feel?


Participating in sport is a good way of meeting people and making new friends.

You can develop transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork and cooperation.

The benefits of exercise: social well-being

Social well-being means how well you relate and interact with those around you and with society as a whole.

Sport can help you to develop good relationships and improve your confidence, communication and teamwork.

If you are good at sport, you may be able to make a career out of it, either as a competitor or in related fields like coaching.


The benefits of exercise: physical well-being

A person’s physical well-being depends on them being in good physical condition – their body should be able to cope with the demands of their environment.

They should be able to perform everyday tasks like walking, running for a bus and doing housework without getting tired.

Physical well-being also means being free from injury and disease.


The long term effect of exercise

As you would expect, training causes the body to adapt and grow stronger.

The following areas are particularly affected:

the heart

the lungs

the skeleton

the muscles.


The long term effect of exercise – the heart

Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart.

The heart becomes bigger.

The walls become thicker and stronger.

The stroke volume increases.

Your resting heart rate gets slower as you get fitter, because the heart needs fewer beats to pump blood round the body.

Training also results in new capillaries growing to improve the supply of blood to the muscles.

The result is that the heart becomes a more efficient pump.


The long term effect of exercise – the lungs

Training makes the lungs more effective at supplying the body with oxygen.

New capillaries grow around the alveoli, making gas exchange more efficient.

The muscles involved in breathing in and out become stronger and can work for longer.

Vital capacity (the maximum amount of air that can be inhaled in one breath) increases.


The long term effect of exercise – the skeleton

Exercise has been shown to increase bone density and strength.

Stronger, denser bones are better at carrying weight and more resistant to injury.

The increase in bone density is specific to the activity – walking will strengthen your leg bones, but not your arm bones.

Both aerobic exercise and weight training are effective in increasing bone strength, but the activity must be weight-bearing.


The long term effect of exercise – the muscles

Training obviously has a large effect on the muscles.

The other effects will depend on the type of training.

Weight and power training increases the strength of muscles. The number of fast twitch fibres increase. Muscles increase in size.

New capillaries grow in and around the muscles to supply them with blood.

Endurance training makes muscles able to work for longer. The number of slow twitch fibres increase.

© EMPICS Ltd

© EMPICS Ltd


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Questions

1.There are many benefits of exercise. Suggest three reasons why a person may join a club for physical, mental and social benefits.

2. State whether social, mental or physical reason for taking part in sport

- I took it because lots of my friends opted for it

- I knew I had to complete a Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) and hopedthis would help me to lose weight

- I enjoy physical education lessons

3. Why would a retired person take up light physical activity?

health, fitness and exercise. © boardworks ltd 20062 of 24 learning objectives definitions of...

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