What determines the kind of activity a person should settle to achieve a fitness goal

Course Hero uses AI to attempt to automatically extract content from documents to surface to you and others so you can study better, e.g., in search results, to enrich docs, and more. This preview shows page 1 - 6 out of 17 pages.

F.I.T.T. Principle:

The F.I.T.T. principle can be used as a tool to help you achieve your fitness goals.  Each component of fitness (minus Body Composition) has a suggested F.I.T.T. principle.  

F: Frequency - How often one should complete the exercise a week

I: Intensity - How hard the activity is, How hard you work, how heavy the resistance is

T: Time: How long the exercise is, can be measured in sets and repetitions

T: Type - What kind of activity one partakes in.

5 Components of Fitness:

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance- the ability of the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen and energy to muscles during long bouts of physical activity.

Frequency : 5 - 7 times a week

Intensity : 65 - 85% of Maximum Heart Rate

Time: 60+ minutes per day

Type: i.e. Running, Swimming, Playing Basketball, Dancing

• Muscular Strength- the ability of the muscle(s) to push or pull with total force.

Frequency : 2 - 3 times per week

Intensity : Heavy Resistance - when you change weight (increase/decrease) the INTENSITY changes.

Time: 2 - 3 Sets of 8 or LESS Repetitions

Type: i.e. Weight Lifting, Power Lifting

• Muscular Endurance- the ability of the muscle(s) to complete a movement many times or to hold a certain position for a long period of time without stopping for rest.

Frequency : 2 - 3 times a week

Intensity : Light Resistance - when you change weight (increase/decrease) the INTENSITY changes.

Time: 2 - 3 sets of 12 or MORE Repetitions

Type: i.e. 30 push ups, 20 curl ups, Running

• Flexibility - the muscles' ability to move  joints through their full range of motion (ROM).

Frequency : 3 times a week

Intensity : Mild Tension

Time: 15 seconds per stretch, 15 minutes, 3 repetitions

Type: i.e. Static Stretching, Dynamic Stretching, Yoga, Martial Arts

• Body Composition - the relationship of fat free mass to fat mass in the body.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals:

S.M.A.R.T. goals are used to make goals within reach for each individual, one can use them for academic, fitness, or other aspects of your life.

• Specific: There is clear and concise goal for you.
• Measurable: There criteria for you to measure your progress towards said goal.
• Achievable: It is not out of your reach.
• Realistic: It is actually possible for you to achieve
• Time Based : There is a DEADLINE.

Page 2

You're Reading a Free Preview
Pages 7 to 15 are not shown in this preview.

Setting physical activity goals

Several key principles can be applied to help you set your physical activity goals. These include:

• Pinpoint your ultimate goal.
• Find out how to achieve your ultimate goal.
• Set small, specific mini-goals.
• Monitor your progress regularly.
• Adapt to changing circumstances.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself

Pinpoint your ultimate fitness goal

Suggestions include:

• Be realistic – Your ultimate fitness goal could be to be fit enough to participate in a competition on a set date or to do 10 laps of the pool. Whatever the case, make this goal realistic. Remember that most of us will never be world-famous athletes or supermodels. Think about what is achievable for you. Write down your goals.
• Be specific – Don’t make your ultimate goal a general statement like: ‘I want to lose weight’. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to lose?
• Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody else. For example, if your partner wants you to lose weight, but you’re happy as you are, you may find it difficult to commit to your exercise routine in the long term.

Find out how to achieve your ultimate fitness goal

Once you have decided on your health and fitness goal, you need to consider how you will reach that goal. Different fitness goals require different approaches. For example, weight loss requires you to regularly burn more kilojoules than you consume. An effective strategy may include:

• Choose aerobic activities such as walking.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week.
• Cut back on junk food.
• Eat smaller food portions.
• Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and wholegrain foods in your daily diet.

Set small, specific fitness goals

You are more likely to reach your ultimate goal if you break it down into small, short-term mini-goals. Short-term goals are specific, daily actions or behaviours that lead you to your ultimate goal. Suggestions include:

• Know your starting point, so you can pick activities that are comfortable and realistic for you, and build slowly at a pace that feels right for you.
• Set a reasonable timeframe. For example, if you want to lose 20 kg, then a realistic weight loss of 1 kg of body fat every one to two weeks means that you need to allow yourself around 20 to 40 weeks.
• Consider your exercise routines as mini-goals. For example, one mini goal might be to exercise on all or most days of the week. The more mini goals you achieve, the more motivated you will become.

If you are unsure how to best achieve your particular fitness goals, ask an expert. For example, see your doctor, browse through the Better Health Channel fact sheets or consult an exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or appropriately qualified and certified personal trainer.

Monitor your physical activity regularly

Make your mini-goals measurable. Decide how you are going to monitor your progress and record every detail in a training diary. Suggestions include:

• Measure your progress in concrete ways. For example, if you are weight training, write down the weight and repetitions for each exercise. If you are exercising to lose weight, keep track of your weight loss.
• Choose appropriate ways to measure your progress. For example, bathroom scales don’t distinguish between muscle and fat. It may be better to take your measurements with a tape measure, or just notice how your clothes fit.
• Find as many different ways to monitor your progress as you can and write down your progress regularly, such as once a week. For example, if you are exercising to lose weight, you might like to record your exercise sessions, daily diet and weekly measurements. Include incidental achievements like feeling more energetic or fitting into a smaller pair of jeans. Give yourself plenty of ways that you can succeed.
• Celebrate your progress.

Adapt your physical activity to changing circumstances

Life can interrupt your training schedule. Suggestions for adapting to such changes include:

• Think about ways to cope with interruptions. For example, you may not be able to exercise in your usual way when on holidays, but you can always walk or use the hotel fitness facilities.
• If you get injured or become ill, don’t abandon your fitness goals. Instead, adjust your ultimate goal’s time frame. Come up with micro-goals to keep you on track while you recover. For example, you may be too ill to exercise, but you can improve your diet. Write down these micro-goals in your training diary to keep up your motivation.
• If your fitness goal seems beyond you, readjust your mini-goals and stay motivated.

Physical activity – don’t be too hard on yourself

Sometimes, you may find that your fitness goal is too ambitious. For example, maybe you are losing 0.5 kg a week instead of 1 kg, and sometimes you may not lose any weight (remember muscle weighs more than fat), so make sure you focus on how you feel. You know yourself much better than a set of scales does.

• The first few months of a new exercise program are always the most challenging. Adjust your short-term goals, persist and have faith that things will get easier with time.
• Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Making a commitment to a healthier lifestyle is a tremendous achievement, even if your fitness goal is a little harder to reach than you first thought. Flip back to the start of your training diary and appreciate how far you’ve come.
• Have a secondary fitness goal in mind. For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose 20kg, an ability to jog for 20 minutes may be your secondary goal. Achieving this secondary goal is still a great success.
• Don’t give up. You’re worth the effort.

Where to get help

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.