Physical Activity and

Fitness

 People of all ages can benefit from

physical activity
People can improve their health by
engaging in a moderate amount of
physical activity on regular basis.
Greater health benefits can be achieved
by increasing the amount of physical
activity, through changing the duration,
frequency or intensity of effort.

 Moderate physical activity is defined as physical

activity that results in an energy expenditure of
150 calories a day or 1000 calories per week.
Walking for 30 min , swimming laps for 20 min.
or wheeling oneself in a wheel chair for 30 40
minutes will satisfy the requirement for
moderate physical activity these reduce
unnecessary illness and premature death.
It is estimated (in USA) that poor diet and lack of
activity together account for at least 300,000
deaths per year!
The emphasis of moderate physical activity and
the focus of integration of physical activity for
ones lifestyle is an additional help for individuals
to improve their health, enjoy life and live
meaningfully.

The Benefits of a Regular Physical Activity

Helps control weight

Helps build and maintain healthy bones,
muscles and joints
Promotes psychological well being.
Reduces:

The risk of dying prematurely

The risk of dying from heart diseases
The risk of developing diabetes
The risk of developing high blood pressure
The risk of developing cancer
Feelings of depression and anxiety.

FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

FOR youth and children

 Two comprehensive studies of childrens and

youths fitness undertaken in the mid 1980s
substantiate the need of concern.
These studies were conducted by the US
Department of Health and Human Service Office for
Disease Prevention.
These studies emphasized health related fitness
and test items to assess the participant's current
health status. The test items included the following:
Determination of percent of body fat.
Assessment on lower back flexibility and abdominal
strength through sit and reach and sit up test.
Chin ups or modified pull-ups to measure upper body
strength.

 The 1985 National Children and Youth Fitness Study

(NCYFS) was designed to elicit about information
regarding the health and fitness of youths aged 10
17 as well as their physical activity habits.
A total of 8500 boys and girls completed the five
item fitness test (bent-knee sit ups, 1 mile walk, run,
sit and reach, and skin fold thickness) and a self
support questionnaire on physical activities to
assess health related fitness.
There was a significant increase in percent body fat,
another concern was the poor performance of the
youths on cardiorespiratory measurement (the 1
mile run/walk)
Many children completed the distance at a slow jog,
with girls taking more time completing compared to
boys.

 The 1996 Surgeon Report on Physical Activity and Health

reached the following conclusion:
1. Only of young people ages 12-21 regularly participate in
vigorous physical activity.
2. Approximately of young people engage in light to moderate
physical activity, that is walking or biking everyday.
3. About 14% are inactive, no vigorous physical activity.
4. Males are most likely than females to engage in strengthening
activities and vigorous physical activities.
5. Participation on physical activities remarkably decline as age or
school increases.
6. From 1991 to 1995, the number of students enrolled in daily
physical education decreased from 42% to 25%.
7. Within physical education class, the number of students who
reported being active for at least 20 min. a class per period
decreased from 81% to 70%.
8. Among the students who attend the physical education class
only 19% report being active for 20 min.

 During 1990s, several assessments were

made of childrens and youths fitness status
and physical activity patterns.
Policy makers, teachers, parents, and
community members need to collaborate to
enhance the fitness status and physical
activity for children and youth.
This is to degenerate diseases.
Heart Disease begin in childhood.
Physical Education is a must to children and
youth for them to prevent from different
ailments and for them to have a healthy
lifestyle.

FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

FOR ADULTS
The physical activities pattern of adults reveal a need to get
more adults involves physical activities in regular basis.
The Physical Activity and Health: A report of the Surgeon
General, the following are the conclusions can be drawn
about the physical patterns of adults:
1. Approximately 15% of adults engage regularly (3 times a week
at least 20 min.) in vigorous physical activity.
2. About 22% of adults engage regularly 5 days a week, 30min.
In any intensity of physical activity.
3. Approximately 25% adults report participating in no physical
activity during their leisure time.
4. Individuals with dissabilities were less likely to engage in
vigorous (27.2%) or regular moderate (9.6%) physical activity
than people without dissabilities .

5. Physical activity is more prevalent among males

and females.
6. Physical activities appear to decline with age ,
however it seems to increase during the senior
years.
7. Among all ages and sexes, the most popular
physical activity is walking, with a participation, are
gardening or yard work, stretching exercises,
weight lifting, jogging or running, aerobics, ridding
bicycle, stair climbing, and swimming for exrcises.

 Home exercises equipment has become more

expensive and more sophisticated.
Stationary bicycles, treadmills, cross country ski
machines, rowers, stair machines, and weight system
are popular.
More equipment incorporates heart monitoring
electronics and workout computers to give users
increasingly sophisticated feedback about their
efforts.
Sales on diet books and exercise videos continue to
rise. It is important to note, however, that buying
apparel, shoes, and exercise equipment does not
guarantee that they will be used by their owners on
regular basis.

 Corporate fitness and commercial health

clubs have attracted a record number of
participants.
The number of participants in athletic and
recreational programs in the schools and
communities have increased as well
during recent years.
An increasing number of communities
have fitness and bicycling trails, which
have proven to be popular with
community residents.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE FITNESS

MVEMENT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION
AND SPORT
Many Americans of all ages are not exercising
vigorously with sufficient frequency, intensity and
duration to maintain an adequate level of health
related fitness, an increasing, number of
people are making a commitment to incorporate
physical activity into their lifestyle.
The increased documentation of the positive
relationship between adequate levels of health
related fitness and wellness offers strong support
or physical education and sports programs.
It is a must to everyone regardless of anything.

YOUTH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establish policies that promote enjoyable,

life long
physical activity.
Require daily, comprehensive physical
education.
Commit adequate resources for physical
activity, instruction and programs.
High qualified specialists for each area.
Require that physical activity program meet the
needs and interests of all students.
2. Provide physical and social environment that
encourage physical activity.
Provide access to safe places/facilities on
school or community.

 Strive to prevent physical activity related in juries and

illness.
Provide time in the school day for the activity.
Offer worksite health promotion programs for the school
faculty and staff.
3. Implement planned, sequential physical education
curriculum that encourage students to develop the
knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, and confidence needed
to adopt physically active lifestyle.
National standards form for the curriculum framework.
Active learning strategies and enjoyable participation.
Develop students positive attitude toward mastery of
motor skills and confidence on it.
Foster enjoyable participation of physical education in
school, community and home.

4. Implement planned, sequential health education

curriculum that encourage the students to develop the
knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral skills needed to adopt
physical activity lifestyles.
Promote collaboration among physical education, health
and specialists for the activities and instructions.
Develop students mastery of behavioral skills and
acquisition of positive attitudes.
5. Offer extracurricular physical activity programs that meet
all students needs and interests.
Provide diversity of developmentally appropriate physical
activity programs for all students.
Link students to community physical activity programs,
and use community resources to support extracurricular
physical activity program.

6. Involve parents/guardians in physical activity instruction d

extracurricular physical activity programs, and encourage
them to support their childrens participation.
Encourage parents to advocate for high quality of physical
activity instruction and programs for their children.
Motivate parents to be role models for physical activity
and to incorporate physical activity into family activities.
7. Provide physical education, health education, recreation,
health care and other important professionals with training
that imparts knowledge and needs to effectively promote
physical activities.
Through higher education institutions, provide preserved
training for education.
Instruct educators of physical education to deliver properly
the lessons.
Teach active learning strategies needed to be developed.