Objectives

1. Describe the origins of exercise
2. Define physical activity and exercise
3. Discuss principles of adaptation to stress
4. Provide guidelines for creating a successful fitness program
5. Identify safety concerns

Terminology

• Physical activity – any activity that requires skeletal muscle and requires energy aimed at improving health.
• Exercise – a subset of physical activity that is planned and structured aimed at improving fitness.
• Health related components of fitness – types of activities dedicated to improving physical fitness categorized as cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
• Skills related components of fitness – types of activities dedicated to improving physical skills categorized as speed, agility, coordination, balance, power, and reaction time.
• Principles of adaptations to stress – guidelines related to managing the application of stress during physical activity/exercise.
• Overload Principle – a principle of adaptation to stress suggesting the amount of stress applied during exercise must exceed a threshold level to stimulate adaptation.
• Volume – the term used to describe “how much” stress is being applied by combining the duration and frequency of exercise.
• Progression principle – a principle relating to how much additional stress that can safely be introduced to gradually improve fitness without risking injury or overuse.
• Specificity – the principle of stress suggesting activities should be closely centered around the primary outcome goal, i.e. train the way you want to adapt.
• Reversibility – the principle that adaptations to stress can be lost over time if training is modified or stopped.
• Principle of rest and recovery – the concept that adaptation not only requires overload but also requires rest to avoid over-stressing the body.
• Periodization – a method of organizing workouts into blocks or periods. These cycles consist of work/stress periods and rest periods.
• Overtraining syndrome – a condition of chronic stress from physical activity affecting the physical and psychological states of an individual or athlete.
• Detraining – the act of no longer training at all or decreasing the amount of training.