Fitness and Health: Key Concepts and Principles
Health-Related Components of Fitness
- Muscular Strength: The ability or capacity of a muscle or muscle group to exert force against resistance.
- Muscular Endurance: The ability of muscles to perform or sustain a muscle contraction repeatedly over a period of time.
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance: The ability to persist in a physical activity requiring oxygen for physical exertion without experiencing undue fatigue.
- Flexibility: The ability to move the joints in your arms, legs, and trunk freely throughout a full, non-restricted, pain-free range of motion.
- Body Composition: The percentage of fat in the body relative to the percentage of all the other tissues.
Stress and Coping Mechanisms
Stress refers to the responses that occur in the body when its internal balance is disrupted. Some common human reactions to stress include heart palpitations, anxiety, fatigue, and sweating.
Coping is an attempt to effectively manage or control stress so that it does not dominate your life.
SAID Principle
The SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) principle states that when the body is subjected to stresses and overloads of varying intensities, it will gradually adapt over time to overcome whatever demands are placed on it.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Activity
- Aerobic Activity: An activity in which the intensity is low enough that the cardiovascular system can supply enough oxygen to continue the activity for long periods. Examples: jogging, cycling.
- Anaerobic Activity: An activity in which the intensity is so great that the demand for oxygen is greater than the body’s ability to deliver it. Examples: sprinting, powerlifting.
CrossFit: A Comprehensive Fitness Approach
CrossFit combines high-intensity interval training, functional fitness, weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastic-type body exercises, and strongman exercises and activities. It improves not only muscle strength but also cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility.
Stretching Techniques
- Ballistic Stretching: A technique involving repetitive contractions of the agonist muscle that are used to produce quick stretches of the antagonist muscle.
- Static Stretching: A technique involving passively stretching a given antagonist muscle by placing it in a maximal position of stretch and holding it there for an extended time.
- Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): A group of stretching techniques including slow-reversal-hold-relax, contract-relax, and hold-relax techniques. All involve some combination of alternating contraction and relaxation of both agonist and antagonist muscles.
Nutrition and Dietary Habits
Understanding nutrition has changed my eating habits. I now prioritize consuming the nutrients my body needs rather than simply eating whatever I want. Knowing how to read food labels, which indicate nutrition information per serving, is crucial for making informed dietary choices. Maintaining a balanced diet is essential for good health.
Principle of Caloric Balance
The principle of caloric balance states that the number of calories you consume in food should equal the number you expend. To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you expend, and vice versa.