1. Chapter 3: Starting Your Own
Fitness Program
McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2012 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.

2. 3-2
The Program Should Be Fun
And Enjoyable
• Choose activities that are enjoyable to you
• Don’t select activities just because they
are “in”
• Exercises should allow you to:
– Achieve the ultimate goals of the fitness
program
– Maintain your interest and motivation for a
long time

3. 3-3
What are the basic principles of
a fitness program?
Overload
Progression
Consistency
Specificity
Diminishing returns
Reversibility
Individuality
Safety
Figure 3-1

4. 3-4
Should you do a warm-up
routine before you exercise?
• Absolutely!
• The warm up functions to:
–Increase core body temperature
–Stretch ligaments and muscles
–Increase flexibility
–Prepare the body for activity
–Prevent injury

5. 3-5
• A warm-up includes:
–2-3 minutes of general activity
• Breaking into a light sweat indicates
increased muscle temperature
–Incorporation of stretching activity
–More contemporary approach may
involve use of a dynamic warm-up
–Activity should follow the warm-up

6. 3-6
Workout
• The type and length
of the workout should
be goal dependent
• Workouts will differ
significantly between
individuals
Figure 3-4

7. 3-7
Cool-Down
• This period is essential
• Prevents pooling of the blood in the arms
and legs
– Aids in maintaining blood pressure and
assists the body in returning to a stable state
• Should last 5-10 minutes
– May involve light stretching

8. 3-8
What are the goals of your
fitness program?
• Determine what you are attempting to
accomplish
• Select exercises and activities that
compliment those goals
• Less active individuals should focus on the
components of physical fitness
• More active individuals/athletes may have
to consider speed, power, agility and
balance

9. 3-9
How should you exercise?
• The ACSM recommends that an individual
engage 30 minutes of exercise on most
days
– Could involve one activity for that period
– May involve the total time spent doing various
activities
• Total amount of activity can be measured in
minutes or monitored through calories
burned

10. 3-10
• National Academies of Science Institute of
Medicine recommends:
– One hour of moderately intense daily activity
to maintain maximal cardiovascular function
• Most Americans do not meet this standard
– Individuals should gradually make the effort to
increase activity

11. 3-11
• ACSM & AHA recommendations:
–Healthy adults under the age of 65,
engage in:
• Moderately intense aerobic exercise 30
minutes a day, minimum 5 days a week OR
• Vigorously intense aerobic exercise 20
minutes a day, minimum of 3 days a week
• AND 8-10 strength training exercises, 8-12
repetitions twice a week

12. 3-12Figure 3-6

13. 3-13
Where do you begin?
• It is wise to begin early in life
• Anyone can benefit from fitness at any
age
• Long term success in staying with the
program has some basis in the underlying
motivation for beginning the plan

14. 3-14
Precautions in Beginning a
Fitness Program
• Exercise is generally safe for most
individuals
• Always good to have your medical history
and pre-existing medical conditions
assessed prior to beginning a program
– Especially if over age 30
• Pay attention to activity principles and
guidelines
• Awareness of your body is critical for
injury prevention