Week 6 – Physical Activity

Topics:

• Checking-in with Yourself: Assessing Your Physical Activity
• F.I.T.T. Physical Activity
• Rating Your Perceived Exertion (RPE)
• Safety During Physical Activity
• Activity: Strength and Flexibility

HEALTH TIP: Physical activity helps to control our blood glucose,
weight, and blood pressure. It can help prevent problems with our heart and blood flow. It’s all about movement!

 

 

Checking-in with Yourself: Assessing Your Physical Activity

How active are you now? (Type of activity, with whom, how often/long?)

What activities did you do in the past?

Why did you stop?

What do you like or dislike about being active or being inactive?

	What I like about it	What I don’t like about it
Being active
Being inactive

 

Being more active will:

• Help you feel better.
• Make you more physically fit. It will be easier to do daily work, like climbing stairs.
• Help you keep weight off that you have lost.
• Lower your risk for heart disease, some cancers, and possibly prevent diabetes.
• Raise HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol or fat in the blood).
• Lower triglycerides and blood pressure.

 

F.I.T.T. Physical Activity

Not all ways of being active will strengthen your heart – only those that are “F.I.T.T.”

What F.I.T.T stands for:	What to do:
Frequency (How often you are active)	Try to be active on most days of the week (at least 3 days per week is recommended, 5 to 7 days are even better). Increase slowly.
Intensity (How hard you are working while being active: how fast your heart beats)	Breathe fast enough that you can talk but not sing. If you can break into song, speed it up! If you have trouble breathing and talking, slow down. As you do regular activity over time, your heart won’t beat as fast. You’ll need to do more challenging activity to reach your target heart rate.
Time (How long you are active)	Stay active for at least 10 minutes. Slowly increase from 20 to 60 minutes. Total minutes per week = activity goal.
Type of activity	Heart fitness activities – those that challenge your heart. Use large muscle groups (like legs and arms). Last 10 minutes or longer. Example: Brisk walking.

Rating Your Perceived Exertion (RPE)

The Borg RPE scale (named for its inventor, Dr. Gunnar Borg) may be the most versatile method of measuring exercise intensity for all age groups, genders and fitness levels. This is an individualized rating based on your own perception of how hard you’re exerting yourself when you are exercising.

The scale lets you rate your intensity level from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximal exertion). An RPE of 12 to 14 is considered moderately intense for most adults.

Rating	Interpretation
6	Rest – no exertion at all
7	Extremely light
8	*
9	Very light
10	*
11	Light
12	*
13	Somewhat hard
14	*
15	Hard
16	*
17	Very hard
18	*
19	Extremely hard
20	Maximal exertion

To use the RPE scale, rate your own perception of your exertion while engaged in physical activity. Your rating should reflect how strenuous the exercise feels to you, combining all feelings of physical stress, effort and fatigue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 9 on the RPE scale corresponds to “very light” exercise – like a healthy person walking slowly at his or her own pace for a few minutes.

• 13 is “somewhat hard,” but it still feels OK to continue.
• 17 is “very hard” and strenuous – you can still go on, but you’re very tired and you really have to push yourself.
• 19 is “extremely strenuous” – for most people, this is the most strenuous exercise they have ever experienced.

 

Safety During Physical Activity

Being active is usually quite safe. But in rare cases, problems can arise. The best approach is prevention. If you DO get an injury or experience pain while exercising, please let the study team, your coach, or your doctor know ASAP.

Use these tips for preventing sore muscles or cramps.

• Only increase a little at a time how often, how hard, and for how long you’re active.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after being active.
• Wear socks that fit well, are comfortable, and keep your feet dry.
• Warm-up before and cool-down after every activity.

Warm-up: Do whatever activity you plan to do but at a lower intensity (lower heart rate) for a brief time. Do a few minutes of mild stretching. Most warm-ups take only 5 to 15 minutes. Cool-down: Do whatever activity you have been doing, but at a lower intensity (lower heart rate) for a brief time. Do a few minutes of mild stretching. Repeat the massage and stretching as needed. Most cool-downs take only 5 to 15 minutes.

If you do get a muscle cramp:

1. Stretch the muscle, and then massage it. Repeat.
2. If there is still pain, put ice on the cramp for a few minutes.
3. Repeat the massage and stretching as needed.

 

Flexibility

What is flexibility?:

• Flexibility refers to a joint’s ability to move through its full range of motion.
• You rely on being flexible to carry out everyday activities, like bending to tie your shoe or twisting around to see who is calling your name.

Why is flexibility important?: Flexibility is an important component of fitness that is often neglected. It’s not something just for dancers, gymnasts, and martial arts athletes to work on. Flexibility is important for everyone regardless of age, gender, goals, or experience. Poor flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings (back of upper leg) has been shown to contribute to low back pain. Having good flexibility will help alleviate stiffness, prevent injuries, and maintain good range of motion in the joints.

How to maintain (or improve) your flexibility:
The best way to maintain flexibility is to stretch regularly. Whatever your age, you must incorporate stretching exercises into your day at least once a day.

Stretch those muscles.

• Stretching is one of the best ways to prevent and avoid muscle soreness, cramps, and injuries.
• Stretching also helps you be more flexible and feel relaxed, so remember to stretch for at least 5-10 minutes BEFORE and AFTER your workout.

How to Stretch

• Do a short warm-up before stretching.
• Move slowly until you feel the muscle stretch. A safe stretch is gentle and relaxing.
• Hold the stretch steady for 15 to 30 seconds. Do NOT bounce.
• Relax. Then repeat 3-5 times.
• Stretch within your own limits. Don’t compete.
• Breathe slowly and naturally. Do NOT hold your breath.
• Stay in balance. Stretch both sides of your body.
  • The F.I.T.T. Formula can be used here to identify key components of a good stretching regimen necessary to improve your flexibility in a safe manner.

What to do:
Frequency (How often you are active)	At least 2-3 days/week Increase slowly.
Intensity (How hard you are working while being active: how fast your heart beats)	Stretch to mild discomfort, NOT pain
Time (How long you are active)	Hold each stretch 10-30 seconds.
Type of activity	Static stretches (NO BOUNCING)

• It is important that when doing flexibility exercises, you make sure to do at least one stretch for each of the major muscle groups, and that you repeat each stretch at least 2-3 times.

Important! Listen to your body!

• Never stretch if you have pain before you begin.
• If a particular stretch causes pain, stop doing it.

When to Stop Exercising: If you feel chest pain or discomfort: pressure, pain, squeezing, or heaviness stop and sit or lie down. If it persists for 2-4 minutes, go to ER. Regardless, let your physician know If you feel severe nausea, shortness of breath, cold sweats, feeling lightheaded, or irregular pulse/palpitations: stop and sit or lie down. If it persists for 5-10 minutes, call your doctor right away. If it goes away, tell your physician about it If you feel significant pain (not general muscle aches or soreness): stop and rest and have it checked by your physician

 

Activity: Adding a Strength or Flexibility Exercise to your Routine

• What strength or flexibility activity can you try this week to add variety to your workout regimen?
  _________________________________________________________

• Plan ahead for next week! Use the FITT table below to plan out your exercise(s). Then, make an appointment with yourself to complete this exercise or exercises and keep it!

What to do:	Strength or Flexibility Exercise Name:
Frequency
Intensity
Type
Time