Module for Midterm

1st Reporters
Unit 5
What Is Exercise Intensity?
Exercise intensity is the amount of physical energy you expend while exercising. Intensity
determines the health benefits you’ll receive from a workout, including strength, weight loss,
metabolic burn, and cardiovascular fitness. Higher intensity aerobic activity may yield more
positive results for your health, but it’s important to know the right level of exertion for your
exercise program to avoid injury.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) recommends the following
physical activity guidelines for regular exercise: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic
exercise or seventy-five minutes of vigorous-intensity per week, or a combination of both, and
strength training for all major muscle groups at least twice a week, to gain the maximum
benefits from your exercise routine.
3 Types of Exercise Intensity
While there are a range of exercises, they will fall along these three types of exercise intensity:
1. Low: Low-intensity exercise, also known as light-intensity exercise, is physical activity with
slow movement that results in a steady heart rate and no noticeable change in breathing.
Examples of low-intensity activity include walking on level ground at a slow pace of 1.7 miles
per hour (MPH) or lifting light weights.
2. Moderate: Moderate-intensity exercise refers to any activity that raises your heart rate,
breathing rate, and body temperature, causing you to perspire. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) cite brisk walking at a pace of three miles per hour, water aerobics, and
gardening as examples of moderate-intensity activity.
3. Vigorous: Vigorous-intensity exercise, also known as high-intensity exercise, feels challenging
and requires exertion. Perspiration occurs within a few minutes, your heart beats faster, and you
may be unable to speak while exercising. The CDC’s examples of vigorous-intensity activity
include running or jogging, calisthenics, swimming, and jumping rope.
To choose the right exercise intensity, consider the following guidelines:
 Aerobic Activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes
of vigorous activity per week. This can include brisk walking, biking, or swimming.
 Strength Training: Engage in strength training for all major muscle groups at least two ti
mes a week, using weights or resistance levels that make your muscles feel tired after ab
out 12-15 repetitions.
 Perceived Exertion: Exercise intensity is subjective; it feels different for each person. You
can gauge it by how hard you feel during your workout, which may vary based on your fit
ness level.
  Heart Rate: Monitor your heart rate to assess intensity. A higher heart rate indicates a hi
gher intensity level.
 Adjustability: Gradually increase intensity to avoid injury. Start with low to moderate inte
nsity and gradually build up to higher levels as you become more fit.
By following these guidelines, you can tailor your exercise routine to achieve optimal hea
lth benefits.
To understand and gauge intensity during physical activities, consider the following methods:
 Talk Test: During moderate-intensity activities, you can talk but not sing; for vigorous acti
vities, you may not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
 Heart Rate Monitoring: Your heart rate can indicate exercise intensity; a higher heart rat
e typically means more intense activity. You can track your heart rate to gauge your exer
tion level.
 Perceived Exertion Scale: This scale measures how hard you feel you are working, which
can vary based on fitness levels and individual perceptions.
 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (METs): This metric estimates the amount of energy used
during physical activity, with moderate activities burning 3 to 5.9 METs and vigorous acti
vities burning 6.0 METs or more.
By using these methods, you can effectively gauge the intensity of your physical activities and op
timize your workouts for better health benefits.
Gauging intensity by how you feel
Here are some clues to help you judge your exercise intensity.
Moderate exercise intensity
Moderate activity feels somewhat hard. Here are clues that your exercise intensity is at a
moderate level:
 Your breathing quickens, but you're not out of breath.
 You start to lightly sweat after about 10 minutes of activity.
 You can talk to someone, but you can't sing.
Vigorous exercise intensity
Vigorous activity feels challenging. Here are clues that your exercise intensity is at a vigorous
level:
 Your breathing is deep and rapid.
 You start to sweat after only a few minutes of activity.
 You can't say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
Overexerting yourself
Beware of pushing yourself too hard too often. If you are short of breath, are in pain or can't
work out as long as you'd planned, your exercise intensity is probably higher than your fitness
level allows. Back off a bit and gradually build intensity.
Gauging intensity using your heart rate
Another way to gauge your exercise intensity is to see how fast your heart is beating on average
during physical activity. To use this method, you first have to figure out your maximum heart
rate. The maximum heart rate is the upper limit of what your heart and blood vessel system,
called the cardiovascular system, can handle during physical activity.
If you're healthy, you can figure out your approximate maximum heart rate by multiplying your
age by 0.7 and subtracting the total from 208. For example, if you're 45 years old, multiply 45 by
0.7 to get 31.5, and subtract 31.5 from 208 to get a maximum heart rate of 176.5. This is the
average maximum number of times the heart should beat each minute during exercise in this
example.
Once you know your maximum heart rate, you can find out your desired target heart rate zone.
The target heart rate zone is the level at which you're exercising and conditioning the heart but
not overworking it.

The Karvonen Formula is the gold standard for calculating personalized heart rate training
zones, especially for athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts. Unlike simple percentage-based
methods, it accounts for your individual fitness level by using your heart rate reserve.
Step 1: Measure Resting HR
Take your pulse for 60 seconds immediately upon waking, before getting out of bed. Elite
endurance athletes often have rates below 50 bpm.
Step 2: Determine Max HR
Use a supervised max test, field test (3-minute all-out effort), or estimate with 220 minus your
age. Athletes should test rather than estimate.
Step 3: Calculate Zones
The calculator uses your heart rate reserve (max - resting) to determine five training zones, each
with specific athletic benefits.
Pro Tip: Test your resting heart rate for 3-5 consecutive mornings and use the average for more
accurate zones. Your resting rate can vary by 5-10 bpm based on training load, stress, and
recovery.
Training Zone Characteristics
Zone 1 (50-60% HRR): Recovery zone for active rest days, warm-ups, and cool-downs. You
should be able to maintain a conversation easily. Used by marathon runners for recovery runs
between hard sessions.
Zone 2 (60-70% HRR): Aerobic base building zone where 80% of endurance training occurs. This
zone improves mitochondrial density and fat oxidation. Cyclists spend hours here during base
training phases.
Zone 3 (70-80% HRR): Aerobic threshold or tempo zone. This is marathon race pace for most
runners and builds lactate buffering capacity. Triathletes train here for Olympic distance race
pace.
Zone 4 (80-90% HRR): Anaerobic zone for VO2max development. Used for interval training, 5K-
10K race pace, and CrossFit WODs. Limited to 10-20% of total training volume.
Zone 5 (90-100% HRR): Maximum effort zone for sprint intervals and neuromuscular power.
Track sprinters and team sport athletes use this for speed development.
The Karvonen Formula, developed by Finnish scientist Martti Karvonen in 1957, revolutionized
heart rate training by introducing the concept of heart rate reserve (HRR).
The formula is:
"Target Heart Rate = ((Max HR − Resting HR) × %Intensity) + Resting HR"
How do I calculate target heart rate using the Karvonen formula?
Karvonen formula for target heart rate (THR) requires you to know a few fundamental values:
 MHR — Maximum heart rate in beats per minute:
If you don't know your MHR, calculate it easily using your age: 220-Age;
 RHR — Resting heart rate in beats per minute; and
 Intensity of the exercise given in percentage (%).
The equation for the target heart rate reads:
THR = ((MHR − RHR) × Intensity) + RHR

To interpret heart rate, consider the following key points:

 Monitoring Heart Rate: Heart rate is measured in beats per minute (bpm) and can reveal
important information about your fitness and overall health. A lower resting heart rate o
ften indicates a strong heart, while an unusually high or low rate may signal underlying h
ealth issues.
 Normal Ranges: A typical resting heart rate for adults is between 60 to 100 bpm. Athlete
s may have lower resting rates, while rates outside this range can indicate various health
concerns.
Types of Heart Rate:
 Resting Heart Rate (RHR): This is your heart rate when completely relaxed, typically rang
ing from 60-100 bpm.
 Exercise Heart Rate: This measures how your heart responds to physical activity, ideally f
alling within your target range for cardiovascular benefits.
  Recovery Heart Rate: This indicates how quickly your heart rate returns to normal after
exercise, reflecting your fitness level.
 Measurement: To measure your heart rate, locate your pulse (usually in your wrist or ne
ck), count the beats for 60 seconds, and record your bpm.

2ND REPORTERS

What is Exercise Variable?

Exercise variable are the components of your workout that you can manipulate to achieve
specific outcomes. Think of them as the ingredients in a recipe. Just as changing the amount of
sugar or butter can drastically alter a cookie's taste and texture, tweaking these variables can
significantly impact your training results.
To adjust exercise variables effectively, consider the following key components:
1. Volume: This refers to the total amount of work you do. It's typically calculated as sets x
reps x weight. For example, if you do 3 sets of 10 reps with 50kg, your volume is 1500kg.
2. Intensity: This is all about how hard you're working. In strength training, it often relates
to the percentage of your one-rep max (1RM) that you're lifting.
3. Frequency: Simply put, how often are you training? Whether it's once a week or every
day, frequency plays a pivotal role in your results.
4. Type of Exercise: Are you lifting weights, running, swimming, or doing yoga? The kind of
activity you choose has a direct impact on the outcomes you can expect.
5. Rest Periods: The time you take to recover between sets or exercises. This can influence
everything from muscle growth to endurance gains.
6. Exercise Order: The sequence in which you perform exercises can affect the quality of
each movement and the overall effectiveness of your workout.

Adjusting exercise variables is one of the most important principles in effective training. It
ensures progress, prevents injury, and keeps workouts aligned with specific goals. Here’s why
it matters:
1. Supports Progressive Overload
The body adapts to stress. If you don’t adjust variables like:
 Intensity (weight/resistance)
 Volume (sets × reps)
 Frequency (sessions per week)
 Time under tension
 Rest periods
your progress will plateau. Gradual adjustments stimulate muscle growth, strength gains,
endurance, or fat loss.
2. Prevents Plateaus
Doing the same workout repeatedly leads to adaptation. By changing variables (e.g., increasing
reps, reducing rest time, altering tempo), you challenge the body in new ways and continue
improving.
3. Reduces Risk of Injury
Overtraining or increasing intensity too quickly can lead to strain or burnout. Proper
adjustment:
 Allows recovery
 Manages fatigue
 Balances stress and adaptation
 Protects joints and connective tissues
4. Matches Training to Specific Goals
Different goals require different variable adjustments:
 Strength: High weight, low reps, longer rest
 Hypertrophy (muscle growth): Moderate weight, moderate reps, moderate rest
 Endurance: Lower weight, higher reps, shorter rest
 Fat loss: Higher total volume, shorter rest, circuit-style training
Adjusting variables ensures your training aligns with your objective.
5. Improves Recovery and Performance
Training isn’t just about pushing harder—it’s about managing stress. Adjusting volume and
intensity week-to-week (periodization) improves long-term performance while preventing
burnout.
6. Enhances Motivation and Adherence
Variety keeps workouts interesting. Small adjustments prevent boredom and increase
consistency, which is key to long-term success.
Key workout variables are the main factors you can adjust in a training program to influence
results such as strength, endurance, muscle growth, or fat loss. The most commonly recognized
variables include:

1. Exercise Selection – Choosing which exercises to perform (e.g., squats, push-ups, pull-
ups).
2. Exercise Order – The sequence in which exercises are performed (compound lifts before
isolation work, etc.).
3. Sets – The number of times you repeat a group of repetitions.
4. Repetitions (Reps) – The number of times you perform an exercise movement in one
set.
5. Load/Weight Selection – The amount of resistance used.
6. Tempo / Time Under Tension – The speed at which you perform each repetition.
 7. Rest Periods – The time you rest between sets or exercises.
8. Training Frequency – How often you train a muscle group or perform workouts per
week.
9. Intensity – How challenging the exercise is relative to your maximum capacity (often
expressed as % of 1RM for strength training).

What is Compound Exercise?

Compound exercise are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. For
example, a squat is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes, and calves.
You can also do compound exercises that combine two exercises into one move to target even
more muscles (for example, a lunge with a bicep curl).
Compound exercises differ from isolation exercises. Those work a single muscle group at a time.
A traditional bicep curl is an isolation exercise meant to strengthen the biceps, for example.
Isolation exercises are sometimes beneficial in physical therapy to strengthen certain muscles
or rehabilitate them after injury.

Benefits Compound Exercises

The biggest benefit of compound exercises may be that they are an efficient use of your time. If
you only have a limited amount of time to exercise, you’ll work more muscles and build more
strength by focusing on compound exercises.
Other benefits include:
 burning more calories
 improving intramuscular coordination
 elevating heart rate
 improving flexibility
 improving strength
 gaining more muscle mass

Compound exercises are effective movements that engage multiple muscle groups and joints, m
aximizing workout efficiency.
Here are some key examples:
1. Barbell Squat
 Muscles Targeted: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, core, and lower back.
 Description: A foundational lower body movement that improves strength, balance, and
mobility.
2. Deadlift
 Muscles Targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, traps, lats, and core.
  Description: A full-body lift that develops posterior chain strength and enhances overall
athletic power.
3. Bench Press
 Muscles Targeted: Pectorals, deltoids, and triceps.
 Description: A key upper body exercise that builds strength and mass in the chest and ar
ms.
4. Pull-Up
 Muscles Targeted: Lats, biceps, and shoulders.
 Description: An upper body exercise that strengthens the back and arms while improvin
g grip strength.
5. Overhead Press
 Muscles Targeted: Shoulders, triceps, and upper chest.
 Description: A compound movement that builds shoulder strength and stability while en
gaging the core.
6. Bent-Over Row
 Muscles Targeted: Upper back, lats, and biceps.
 Description: This exercise targets the back muscles and improves posture and upper bod
y strength.
7. Lunges
 Muscles Targeted: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
 Description: A versatile lower body exercise that enhances balance and coordination whi
le building strength.
8. Push-Up
 Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
 Description: A bodyweight exercise that strengthens the upper body and core, with varia
tions to increase difficulty.

3rd REPORTERS
Unit 6
Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy ex
penditure, encompassing all movement during daily life, exercise, work, and leisure.

Physical activity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factor for
global mortality. Physical inactivity levels are rising in many countries with
major implications for the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
and the general health of the population worldwide.
The focus of the Global recommendations on physical activity for
health is primary prevention of NCDs through physical activity at population
level, and the primary target audience for these recommendations are
policy-makers at national level.
WHO developed the “Global Recommendation on Physical Activity for
Health” with the overall aim of providing national and regional level policy
makers with the guidance on the dose-response relationship between the
frequency, duration intensity, type and total amount of physical activity
needed for the prevention of NCDs.

The Global recommendations on physical activity for health emphasize the importance of phys
ical activity for preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Key points include:
 Children (5-17 years): Should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-
intensity physical activity daily.
 Adults (18-64 years): Recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity p
hysical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly, with an incre
ase to 300 minutes per week for additional benefits.
 Older adults (65 years and above): Should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity ph
ysical activity weekly, with a goal to increase to 300 minutes per week for enhanced heal
th.
These recommendations are applicable to all healthy individuals, regardless of gender, ra
ce, ethnicity, or income level.
Physical activity is crucial for public health as it significantly reduces the risk of chronic disease
s, enhances mental well-being, and improves overall quality of life.
Health Benefits of Physical Activity
1. Chronic Disease Prevention: Regular physical activity helps prevent and manage noncom
municable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain cancer
s. It is estimated that physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up
to 35%.
2. Mental Health Improvement: Engaging in physical activity has been shown to reduce sy
mptoms of anxiety and depression, enhancing overall mental well-being. Studies indicat
e that regular exercise can decrease depression symptoms by up to 43%.
3. Enhanced Quality of Life: Physical activity contributes to better sleep, improved cognitiv
e function, and a greater sense of well-being. It acts as a natural mood lifter, helping to r
elieve stress and improve overall life satisfaction.
4. Weight Management: Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy wei
ght and preventing obesity. It increases energy expenditure and improves insulin sensitiv
ity, which are critical for metabolic health.

Importance of Physical Activity

We know that staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy. But did you
know it can also improve your overall well-being and quality of life?
Here are just a few ways physical activity can help you feel better, look better and live better.
It’s a natural mood lifter.
Regular physical activity can relieve stress, anxiety, depression and anger. You know that feel-
good sensation you get after doing something physical? Think of it as a happy pill with no side
effects! Most people notice they feel better over time as physical activity becomes a regular
part of their lives.
It keeps you physically fit and able.
Without regular activity, your body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function
properly. It’s like the old saying: You don’t stop moving from growing old; you grow old from
stopping moving. Exercise increases muscle strength, which in turn increases your ability to do
other physical activities.
It helps keep the doctor away.
Stand up when you eat your apple a day! Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can
increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies show that adults who watch more than
two hours of television a day can have a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Here are some guidelines for physical activity
 Health
Related Fitness (HRF): Focus on achieving and maintaining HRF through regular physical
activity.
 Movement Skills: Develop movement and motor skills necessary for various physical acti
vities, including exercise, games, sports, and dance.
 Self-Management: Instill skills in self-monitoring and selfdirection to enhance fitness an
d health.
 Environmental Considerations: Recognize the importance of physical activity within fami
ly and community settings.
 WHO Guidelines: Follow evidence-based recommendations for physical activity and sed
entary behavior to promote health benefits.
These guidelines aim to foster a healthy lifestyle and enhance students' understanding o
f physical activity's importance.