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Understanding the FITT Principle

Regular exercise is essential for maintaining physical and mental health, promoting strong muscles, cardiovascular health, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. An effective exercise prescription includes specific recommendations on type, intensity, duration, and frequency, guided by the FITT principle. The document also outlines the phases of exercise, general principles, and the physiological and psychological benefits of staying active.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
18 views6 pages

Understanding the FITT Principle

Regular exercise is essential for maintaining physical and mental health, promoting strong muscles, cardiovascular health, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. An effective exercise prescription includes specific recommendations on type, intensity, duration, and frequency, guided by the FITT principle. The document also outlines the phases of exercise, general principles, and the physiological and psychological benefits of staying active.
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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Module 3

EXERCISE FOR FITNESS:


Staying
Active is the Best Way to
and
Stay Fit
It is important to stay active and be fit all the time. Regular exercise
physical activity promotes strong muscles and bones. It improves
respiratory, cardiovascular health, and overall health. Staying active can
also help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for type 2
diabetes, heart disease, and reduce your risk for some cancers. Exercise is
generally regarded as beneficial to one’s health and well-being. These are
physical activities that make the body fit for the demands on it. They are
sets of body movements to promote general fitness and are used to
correct minor postural defects

Exercises are an integral part of conditioning the body. Proper


exercise helps to reduce tension and to maintain good health. Most
exercises increase respiration and circulation of the blood. By increasing
the need for oxygen, exercise makes you breathe more deeply and by
contracting the muscles, it helps push the blood to the heart.

EXERCISE FUNDAMENTALS

Exercise – is about preparing your body and mind to work together.


It is about preparing for life in the most natural way. Remember that
physical activity is necessary of life, you crave for it as much as sleeping
and eating. The more naturally you train your body, the more health
benefits you gain, for no machine can ever imitate the complexity of
natural body movements.

EXERCISE PRESCRIPTIONS
Exercise prescription commonly refers to the specific plan of fitness
related activities that are designed for a specified purpose, which is often
developed by a fitness or rehabilitation specialist for the client or patient.
Due to the specific and unique needs and interests of the client/patient,
the goal of exercise prescription should be successful integration of
exercise principles and behavioral techniques that motivates the
participant to be compliant, thus achieving their goals.
Components of Exercise Prescription

An exercise prescription generally includes the following specific


recommendations:

A. Type of exercise or activity (eg, walking, swimming, cycling)

B. Specific workload ( eg, walking speed, watts)

C. Duration and frequency of the activity ( eg. exercise session )

D. Intensity guidelines - target heart rate (THR) range and


estimated rate of perceived exertion (RPE)

E. Precautions regarding certain orthopedic (or other) concerns


or related comments.

F.I.T.T. PRINCIPLE
The FITT principles are an exercise prescription to help participants
understand how long and how hard they should exercise. It describes how
to safely apply the principles of overload and progression. With the
application of the basic principles of exercise, the FITT formula will be of
great help for you to create a workout plan and know which of the
exercises is effective to meet your goals for a specific period of time.

1. Frequency– is how often you exercise. It refers to the number of


sessions per given amount of time. As a general rule, at least three (3)
exercise sessions (non- consecutive days) per week are required to
achieve the physiological benefits associated with exercise.

2. Intensity – is how hard you exercise. It refers to the degree of difficulty


of an exercise session. In general, training intensity ranges from 60% to
90%.

Computation of Training Heart

Rate THR = (MHR – PA x .6)

If: PA = 20

THR = (220 – 20 x
.6)
THR = 120 bpm

Thus, 120bpm serves as the training heart rate at 60% level of


intensity. This heart rate must be maintained for at least 20-30 minutes
per aerobic training session, 3 times per week until the athlete is able to
comfortably adapt to the training load. After which, training intensity may
be increased to 65% to 70%. Target heart range may also be computed by
getting the lower limit and upper limit of the heart rate.
3. Time – refers to the duration or how long a specific activity or an
exercise session will [Link], how long should each workout be? The
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends a conditioning
bout of 20 to 30 minutes at an intensity of 60 to 80 percent not including
warm-up and cool-down. A similar exercise volume may be obtained at a
low intensity and a longer time or higher intensity and a shorter time. A
typical exercise session would be as follows:

Warm-up 5-15 min Conditioning Bout 20-30 min Cool-down 5-15 min
+ +

exercise. For example, you might do cardiovascular activity (also known


4. Typeas- refers to what kind of exercise you are doing or the
simply
Cardio is any
'cardio'), type of
strength exercise
training, or that improves your
a combination of thecardiovascular
two. system.
This includes:

 running
 swimming
 walking
 dancing
 aerobics routines
 cycling

Strength training is any type of exercise that tones and strengthens the
muscles. It usually results in muscular hypertrophy.

This includes:

 the use of weights, like bicep curls and bench presses


 bodyweight exercises, such as:
o squats
o pushups
o pullups
o situps
For example, an individual wishing to increase arm strength must exercise
the triceps and biceps, while an individual wishing to increase aerobic
endurance needs to jog, run, swim or perform some other aerobically
challenging activity.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISE

Any sets of exercise in order to be effective should consider the six


(6) basic principles of exercise. In this way, the body movement will come
up quite proportional and injuries can be avoided.

1. Overload – refers to the observation that a body system must be


exercised at a level beyond which it is presently accustomed. A specific
system adapts to this overload until it reaches a state where adaptation is
no longer observed.

2. Progression – it closely associated with the principle of overload. It


is a systematic increase of the exercise program so that appropriate
physiological system continues to be overloaded. It is important to note
however, that excessive overload could lead to exhaustion (burn-out),
injury or impaired performance.

3. Specificity – this principle states that benefits associated with the


training stimulus can only be achieved when it duplicates the movements
and energy systems involved in the exercise. Training effects are highly
specific to the particular physiological systems overloaded, to the
particular muscles used, and more specifically to the particular muscle
fibers recruited to perform the work.

4. Individuality – no two individuals are exactly alike. All individuals


have different performances, fitness attributes, lifestyles, nutritional
preferences, and they respond to exercise and its physical and social
environments in their own unique way. It is essential that the exercise
program caters to these individual needs and preferences.

5. Recovery – it refers to the amount of time the body should be


allowed to rest and recover from fatigue before the next activity begins.

6. Reversibility – the principle simply states that if an individual stops to


exercise the body returns to its initial level of fitness.

PHASES OF EXERCISE / WORKOUT

Planning a workout regimen should include all four phases of


exercise to help prevent injuries while burning the most possible
calories. If you take the time to start and end slowly and stretch your
muscles, you can help support your cardiovascular system and reduce
the chance of muscle stiffness following your workout.
a. warm – up exercises – or sometimes called limbering up is always
the initial phase of any exercise program. It is a light activity
aimed at increasing the body temperature and open up blood
capillaries to allow a gradual increase in the blood flow to the
muscles, ligaments, and tendons. In general, the function of
warm-up exercise is to prepare the body to meet the demands
of rigorous activity. A good indicator if the individual is already
warmed-up is the onset of a light sweat.

b. stretching – this phase of exercise follows immediately after


warm-up. It is done by doing gradual flexibility activities from
upper to lower extremities. Stretch after your warm-up routine
then again after your cool down. Stretching all your muscles
keeps them flexible and ready for heavy workout days.

c. conditioning bout – an individual now engages himself into


exercises, which lead to his desire of improving his level of physical
fitness. The sets of exercises performed in this level are much
harder compared to the warm up exercises.

d. cool down – serve to gradually taper off the body from the stress
of exercise. It is as important as warming up because it keeps the
blood circulating around the body to prevent the individual from
experiencing some form of dizziness.

VARIOUS FUNCTIONS OF EXERCISE

1. Release of pent-up emotion


2. Build strength
3. Increase flexibility through stretching exercise and develop
coordination in performing skills.
4. Provides relaxation
5. Realign and reshape the body
6. Discharges excess energy
7. Fun
PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

1. Improved physiological function (heart, blood vessels,


muscles and respiratory system)
2. Increased movement efficiency
3. Better weight control
4. More efficient heat elimination and heat control
5. Possible decrease of elevated blood pressure
6. Reduce possibility of blood clotting
7. Better sleep

PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

1. Elevated mood (exercise acts as an antidepressant)


2. Increased motivation for physical activities
3. Relief of emotional stress
4. Discharge of an anxiety
5. Better relaxation, less emotional fatigue
6. Improvement in body image, self-confidence, and self-esteem
7. More adequate in coping behavior

ADVANTAGES OF EXERCISE FOR FITNESS

1. Exercise can be systematically planned to cover all muscle


groups of the body and to emphasize areas of greatest need.
2. The dosage of exercise can be controlled for a given time.
3. Progression can be regulated from very mild to vigorous and
exhaustive efforts.
4. Exercise can be derived which will provide for the
development of body control, flexibility, balance, and good
posture, as well as for increased muscular strength and
endurance.

Common questions

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Regular exercise promotes strong muscles and bones, improves respiratory and cardiovascular health, aids in maintaining a healthy weight, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers by increasing respiration and circulation, demanding more oxygen which deepens breathing and aids muscle contraction to circulate blood to the heart . It also enhances movement efficiency, cardiovascular functioning, and heat regulation while potentially decreasing elevated blood pressure and reducing the risk of blood clotting .

An exercise session consists of a warm-up phase to gradually increase body temperature and blood flow, reducing injury risk; stretching to enhance flexibility and readiness for muscle exertion; the conditioning bout where the main exercise occurs targeting specific fitness improvements; and a cool-down phase that helps the body gradually return to resting state, maintaining circulation and preventing dizziness .

The overload principle requires exercising at levels beyond current norms to promote adaptation, while the progression principle involves systematic increases to maintain this overloading effect. Applying these principles with caution—by adjusting intensity and volume gradually—prevents excessive strain on the body, thereby reducing risks of burnout and injuries, allowing the body to adapt without overtaxing it .

Exercise prescription provides a tailored fitness plan designed to meet specific goals and address individual needs, often developed by fitness or rehabilitation professionals. It includes recommendations on exercise type, workload, duration, frequency, and intensity, as well as necessary precautions. This customization ensures that the exercise program is aligned with the individual's unique physiological and psychological characteristics, promoting adherence and effective goal achievement .

The FITT principle helps individuals understand the structure of an exercise regimen, ensuring they exercise with appropriate frequency, intensity, type, and time . Frequency addresses how often to exercise, with a minimum recommendation of three sessions per week. Intensity involves how challenging the exercise should be, typically between 60% to 90% of the maximum heart rate. Type pertains to the kind of exercise, like cardio or strength training. Time dictates the duration of sessions, recommended at 20-30 minutes per session, not including warm-up and cool-down phases .

When choosing the type of exercise, considerations include the individual's fitness goals (e.g., cardiovascular health, strength training), preference for activities (e.g., running, swimming), and any orthopedic or health concerns. It's important to select exercises that are enjoyable and sustainable, allowing the individual to diversify their routine and cater to specific physical and health needs .

Exercise prescription motivates consistent fitness by offering structured, goal-oriented programs that cater to individual interests and abilities, thus increasing compliance. Personalized plans with clear goals, progress tracking, and flexibility to adapt to life changes encourage sustained engagement and satisfaction. By aligning with personal health aspirations, tailor-made prescriptions foster long-term commitment to physical activity .

Regular exercise enhances mood by acting as an antidepressant, boosts motivation for physical activity, and relieves stress and anxiety. It aids relaxation, decreases emotional fatigue, and improves body image, self-confidence, and self-esteem, contributing to enhanced coping behaviors. These psychological benefits foster overall mental well-being and emotional resilience .

Ignoring the reversibility principle by ceasing regular exercise leads to a decline in fitness levels as the body reverts to its initial state. This can result in reduced muscle mass and strength, decreased cardiovascular efficiency, poorer metabolic rate control, and increased risk of weight gain and associated health issues. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining physiological improvements made through past training efforts .

The six basic principles of exercise include overload, which implies exercising beyond accustomed levels to encourage adaptation; progression, systematically increasing exercise demands; specificity, ensuring exercises reflect targeted activities for specific results; individuality, tailoring programs to unique personal attributes; recovery, allowing adequate rest; and reversibility, maintaining regular exercise to avoid regression. These principles improve effectiveness by ensuring adaptation and reducing injury risk by preventing over-exertion and allowing customization to individual fitness levels .

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