Personal Fitness Plan

Developing Your Personal Fitness Plan

WHAT IS A FITNESS PLAN?

It seems like there are dozens of reasons to work out. The most popular ones are to lose weight, to increase muscle tone, and to improve the heart and lungs. When people exercise regularly, their metabolism goes up and stress goes down. They look and sleep better. They feel better and may even live longer.

Why is it so easy to become an exercise dropout when fitness offers such wonderful health benefits? A fitness plan may be the missing key to getting and staying fit. First, let’s do an attitude check. Are negative feelings associated with exercise? Does shame, embarrassment, or guilt prevent you from starting or staying with a fitness program? Does exercise feel like a chore? Are you too busy to exercise? Do you feel guilty when you don’t exercise?

One activity may be pleasurable to one person and grueling to another. Substantial health benefits can be gained simply by fitting moderate amounts of physical activity into your days. Traditional health club activities are one way to get moving. Playful and chore-oriented activities are also a fun way to add exercise. Do them whenever you can.

A fitness plan is an excellent tool that helps you manage your fitness and nutritional goals based on your needs and interests. You may want to get help with your plan from a trainer or sports physician. Make it enjoyable and part of your lifestyle. Don’t use exercise as a quick fix. Allow it to nurture your body, not punish it. Give your body what it needs to be healthy and strong. Measure and reward your effort. Follow these tips to change your approach to food and exercise for good:

·  Set realistic short and long-term goals.

·  Focus on your progress, not the end result. Let go of old patterns and habits that do not work.

·  Gauge your progress by the healthful habits you are adopting rather than by the numbers on the scale

·  Identify the emotions and stressors that cause negative behaviors such as eating when you are not hungry

·  Stop the “should do’s” and do what is right for you.

·  Think positive thoughts about yourself like “I can”, “I am”, “I will”.

·  Make healthful food choices; eat low fat and lots of vegetables and grains.

·  Make exercise part of your life, not just a way to lose weight.

WHY DO I NEED TO BUILD A FITNESS PLAN?

There are several reasons why it is important to know how to build a fitness plan. The Washington State Physical Education standards require all 8th grade students to be able to design and implement a fitness plan. A fitness plan is an effective tool to define strengths and weaknesses in your fitness and nutrition goals. A fitness plan also helps to specifically define short-term and longer-term fitness and nutrition goals as well as identify obstacles that might stand in your way. Learning to design, implement and track a fitness plan is a lifetime skill that you can use to always help to improve your fitness and health. Most importantly, a fitness plan is individualized and custom fit to apply to your own lifestyle challenges.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BUILDING A FITNESS PLAN?

The benefits of a fitness plan are numerous. Aside from some of the obvious ones mentioned above like setting goals, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, fitness plans have shown to be motivational. You stay more motivated when you have a plan written that tells you what you need to do. Humans feel good when they accomplish their goals and fitness plans are a way to help guide you in meeting very important fitness and nutrition goals. Another benefit of a fitness plan is that it provides living proof of whether you are making progress or not.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BUILD A FITNESS PLAN?

To really build a good, effective, beneficial fitness plan, you need to be able to have some basic background in the following areas:

·  You need to know what your strengths and weaknesses are

·  You need to know how to set goals using correct criteria

·  You need to know the 5 fitness components

·  You need to know what the FITT formula is and how to use it

·  You need to know the basic training principles

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN BUILDING A FITNESS PLAN?

Step 1 / Step 2 / Step 3 / Step 4 / Step 5 / Final Product
Fitness history and fitness evaluation (FitnessGram data) / Set Goals in each fitness component to maintain and improve fitness and nutrition / Assign specific activities to your fitness goals including warm-up and cool-down exercises / Determine a realistic FITT for each activity / Implement, track and modify your plan / Personalized Fitness Plan that works

Source:

http://www.baptistonline.org/health/library/exer4493.asp

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/fitness/fitforlife.html#

PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN

8th GRADE

2 WEEK PLAN/ 1 WEEK FOOD LOG

NAME______Period______

PERSONAL FITNESS CONTRACT

I, ______, am going to make a commitment to helping build my lifelong fitness and nutrition habits that will assist me in sustaining a long, actively healthy lifestyle. I will make an attempt to follow most, if not all of the guidelines I have designed in my fitness plan. My fitness plan will identify areas I need improvements in both fitness and nutrition. I will design realistic, achievable, and measureable goals. My activities will be ones that I can consistently incorporate into my current lifestyle. I will do my best to keep fitness logs so that I can actually see if I am achieving the guidelines of my fitness plan as well as seeing my improvements in my overall fitness.

I understand the conditions of my fitness plan and will do my best to incorporate this plan into my daily life.

______(print student first AND last name)

______(student signature) Date______

______(parent signature) Date______

PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN PRE-ASSESSMENT

NAME______Period______

INSTRUCTIONS: Please answer the following with complete responses. Please put quality thought and effort into each of your answers. You will need to review the following charts to complete this section:

·  Fitnessgram Healthy Fitness Zone Chart

·  BMI Chart

PART A—FITNESS COMPONENT EVALUATION

Using the charts at the end of packet answer the following questions:

1. Body Composition: What is your BMI?______Are you in the HFZ? Yes No

2. Flexibility: Are you able to pass the “Sit & Reach”? Yes No

3. Trunk Lift: Are you able to score within the HFZ for the assessment? Yes No

4. Upper Body Strength: How many push ups can you do? ______Are you in the HFZ? Yes No

5. Curls Ups: How many curl ups can you do?______Are you in the HFZ? Yes No

PART B—FITNESS EVALUATION

1.  Which one of the Fitness Components do did you score the lowest on and what could you do to improve?

______

2.  Which one of the Fitness Components did you do the best on and how can you maintain that or improve it?

______

3.  What exercise, if any, do you do outside of physical education class? If you are not currently exercising, which exercise would you most likely do?

______

FITNESS GOAL SETTING

NAME______Period______

1.  What are your fitness goals? Mark all that apply

___Appearance ___Cardiovascular Endurance ___Reduce Body Fat

___General Health ___Improve Flexibility ___Muscular Definition

___Muscle Size ___Muscle Strength ___Self Esteem

___Speed ___Sports Performance ___Reduce Stress

___Tone & Shape ___Lose Weight ___Improve Posture ___Medical Reasons OTHER______

2.  Which of the following are your personal obstacles in adopting a regular fitness program?

___ I get bored easily when I exercise ___I can’t really find the time to exercise

___Family Obligations ___I get frustrated when I don’t see results

___Intimidated or embarrassed when I exercise ___I have to exercise alone

___My exercise setting does not meet my needs ___I do not have obstacles, I am just lazy

___Other______

3.  Short-term goal. Identify a fitness goal you would like to achieve within two weeks for each of the below.

·  Cardio-respiratory Fitness:______

·  Upper Body Muscular Strength:______

·  Muscular Endurance: ______

·  Flexibility:______

·  Other:______

4.  Describe how you plan to meet this goal.

______

5.  Long-term goal. Identify a fitness goal you would like to achieve within six months for each of the below:

·  Cardio-respiratory Fitness:______

·  Upper Body Muscular Strength:______

·  Muscular Endurance: ______

·  Flexibility:______

·  Other:______

6.  Describe how you plan to meet this goal.

______

FITT FACTORS APPLIED TO A PHYSICAL CONDITIONG PROGRAM

Certain factors must be part of any fitness training program for it to be successful. These factors are Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. The acronym FITT makes it easier to remember them. Please review the information below to help you complete the FITT table.

Definition of FITT Principle

F = Frequency. Describes how often activity takes place in a week.

I = Intensity. Describes how vigorous the participant is engaged in activity.

T = Type. Describes how long the participant is engaged in activity.

T = Time. Describes the specific activity selected.

FITT TABLE

Frequency / Intensity / Time / Type
Cardio-respiratory Endurance / 3-6 times per week / Moderate to Vigorous / 20-60 minutes / Running
Walking
Swimming
Dancing, cycling
Aerobic classes
Circuit training, etc…
Muscular Strength and Endurance / 2-3 times per week / Progressive
Moderate
Resistance / 20-60 minute sessions / Weights, resistance bands, circuits, push-ups, curl-ups, etc….
Flexibility / 3-7 times per week / 3-5 minutes during warm up and cool down / Stretching, yoga, dynamic stretching, etc…….

WORKOUT WORKSHEET

Please think carefully and write down three of YOUR favorite example in each box below. For each 3rd choice activities please indicate an activity you could do in poor weather condition.

OVERLOAD AND PROGRESSION

In order to continue to improve and meet our physical fitness goals, we need to consistently increase the work we are asking our muscles to do. When completing your fitness plans, be sure to identify how you are increasing the work for your muscles to help you meet your fitness goals.

Each week your fitness plan needs to change from the week before to show that you are working towards your fitness goals. To do this, identify the overload and progression changes you plan to make.

My fitness goal is to improve (mark all that apply):

___Aerobic Capacity ___Muscular Strength ___Muscular Endurance

___Flexibility ___Body Composition

Definition of Overload

The idea of overload is stressing a muscle group beyond what it is accustomed to doing. With proper recovery and nutrition, the muscle group will increase its capacity.

Example: Overload is a relative term, not meaning the same for all people. An example could be: Susie normally jogs 10 minutes, but today she is going to jog 30 minutes. She has

applied a greater stress on her body.

Definition of Progression

Progression is the way a person should increase the workout (weight lifted or distance run). It is a gradual increase either in frequency, intensity, or time or a combination of all three components.

Example: On Monday, Susie is going to jog 10 minutes. On Tuesday, Susie will jog 12 minutes,

and on Wednesday she will jog 15 minutes. She is gradually increasing her jog time.

Overload/Progression: Describe how you are going to implement either overload or progression changes to your fitness plan.

______

______

PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN ACTIVITY LOG WEEK 1

NAME______PERIOD______

Week # 1 and date week begins______Each week must be different exercises.

Fill in the correct beginning date above. Use the chart below to plan your activities below. Your log should show complete thought and effort and be as detailed as possible. No more than 2 days of rest each week.

Fitness Category / Intensity / Time / Type
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility

PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN ACTIVITY LOG WEEK 2

NAME______PERIOD______

Week # 1 and date week begins______Each week must be different exercises.

Fill in the correct beginning date above. Use the chart below to plan your activities below. Your log should show complete thought and effort and be as detailed as possible. No more than 2 days of rest each week.

Fitness Category / Frequency / Intensity / Time / Type
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility
Cardio
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility

PERSONAL FITNESS PLAN 1 WEEK NUTRITION LOG

NAME______PERIOD______

Week # 1 and date week begins______.

Fill in the correct beginning date.

Sunday / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Drink(s)

NUTRITION LOG REFLECTION

“You are what you eat.” Have you heard that? Although that saying isn’t exactly true, what we do eat does have an impact on how we can concentrate in school, perform in sports, and even affects our moods. The First Lady has given 100% commitment to helping your people be more active and become aware of what they are eating. Check out this website to learn more about Let’s Move: http://www.letsmove.gov.kids.php.

Please visit the Myplate.gov website to learn what kinds of foods you should be eating for your body type.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov

After reviewing your food log, please answer the questions below.

1.  How many days did you eat breakfast?______

2.  How many days did you eat at least one fruit?______

3.  How many days did you eat at least one vegetable?______

4.  How many days did you eat more than one serving of fat? ______

5.  How many days did you drink a soda?______

6.  In reviewing your food log, and comparing it to the myplate website, describe how you are doing with your diet. Be specific, are you eating the recommended amount of fruits, veggies, carbohydrates and protein?

______

7.  Describe the changes you would like to make to your diet: