Elements of Fitness

The Warm-Up (Prepares the Body for Training)

General Warm Up

• Non-specific, low-intensity activity including dynamic stretching and light cardiovascular activity with the purpose of increasing blood flow, respiration, and body temperature. 

Specific Warm Up

• Movements used to prepare the body for a sport or specific exercises.

Dynamic Stretching

• Movement-based active stretching where muscles engage to bring about a stretch. 

Flexibility Training (Increases Range of Motion)

Static Stretching

• Lengthening a muscle and holding the lengthened position.

• Ideal for a cooldown rather than warm-up

• Changes length-tension relationship

Core Training

Refers to strengthening the musculature of the abdominals, back, and lower body that directly influence the lumbopelvic hip complex (LPHC)

• Muscles of the Core and LPHC:

Hip Abductors	Gluteus Medius	Gluteus Maximus
Erector Spinae	Rectus Abdominus	Gluteus Minimus
Hamstring Complex	Quadriceps	Hip Flexors
Transverse Abdominus	Internal Obliques	External Obliques
Multifidus	Pelvic Floor Muscles

A well rounded exercise program will include exercises that challenge the core in all planes of motion.

Balance Training

Involves manipulating and stimulating sensory systems to challenge the ability to maintain one’s center of gravity and remain upright. These systems include:

• Visual: Opening or closing the eyes

• Vestibular (Inner Ear): Moving the head by focusing the gaze in different directions during an exercise. 

• Somatosensory: Manipulating body position or using an unstable surface.

  
  

Balance training should become progressively more difficult. 

Reactive Training (Plyometrics)

Quick, powerful movements with an eccentric action followed by an immediate concentric action. Reactive training trains the body to be explosive, fast, and agile.

• Speed: The ability to move the body in one direction and fast as possible.

• Agility: The ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize, and change direction with proper posture. 

• Quickness: Ability to react and change body position with a maximum rate of force production.

Resistance Training (Strength Training)

Involves exercises with the explicit intent of increasing strength, endurance, muscle size (hypertrophy) or power. 

To promote muscular adaption, resistance training must be challenging enough to tear the muscle fiber. 

• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Muscle pain or stiffness resulting from micro tearing of tissue during eccentric muscle action that is felt after unaccustomed exercise.

  
  

Cardiorespiratory Training

Requires continuous, rhythmic exercise involving large muscle groups. The body’s response to exercise is directly proportional to the oxygen demands of the skeletal muscles. 

Cardiorespiratory training uses Target Heart Rate (THR), Rates of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Heart Rate Zones to determine intensity and drive physiological adaptions. 

• The THR denotes a specific percentage of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

  • 220 minus a persons age

• Steady State Activity: Continuous activity performed at a fixed level of exertion. The body adapts to regular steady-state exercise by increasing blood flow to the heart to keep up with its aerobic energy demands.

• Interval Training: Involves a series of low to high intensity workouts combined with periods of rest or lower intensity activity. 

  • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Brief, 10 to 45 second, segments of high intensity exercise.  

The Cooldown

Gradually slowing the body after activity to return to homeostasis or close to homeostasis. Allows the body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate to return to a level closer to normal. An ideal time to static stretch and perform self-myofascial release (SMR).