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Active Physical Activity Level The energy that is required for a normal weight active individual, the physical activity typically will be equivalent to walking 7 miles/day at the rate of 3 to 4 mph.
Aerobic Exercise is any continuous activity of large muscle groups that forces your heart and lungs to work harder. Aerobic means your heart and lungs are using oxygen. Examples include walking, swimming, stair climbing, and jumping rope.
Anaerobic Exercise requires your body to perform at a great effort for a relatively short duration. This type of exerciser requires your body to use stored energy that does not need oxygen to be released. Examples include weight training or sprinting.
Body Composition is the makeup of your body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue and organs) and fat mass. Endurance activities can help you decrease your fat mass by burning calories and strength-building activities can help you build your muscle mass.
Body Mass Index (BMI) measures weight in relation to height. BMI is determined by a mathematical formula that helps to "estimate" body fat. BMI is a better predictor of disease risk than body weight alone. Certain people should not rely on the BMI to assess health risk. This group includes competitive athletes and body builders who often have high BMIs due to increased muscle mass. If you are a female between the ages of 2 to 18, click here to see a BMI graph for your age in PDF format. An HTML vesion for girls BMI can be viewed here. If you are a male between the ages of 2 to 18, click here to see a BMI graph for your age in PDF format. An HTML vesion for boys BMI can be viewed here. If you are a person age 19 or older, click here to link to a BMI table in PDF format. An HTML vesion for adult BMI can be viewed here.
Calisthenics refers to physical exercises done without equipment to build muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Calories are the units used to measure the amount of energy supplied by food and the amount of energy burned by activity.
Calorie Balance is the difference between how many calories (energy intake) you eat from food and how many you burn (calorie expenditure). When the calories you eat from food equal the calories you burn, you maintain your weight. Eating more calories than you burn results in weight gain. Burning more calories than you eat results in weight loss. During periods of growth and development, you need to eat more calories than you burn to meet the energy needs of increased body tissue.
Calorie Expenditure (or calories expended) is the amount of energy your body uses to do anything. For example you burn or expend calories when you walk, swim, sleep, read and breathe.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance is the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to adjust to and recover from the effects of whole body exercise or work.The circulatory and respiratory systems deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and remove waste products. Long runs and swims are example of endurance activities.
Circuit Training is a series of exercises, performed one after the other, with little rest between.
Circuit Weight Training Programs involve 8-12 repetitions with various weight machines at 7 to 14 stations, while moving quickly from one station to the next. A typical workout for muscular strength and endurance is one in which 1 set of 8-12 repetitions is done on a specific machine before moving to the next machine. This type of training is mainly done in gyms.
Cool Down is a gradual reduction of the intensity of physical activity to allow physiological processes to return to normal.
Dehydration is the condition resulting from the excessive loss of body water. Click here for more information.
Dietary Supplements include not only vitamins and minerals, but also amino acids, fiber, herbal products, and many other substances that are widely available. In general, such supplementation is unwarranted for people eating a balanced diet.
Exercise is a type of physical activity that is planned, structured, and consists of repetitive body movement done to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness. It is usually done for the purpose of enhancing health or physical fitness, or just to have fun.
Exercise Prescription is a recommendation for a course of exercise to meet individuals' objectives for fitness. Includes activity types; duration, intensity and frequency of exercise. Click here for a sample workout routine.
Fitness trainer/instructor is a person with credentials and experience in health and exercise who conducts fitness testing and designs and implements exercise programs for individuals. Click here for information on fitness trainers or click here to find a certified trainer certified trainer.
Flexibility is the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion without discomfort or pain.
Frequency is how often a person is physically active. Frequency, along with duration and intensity affect the cardiorespiratory response to exercise.2,5
Heart Rate is the number of beats of the heart per minute. Click here to determine heart rate.
Heart Rate Reserve is the difference between the resting heart rate and the maximal heart rate.
Home Activity is an activity centered on the maintenance and upkeep of a person's residence. Usually these activities are of light to moderate intensity, such as food preparation or sweeping the sidewalk or walk way; however, they can also be vigorous or more strenuous, such as moving furniture or replacing a roof. Click here for a list of home activities.
Hydration refers to the amount of fluid in your body. It is important to replace any fluid your body loses during physical activity. Click here for more information.
Intensity (of physical activity) refers to how hard your body works during an activity. In general, the higher your heart rate (or the faster your heart beats) the more intense the activity. For this physical activity tool, activities are classified as sedentary/light, moderate or vigorous based on METs. Click here for a table of activities and METs category.
Interval Training is an exercise session in which the intensity and duration of exercise are consciously alternated between harder and easier work. Often used to improve aerobic capacity and/or anaerobic endurance in people who exercise regularly or who are physically well trained.
Kilogram is a measure of weight equal to 2.2 pounds. (i.e. a person who weighs 100 pounds, weighs 45.5 kilograms).
Leisure Time Physical Activity is a recreational activity generally associated with pleasure and/or health and fitness. Such activities are varied as to type and intensity. Some leisure time activities are of light intensity such as sitting in a boat fishing; others are of moderate activity, such as low impact aerobics. Those that are classified, as vigorous intensity are more strenuous, such as high impact aerobics or running. Click here for a list of leisure time physical activities.
Light Physical Activity is physical activity performed at an intensity level less than 3METs, such as sitting in a boat fishing, ironing or mild stretching. Click here for a list of light activities.
Low Active Physical Activity Level The energy that is required for an adult weighing 70 kg would typically include exertion equivalent to walking 2.2 miles/day at a rate of 3 to 4 mph in addition to the activities that are part of independent living.
Maximal Aerobic Power or Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max) indicates aerobic fitness - the ability to sustain work for prolonged periods. This is usually experienced in the abilities to walk, run, and climb uphill, swim, and other activities performed continuously for more than 15 minutes. Fit people are usually healthier than unfit ones. VO2 max is the best way to measure the aerobic fitness of an individual. The actual measurement is typically performed in a laboratory or clinical setting and consists of walking/running on a treadmill, or cycling on a bicycle ergometer at increased loads, for 12 to 15 minutes. The oxygen used during the maximal effort is the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The higher the VO2 max the fitter the individual. Click here for a table of standard values of VO2 max.
Maximum Heart Rate is the highest heart rate value attainable by a person during an all-out effort to the point of exhaustion. To estimate your maximum heart rate click here.
Metabolic Equivalents (METs) is a ratio of work metabolic rate to standard resting metabolic rate. Resting energy expenditure is considered 1 MET. Therefore, a 3 MET activity (equivalent to walking the dog, or bowling) would require energy expenditure at a level equal to three times resting.
Moderate Physical Activity is physical activity performed at an intensity level equal to or greater than 3METs but less than 6METs, such as brisk walking or gardening. Moderate intensity causes a slightly increased rate of breathing, and it feels light to somewhat hard; yet individuals doing moderate activity can easily carry on a conversation. Click here for a list of moderate activities.
Muscular Endurance is the ability of the muscle to perform repetitive contractions over a prolonged period of time. Pushups are often used to test endurance of arm and shoulder muscles.
Muscular Strength is the ability of the muscle to exert force for a brief period of time. For example, upper-body strength can be measured by various weight-lifting exercises.
Occupational Activity is an activity performed by a person on the job or as part of daily work. Such activities are varied as to type and intensity. Some occupations are sedentary and are classified as light intensity, such as sitting at a computer or making beds; others are classified as moderate intensity such as, general carpentry. Those that are classified, as vigorous intensity are more strenuous, such as coal mining or using heavy tools. Click here for a list of occupational activities.
Pedometer is a step counter that is worn at the waist or on a person's waistband. It tallies the number of steps a person's takes each day. Walking 2,000 steps is equal to about 1 mile and roughly 100 calories are burned over and above calories for resting metabolism.
Physical Activity is bodily movement produced by skeletal muscle contraction that results in energy expenditure. This includes occupational activities (i.e. lifting, digging, walking); household tasks (i.e. vacuuming, dusting); transportation (i.e. walking to school or work, bicycling to the store); and leisure activities (i.e. running, golf, basketball).
Physical Fitness is the ability to perform daily tasks without feeling fatigued or exhausted, with energy left over for enjoying leisure-time activities and meeting emergency demands. It involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and the muscle of the body. As such physical fitness has four parts: Cardiorespiratory fitness reflects the condition of your heart and lungs, and the ability of your body to deliver oxygen throughout the body. Muscular fitness means the strength and endurance of your muscles. Flexibility is the ability to move your joints freely and without pain. Body composition is the makeup of your body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue and organs) and fat mass.
Resting Heart Rate is the rate that your heart beats at rest. To determine your resting heart rate click here.
Risk Factors for disease are characteristics that are associated with higher risk of developing specific health problems. Click here for a list of risk factors.
Sedentary Physical Activity Level The energy that is required for a person to live independently includes basal energy expenditure, the thermic effect of food and physical activities.
Stretching includes movements that lengthen muscles to their maximum extension and move joints to the limits of their extension.
Target Heart Rate is a safe heart recommended for fitness workworks; it depends on age and gender. It is the rate you want the heart to work (beats per minute) during a certain activity. You can use it to help determine the intensity of an activity. To determine your target heart rate click here. To determine your target heart rate range click here.
Very Active Physical Activity Level The energy that is required for activities equivalent to walking 17 miles/day.
Vigorous Physical Activity is physical activity performed at an intensity level equal to or greater than 6 METs, such as step aerobics, or running. These activities result in increased rates of breathing and sweating, and feel from somewhat hard to very hard. Calorie burning is also increased. Click here for a list of vigorous activities.
Warm-up is a gradual increase in the intensity of exercise to allow physiological processes to prepare for greater energy outputs. Changes include a rise in body temperature, cardiorespiratory changes (i.e. increased heart and ventilation rate) and increase in muscle elasticity and contractility.
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