Lesson 1: Guide to Getting Fit
Standard 4
7.4.2 Demonstrate the importance of all components of physical fitness in achieving a
desired level of health-enhancing physical fitness.
8.4.1 Participate in a personal health-related physical fitness program.
Standard 5
7.5.1 Contribute to the development of and adherence to rules that provide for safe
participation in physical activities.
7.5.3 Follow the rules of games and activities to ensure a safe environment for participants.
8.5.2 Perform safely and follow class rules of conduct and game rules.
8.5.6 Resolve conflicts and accept decisions or judgments in socially acceptable ways.
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I. Concepts
1. Getting Started
 What and how to get started. Need proper equipment, proper clothes and a goal or a
vision of what you want to accomplish.
 Benefits of being physically active.
 Physical activity has been proven to prevent chronic conditions, such as heart disease,
osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, obesity and diabetes. It also has been proven to
increase body image, enhance mental health and improve sleep habits.
2. Research proves that it’s never too early or late to begin routine physical activity. It gives
you better odds of living a longer, healthier life. Becoming physically active is the key to
feeling strong and aging well. The goal is to become more active and reap the health
benefits of an active lifestyle.
3. What is Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA)?
 Talk about the importance of giving good effort and ways to determine amount of
effort.
 The goal of 225 minutes per week of MVPA-Moderate to Vigorous Physical
 Activity, 45 minutes of moderate activity daily, 5 days a week.
4. FitnessGram Assessments
 Each component of FitnessGram
• Aerobic training (Cardio)
• Strength training
• Flexibility
 Each component of the test needs to be reinforced daily through discussion about the
importance of improving fitness.
 Higher level of thinking should be practiced on how these components will help in a
long-term, lifelong fitness plan.
 What efforts must be put forth to become physically fit and maintain fitness for a
lifetime?
5. Safety Factors to consider when planning activity:
 A safe route (Discuss the positive and barriers)
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Temperature (How do we dress, where should we workout for safety, staying hydrated,
avoiding hyperthermia or hypothermia)
Time of day (Ask about the time that each individual likes to work out and avoiding
barriers)
Warm-ups: Make sure you stretch and warm up your muscles, and mentally prepare.
Mental – Use this as a time for yourself, a time for enjoyment, stress relief, relaxation
Medical – Get physician’s advice prior to beginning; know your limitations with any health
concerns
Dress for Weather – Environment affects physical activity. You should dress for various
weather conditions. What are the appropriate clothes?
If Injuries Occur, Use the RICE formula – Rest, Ice, Compression, Evaluation
II. Movement Activities
 Individual Activities (e.g., tumbling, track & field, juggling, hula hoops, roller skating)
 Net Games (e.g., badminton, pickle ball, volleyball, tennis, speedminton)
 Fitness Activities (e.g., strength training, stretching, core fitness, flexibility)
III. Skill Focus
 Individual fitness levels (Coordination, flexibility, strength, motivation)
 Identify how your body feels when exercising
 What happens to breathing and heart rate with physical activity?
 What should your heart rate do after working out for 6 weeks?
 What happens to your stress level?
 How do your muscles feel during and after a work out and how does fatigue affect
physical activity patterns?
IV. Assessments
 FitnessGram
Thinking Critically:
 Discuss safe practices for being active in an environment with various forms of weather.
How can you prevent injuries as you exercise in wet, hot, or icy weather?
 How has physical activity of teens today increased or decreased from ten years ago? Why
and what can you do to change this trend?
Homework: Find an article that discusses exercising in various weather conditions and bring it to
class to post on the bulletin board.
Practical Application: At home, take a walk, ride a bike, or engage in some other activity and then
see if you feel better physically and mentally. Write about the differences
and compare how you feel between times when you are being active and
inactive.
Vocabulary: Discuss the definition of each word/Use as homework, or extra credit
1. Warm-up/Cool down
2. Fitness
3. Conditioning
4. Exercise
5. MPA – moderate physical activity
6. VPA – vigorous physical activity
7. Heart rate
8. Target heart rate
9. Maximum heart rate
10. Physical activity
KNOWLEDGE TEST:
1. Which component of the Fitnessgram test is most related to cardiovascular fitness?
A. PACER test
B. Push ups test
C. Curl ups test
D. Sit and reach test
2. After several months of endurance training, a person’s heart rate is expected to
A. increase.
B. decrease.
C. remain unchanged.
D. become irregular.
3. The pulse on the wrist is found on the
A. thumb side when the palm is turned down.
B. thumb side when the palm is turned up.
C. little finger side when the palm is turned down.
D. little finger side when the palm is turned up.
4. How many days per week should people engage in moderate to vigorous activity?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four or more
5. How many minutes of moderate to vigorous activity are recommended for each day
according to the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention?
A. 30-40
B. 45-60
C. 15-20
D. 120