EF205 Unit 6 FITT Principles Application Paper Example

Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type for a Beginner Who Gets Winded Walking Fast: A Unit 6 Paper Applying the FITT Principles

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

EF205: Principles of Exercise Science

Unit 6 FITT Principles Paper

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The student and her plan details are composite; the guidelines and studies cited are real.

What the FITT Principles Are

FITT is a way of describing any exercise prescription by four variables. Frequency is how often, intensity is how hard, time is how long each session lasts and type is what kind of activity. A fifth idea, progression, describes how those variables change over weeks, and some authors add volume, the total amount of exercise, as the product of the others. The college's position stand on exercise for healthy adults organizes its recommendations by these variables for each component of fitness (Garber et al., 2011).

Cardiorespiratory Training

Guideline. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week, totaling at least 150 minutes, or vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes on three or more days, totaling at least 75 minutes, or a combination (Garber et al., 2011). The federal guidelines give the same weekly ranges and add that more activity brings additional benefits (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018).

Applied to me. Frequency: four days a week to start, rising to five. Intensity: moderate at first, measured as described below. Time: 25 minutes per session to start, rising to 40. Type: brisk walking with short jogging intervals, moving to continuous jogging. Because my starting fitness is low, the plan begins below the guideline volume and reaches it by about week six.

Measuring Intensity Without a Lab

I will use three methods together.

Heart rate. Using my estimated maximum of about 185, moderate intensity corresponds roughly to 64 to 76 percent of maximum, or about 118 to 141 beats a minute, according to the intensity classifications in the position stand. My chest strap shows this in real time.

Perceived exertion. The Borg scale rates effort from 6, no exertion, to 20, maximal, and was designed so that ratings roughly track heart rate (Borg, 1982). Moderate effort is about 12 to 13, "somewhat hard."

Talk test. At moderate intensity I should be able to talk in full sentences but not sing; if I can only speak a few words, I am working vigorously.

Using all three protects against the error in any one, such as an inaccurate estimated maximum heart rate.

The talk test costs nothing and works on the track, in the warehouse parking lot and on a treadmill, which makes it the method I am most likely to keep using.

Resistance Training

Guideline. Train each major muscle group on two or three days a week, with 8 to 12 repetitions per set to improve strength for most adults, and at least 48 hours between sessions for the same muscle group (Garber et al., 2011).

Applied to me. Frequency: two days, Tuesday and Friday. Intensity: a load or variation that allows 10 to 12 good repetitions, with the last two feeling hard. Time: about 25 minutes. Type: bodyweight squats, hip hinges, knee push-ups progressing toward full push-ups, rows with a resistance band, planks and bird dogs, targeting the legs, hips, upper body and core identified in the anatomy worksheet and the push-up test.

Flexibility Training

Guideline. Stretch major muscle groups at least two or three days a week, holding each static stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds to the point of tightness, after the muscles are warm (Garber et al., 2011).

Applied to me. After each aerobic session, stretch the calves, hamstrings, hip flexors and chest for about five minutes. My sit-and-reach was average, so the aim is maintenance.

Progression

The position stand recommends gradual progression of time, frequency and intensity, noting that progressing too quickly increases the risk of injury and of quitting. My rule is to change one variable at a time, by no more than about 10 percent a week, and only when the current week's sessions feel like a 12 or 13 on the Borg scale. For running, I will use walk-jog intervals: starting at 1 minute of jogging and 2 minutes of walking, repeated, and increasing the jogging portion each week until I can jog 25 minutes continuously.

A Sample Week in Week Four

To show the principles in practice, here is a week from the first month. Monday: 5 minutes brisk walking, then six rounds of 2 minutes jogging and 2 minutes walking, then 5 minutes walking, about 34 minutes at a perceived exertion of 12 to 13. Tuesday: strength session of two sets each of squats, glute bridges, knee push-ups, band rows and bird dogs, plus a 25-second plank. Wednesday: the same aerobic session as Monday. Thursday: rest or an easy walk with my daughter. Friday: strength session. Saturday: aerobic session with my daughter on her bike. Sunday: rest. That week totals about 100 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two strength sessions, below the guideline but on the planned path toward it.

How the Plan Accounts for Work

My job already involves several hours of light activity, mostly walking and squatting to shelves. That counts toward daily movement, but it also tires my legs and back, so the plan places strength sessions on evenings after shorter shifts and avoids leg-heavy strength work the night before my longest shift on Thursday. Recovery is part of the FITT picture even if it is not one of the four letters.

Why This Fits My Goal

A 5K for a beginner is mostly an aerobic event, so cardiorespiratory training gets the most time. Strength training addresses the push-up result, supports my back at work and may reduce injury risk as running increases. Flexibility work is brief. The plan reaches the guideline volume within six weeks and leaves ten weeks to build toward the race.

Limits

Age-predicted heart rate zones are approximate, the talk test is subjective and guideline ranges are designed for populations, so my own responses may differ. The plan will be adjusted at the retest.

Conclusion

Applying the FITT principles to my test results gives a plan that starts below the guidelines and reaches them in six weeks, uses heart rate, perceived exertion and the talk test to judge intensity, builds strength in the areas my tests found weakest and progresses one variable at a time. It turns general guidance into a set of decisions I can follow at the track and at home.

References

Borg, G. A. V. (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 14(5), 377-381. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012

Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I.-M., Nieman, D. C., & Swain, D. P. (2011). Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(7), 1334-1359. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.). https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines