What is the importance of assessing yourself in terms of your health-related fitness brainly

If you are new to exercise or are coming back from a long period of inactivity, there are things you should do to make sure that your exercise program is effective and brings benefits, not injury or pain.

Pre-exercise screening

Pre-exercise screening is used to identify people with medical conditions that may put them at a higher risk of experiencing a health problem during physical activity. It is a filter or ‘safety net’ to help decide if the potential benefits of exercise outweigh the risks for you, and whether you require referral to a GP or allied health professional prior to undertaking physical activity. Print a copy of the adult pre-exercise screening tool and discuss it with your doctor or exercise professional.

You may need to visit your doctor before starting physical activity

If you answer ‘yes’ to some of the questions from the adult pre-exercising screening tool, see a doctor before starting physical activity. These questions include:

• Has your doctor ever told you that you have a heart condition or have you ever suffered a stroke?
• Do you ever experience unexplained pains in your chest at rest or during physical activity and exercise?
• Do you ever feel faint or have spells of dizziness during physical activity and exercise that causes you to lose balance?
• Have you had an asthma attack requiring immediate medical attention at any time over the last 12 months?
• If you have diabetes (type I or type II), have you had trouble controlling your blood glucose in the last three months?
• Do you have any diagnosed muscle, bone or joint problems that you have been told could be made worse by participating in physical activity or exercise?
• Do you have any other medical condition(s) that may make it dangerous for you to participate in physical activity or exercise?

Setting goals for physical activity

Setting goals gives you something to work towards and provides you with a way to measure how well you are doing over a period of time. When it comes to succeeding at your exercise program, setting goals and monitoring your progress will help you stay on track and get you to where you want to go.

One of the first steps is to identify why your health is important to you. Ask yourself what you want to get out of becoming more active. Think about the benefits you want to experience if you choose to be more active, as well as the barriers that are holding you back. It may be helpful to make a list of the pros and cons. Which barriers do you feel strongest about? What are the benefits that you want to experience?

Start physical activity gently

If you are currently inactive or feel your fitness level is low, it is highly recommended that you consult a health or exercise professional before commencing activity. Otherwise, start gently with a short session of an activity that you feel you can manage. Build your confidence and fitness level with a number of short sessions.

Exercise progression is unique to every person, so if you have not exercised for some time, progress slowly. Increase the length and the intensity of your exercise session gradually. Don’t push yourself straight away. Injury or discomfort can occur and this may reduce your motivation levels.

Stretching, warming up and cooling down

As the name suggests, the warm-up is designed to increase your body’s internal temperature and warm your muscles to prevent muscle strains and joint sprains. The best way is to start off at a leisurely pace, and then pick up speed. Usually a 5 to 10-minute warm-up is all you'll need, but this will vary from person to person and if the weather is cold.

Start with light aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling or rowing – you can do these easily using the exercise machines at the gym, but if you are at home, here is another five-minute warm-up suggestion – and a few dynamic stretches.

Dynamic stretching involves slow, repetitive, controlled movements through the full range of motion, performing movements you will be using in your chosen physical activity. You can start slower, and with a smaller range of motion, and increase speed and range of motion gradually.

For the last five minutes of your exercise, slow down and allow your body to cool down gradually, letting your heart rate and breathing rate come back to normal.

Stretching suggestions

Stretching should be part of your warm-up and cool-down routines. Stretching can help prepare your body and mind for exercise. Recent research suggests that including dynamic stretching in your warm up, which focuses on the muscles you are about to use, is probably best.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for physical activity

Make sure you have comfortable clothing, a suitable pair of shoes and water (as well as sunscreen and a hat if you are outside). Your shoes should provide good support and the best type will depend on the activity you are doing. The wrong type of shoe may cause foot pain or blisters.

Getting the technique right for your chosen physical activity

If you are trying something new, or getting back into an activity you have not done for a while, it might pay to get some coaching or expert instruction. Depending on the activity, incorrect or poor technique may lead to injury or soreness.

Where to get help

• Break down your ultimate health and fitness goal into small, specific and achievable mini-goals.
• Keep a training diary to monitor your progress.
• Always see your doctor for a medical check-up before starting any new fitness program, particularly if you are over 40 years, overweight, haven’t exercised in a long time or suffer from a chronic medical condition.

Making any lifestyle change can be challenging. Many people find that having a goal in mind gives them something to work towards, motivates them to stay on track and provides a measure of how well they are doing.If you’re trying to become more physically active, realistic, well-planned goals keep you focused and motivated.

Ensure you read through the pre-exercise self-screening tool before you embark on a physical activity or exercise program, particularly if you are over 40 years, overweight, haven’t exercised in a long time or suffer from a chronic medical condition.

Setting physical activity goals

Several key principles can be applied to help you set your physical activity goals. These include:

• Pinpoint your ultimate goal.
• Find out how to achieve your ultimate goal.
• Set small, specific mini-goals.
• Monitor your progress regularly.
• Adapt to changing circumstances.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself

Pinpoint your ultimate fitness goal

Suggestions include:

• Be realistic – Your ultimate fitness goal could be to be fit enough to participate in a competition on a set date or to do 10 laps of the pool. Whatever the case, make this goal realistic. Remember that most of us will never be world-famous athletes or supermodels. Think about what is achievable for you. Write down your goals.
• Be specific – Don’t make your ultimate goal a general statement like: ‘I want to lose weight’. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to lose?
• Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody else. For example, if your partner wants you to lose weight, but you’re happy as you are, you may find it difficult to commit to your exercise routine in the long term.

Find out how to achieve your ultimate fitness goal

Once you have decided on your health and fitness goal, you need to consider how you will reach that goal. Different fitness goals require different approaches. For example, weight loss requires you to regularly burn more kilojoules than you consume. An effective strategy may include:

• Choose aerobic activities such as walking.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week.
• Cut back on junk food.
• Eat smaller food portions.
• Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and wholegrain foods in your daily diet.

Set small, specific fitness goals

You are more likely to reach your ultimate goal if you break it down into small, short-term mini-goals. Short-term goals are specific, daily actions or behaviours that lead you to your ultimate goal. Suggestions include:

• Know your starting point, so you can pick activities that are comfortable and realistic for you, and build slowly at a pace that feels right for you.
• Set a reasonable timeframe. For example, if you want to lose 20 kg, then a realistic weight loss of 1 kg of body fat every one to two weeks means that you need to allow yourself around 20 to 40 weeks.
• Consider your exercise routines as mini-goals. For example, one mini goal might be to exercise on all or most days of the week. The more mini goals you achieve, the more motivated you will become.

If you are unsure how to best achieve your particular fitness goals, ask an expert. For example, see your doctor, browse through the Better Health Channel fact sheets or consult an exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or appropriately qualified and certified personal trainer.

Monitor your physical activity regularly

Make your mini-goals measurable. Decide how you are going to monitor your progress and record every detail in a training diary. Suggestions include:

• Measure your progress in concrete ways. For example, if you are weight training, write down the weight and repetitions for each exercise. If you are exercising to lose weight, keep track of your weight loss.
• Choose appropriate ways to measure your progress. For example, bathroom scales don’t distinguish between muscle and fat. It may be better to take your measurements with a tape measure, or just notice how your clothes fit.
• Find as many different ways to monitor your progress as you can and write down your progress regularly, such as once a week. For example, if you are exercising to lose weight, you might like to record your exercise sessions, daily diet and weekly measurements. Include incidental achievements like feeling more energetic or fitting into a smaller pair of jeans. Give yourself plenty of ways that you can succeed.
• Celebrate your progress.

Adapt your physical activity to changing circumstances

Life can interrupt your training schedule. Suggestions for adapting to such changes include:

• Think about ways to cope with interruptions. For example, you may not be able to exercise in your usual way when on holidays, but you can always walk or use the hotel fitness facilities.
• If you get injured or become ill, don’t abandon your fitness goals. Instead, adjust your ultimate goal’s time frame. Come up with micro-goals to keep you on track while you recover. For example, you may be too ill to exercise, but you can improve your diet. Write down these micro-goals in your training diary to keep up your motivation.
• If your fitness goal seems beyond you, readjust your mini-goals and stay motivated.

Physical activity – don’t be too hard on yourself

Sometimes, you may find that your fitness goal is too ambitious. For example, maybe you are losing 0.5 kg a week instead of 1 kg, and sometimes you may not lose any weight (remember muscle weighs more than fat), so make sure you focus on how you feel. You know yourself much better than a set of scales does.

• The first few months of a new exercise program are always the most challenging. Adjust your short-term goals, persist and have faith that things will get easier with time.
• Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Making a commitment to a healthier lifestyle is a tremendous achievement, even if your fitness goal is a little harder to reach than you first thought. Flip back to the start of your training diary and appreciate how far you’ve come.
• Have a secondary fitness goal in mind. For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose 20kg, an ability to jog for 20 minutes may be your secondary goal. Achieving this secondary goal is still a great success.
• Don’t give up. You’re worth the effort.

Where to get help

• Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, 2014, Department of Health, Australian Government. More information here.
• Behaviour change resources – Setting goals for physical activity, 2014, Alberta Centre for Active Living. More information here.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

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