Module 1:  Exercise Vocabulary

The Engine and the Fuel

In this module, you’ll learn the language of exercise through  studying key terms, then learn how the proper food choices  provide the fuel your body needs for health and fitness.

1. Exercise Terms & Definitions
2. Food Rules
3. How to FInd Real Food at the Grocery Store

Exercise Terms and Definitions

Study these exercise terms and definitions until you feel you know them by heart. Understanding these terms will be helpful as you proceed in ActiveU.

Aerobic Activity:  The term aerobic means “with oxygen.” Aerobic activity, cardiorespiratory endurance and cardiovascular activity refer to the same type of exercise

and include larger muscle activities such as running, brisk walking, swimming laps.

Cardiorespiratory Endurance:  The ability of the heart blood vessels, blood and respiratory systems to supply fuel, especially oxygen, to the muscles and the ability of the muscles to utilize fuel to allow sustained exercise.

Cool-down:  Allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate and the body to recover from the exercise. Used to describe an easy exercise (i.e. walking, jogging or stretching) that will allow the body to gradually transition from an exercising or working state to a resting or near resting state.

Exercise:  A subset of physical activity that is planned with a goal of improving or maintaining fitness.

Exercise Barrier:  Social and physical obstacles that you encounter and have to overcome
to exercise regularly.

FITT Principle:  Acronym for the frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise.

Flexibility:  Range of motion in a joint or group of joints.

Frequency of Exercise:  How often you exercise. Usually reported as days of the week.

Goal-setting:  A strategy used to define what you want to accomplish and motivate you
to achieve a result.

Intensity:  How hard you exercise.

Light Intensity Physical Activity: Exercise, sports, recreation, or hobbies that are not associated with activities as part of one’s regular job duties, household,
or transportation.

Maximum Heart Rate:  The heart rate that a person can achieve during maximal
physical exertion.

Moderate Physical Activity: A level of exercise in which a person should experience an
increase in breathing or heart rate.

Muscular Endurance:  Ability to repeatedly contract a muscle or muscle groups
against resistance.

Muscular Strength:  Refers to the maximal tension or force produced by a muscle
or muscle groups.

Physical Activity:  Any form of muscular activity including daily movement through
planned activities and daily living activities.

Physical Fitness:  A broad term describing the healthful levels of the physical components
of well-being that enable a person to function at optimal levels and are specific to the activities performed.

Reinforcement:  A consequence of a behavior that encourages you to do the behavior again.

Self-monitoring:  Creating an exercise log and writing down your exercise routine.

Social Support:  Assistance, encouragement, advice, feedback and companionship you
receive from the important people in your life.

Tim-management:  A strategy that enables you to effectively manage your time.

Vigorous Physical Activity:  A level of exercise in which a person should experience a large increase in breathing or heart rate.

Warm-up:  Movements done before exercise that increase your heart rate and breathing, and slightly increase the temperature of your body.

Food Rules

Currently there is a wealth of nutrition knowledge available to you. From Paleo to the Food Pyramid, everyone has an opinion on what you should and should not eat. The problem is, we don’t have enough data to tell you exactly what you should and should not eat, but we do know a few rules that you should follow. The Food Rules were introduced by author Michel Pollan. If you are looking for an easy, fun read about nutrition and where your food comes from, he is your guy.

His basic rules are as follows:

• Eat food
• Mostly plant-based
• Don’t eat too much

Let’s explore these rules a little further.

Fresh food to go:  Portion your produce into snack sizes and you’ll have healthy choices ready to go when you need to reach for something fast.

Eat Food

You’re probably thinking, “I eat food every day.” Well, are you sure? A lot of what we consume in the United States is actually a food product: goldfish crackers, candy bars, chips, etc. These are not foods. They’re food products made from a list of ingredients that resemble food. How can you tell the difference? You can identify real food by using the following information, taken from a conditional flow chart:

How to find real food at the grocery store:

To find real food, read the ingredients first! The first two ingredients are the most important. If it has more than 5 ingredients, has words you cannot pronounce, or items your grandmother would not recognize, it is probably a food product. Some other items to consider include: Does this food rot or spoil? If the “food” will be in the same condition in a month or year without freezing, then it is probably not a good choice.

Mostly plants

This is an easy one. When filling your plate start with the plants – fruits and vegetables! Once your plate is about half full of fruits and vegetables, then add your protein, followed by whole grains.

Bring in the good:  If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.

Not too much

The hardest part of eating in our society is to learn to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. We have been conditioned for three meals a day plus snacks from an early age. We have learned to eat at social events or during our favorite show. We have learned to eat when we are bored, tired, sad, and happy. All of these have nothing to do with what food is about – fuel.

Food is essentially fuel for your body. Take some time and think about why you are eating. Are you tired? Are you bored? Are you hungry? Identifying why we eat can help you eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.

The body reflects the way it is fueled and nourished over time. The cumulative effect is powerful as we age – whether toward vibrant health and well-being or chronic illness and disease.

You have reached the end of Module 1. Please complete the Assessment.

Then, if you feel ready to learn about the health benefits of exercise, you can move on to Module 2.