The Fitness Equation (Fit Tidbit)

OK, so we have embarked on a journey to help us fit fitness into our lives on a daily basis, and I have been focused primarily on motivation. I want to share with you a few important points about fitness which you need to consider as you go forward in your journey to better health and increased activity.

So today we are looking at some of the basics of program design. The components that make up all fitness programs which are the foundation to success remind me of a fitness equation or what I like to think of as exercise prescription.

Simply put, these components make up all program design from beginner to expert. They can be adjusted or changed as needed to suit the goals of the exerciser/athlete

The components that make up the fitness equation first and foremost are: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. I learned it as the F.I.D.D. Principle years ago but now, it is referred to as F.I.T.T. , for frequency, intensity, time and type.

Frequency refers to how often you will perform an exercise or program to commit to reaching your program’s goals.

Intensity is an important topic I will speak more to in an upcoming post, but obviously we are talking about how hard or easy the exercise program will be.

Time will determine how long you will perform the specified activity. Varies by intensity and type of activity.

Type defines what kind of exercise/activity will be performed.

Just as we seek a doctor with regard to a specific prescription, I think it is important to be specific with a prescribed fitness routine. One of the biggest mistakes made with regard to exercise is being haphazard with above stated principles. Just as you would adhere to taking your specifically prescribed medicine, I believe it is good to stick to a routine when trying to attain a goal or a specific outcome.Just as you would not randomly change the prescribed dosage from the doctor once agreed upon, I think it is important to maintain/adhere to a training protocol, whether beginner or athlete. Here’s why: The body always seeks to maintain homeostasis, or sameness. It needs time to adapt to whatever you are doing, and although once you stick with a dietary or exercise change for 3 days and believe you should see or feel SOMETHING, your body needs more time than your perception, and expectation. It is much easier to adjust something that has been maintained than something that has been flippantly followed. Just like a medical prescription, we adjust up, down based on the response over time- which can take up to a few weeks.

Our Fitness Challenge is a based less on the physical details (although there are specifics) and more on the building activity into your daily routine incrementally, varying the components moderately.

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit today, and if you found this helpful, please let me know. I will be sharing a few more Fit Tidbits in the days ahead.