ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness & Health

All ancillary materials are FREE to course adopters and available online at www.HumanKinetics.com/ACSMsCompleteGuidetoFitnessAndHealth. Instructor Guide. To help students better understand the role of physical activity, exercise, and a balanced approach to nutrition in promoting health and fitness, this instructor guide provides lecture-related resources that can be easily applied to a typical 16-week semester framework. The various aids for each chapter typically include: chapter objectives, chapter summary, ideas for lecture topics and discussion points, and suggested additional student web resources. Test Package. For each chapter in the book, a corresponding test is included. The tests are made up of true or false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions to test students on their retention of chapter content. Download Respondus or RTF files or files formatted for LMS use. Image bank. Includes most of the figures, tables, and photos from the text, sorted by chapter, which can be used in developing a customized presentation based on specific course requirements. The image bank is also available for purchase • ISBN 978-1-4925-3636-9 Lab activities. Includes assessments, exercises, and discussions to enhance students’ understanding of chapter content. There are two activities offered per chapter. These lab activities cover topics such as:

• Completing assessments for aerobic, muscular endurance, flexibility, and neuromotor fitness and comparing results to normative tables
• Completing assessments, activities, and quizzes from the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and the American Cancer Society
• Reviewing the FAQ from the National Institute of Mental Health about depression and college students and discuss treatment options and the potential influence of exercise on depression

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

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Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Lower Body Stretches for Pregnancy

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip.

Hamstring and Buttock Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees (a). Slide your right knee up so that it is on the floor under your right shoulder and twist your lower leg so that your right foot is on the floor under your left hip. Exhale while slowly lowering your hips toward the floor and sliding your left knee back so that your left leg is extended and lying on the floor (b). Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg and buttock. For a deeper stretch once your back leg is extended, slowly lower your upper body to lie on top of your bent leg and place your arms on the floor. Repeat with your left leg bent under.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Sit on the floor with your back straight against a wall and your legs out in front. Slowly bend knees out to the side while sliding feet in toward your body until the soles of your feet touch. Keep sitting up tall and exhale while gently pushing down on knees until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Aerobic Activity

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal.

Regular and consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. In other words, your heart, blood vessels, and lungs benefit from working harder than normal. Exercise improves your cardiorespiratory function by increasing the activity of these organ systems above what they experience at rest. Over time, your body adapts to these stresses and your fitness improves.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important aspect of health for a number of reasons:

• Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine physical activity as you go about your day-to-day life. This in turn provides additional health benefits.
• Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with higher risk of premature death from all causes, and specifically from cardiovascular disease. To look at this from a more positive perspective, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes.
• Aerobic fitness is an important foundation that allows you to engage in activities of daily living with greater ease.
• Increases in cardiorespiratory endurance allow you to more fully participate in recreational and sport activities.
• Aerobic activities that promote cardiorespiratory endurance also burn a relatively large number of calories and thus help to maintain appropriate body weight.

This is not an exhaustive list but does demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of aerobic exercise for health as well as fitness.

Aerobic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance.

Save

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Assessments for Muscular Fitness

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups.

There is not one test of muscular fitness that is best. Rather, different tests can be used to safely and effectively assess muscular strength or muscular endurance in various age groups. This section describes several assessments that can be used.

Assessing Muscular Strength

A common assessment of muscular strength is called the one-repetition maximum (1RM), in which the goal is to lift as much weight as possible on a strength exercise with proper technique for one repetition only. This test is time-consuming and should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional. Also, familiarization and practice sessions are critical to ensure that the test is safe and accurate.

Another option is to estimate your 1RM by lifting a submaximal weight multiple times. While different exercises can be used for this assessment, the use of multijoint exercises such as the leg press and chest press is common. With a few calculations you can estimate your 1RM and compare your performance to that of others of your age and sex.

First, multiply the number of repetitions you can perform on a given exercise by 2.5. Try to select a weight you can lift about 10 to 15 times with proper form (note that if you can lift the weight more than 20 times, the results will be more accurate if you rest and then repeat the test with a heavier weight). Subtract that number from 100 to determine the percentage of your theoretical 1RM. Then, divide that number by 100 to produce a decimal value. Finally, divide the weight you lifted by that decimal value to estimate your 1RM on that exercise.

For example, if a 35-year-old female can lift 60 pounds (27 kg) on the chest press exercise 10 times, then she can use the following steps to estimate her 1RM:

10 repetitions x 2.5 = 25

100 - 25 = 75

75 / 100 = 0.75

60 pounds / 0.75 = 80 pounds = estimated 1RM

To compare her performance with others of her same age and sex, the 1RM is divided by body weight. In the previous example, if the individual's body weight is 145 pounds (66 kg), then she can complete the calculation (80 / 145 = 0.55) and use the result (0.55) to assess her performance with table 6.1 (and to assess lower body strength with table 6.2). Note that the ratio of weight lifted to body weight is the same whether you use pounds or kilograms. For a 35-year-old female, her upper body strength is in the "fair" category. With regular resistance training she will see her strength improve as she tracks her progress. A weight she could lift only 10 times will be lifted more often before fatiguing, or she will be able to lift a heavier weight for those same 10 repetitions.

Save

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.

Nutrition and overall health

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.)

Researchers of nearly all chronic diseases have studied the role of nutrition. (The term chronic is used to refer to diseases that often begin at a younger age and develop over time.) Six of the top 13 causes of death are related to poor nutrition and inactivity. By rank, these are heart disease (number 1), cancer (2), stroke (4), type 2 diabetes (6), chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (12), and high blood pressure (13). Obesity is related to many of these causes of death; and although some have a genetic component, most are related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise, both of which are lifestyle habits.

Chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition also lead to other disabilities, resulting in further loss of independence. For example, type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness and amputation. Hip fractures are typically a result of osteoporosis, and people who suffer from a hip fracture are more likely to die within one year of their fracture or require long-term care than people who do not suffer a hip fracture. Approximately 69 percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of those who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of those with congestive heart failure have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg (i.e., hypertension). Obesity is an epidemic, with about a third of adults in the United States considered obese. Furthermore, about 17 percent of American children and teenagers (2 to 19 years of age) are considered obese.

Researchers have reported that unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior cause around 400,000 deaths per year in the United States. Because most Americans consume diets too high in total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and too low in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, poor health and death are often related to poor nutrition. The combination of unhealthy diets and inactivity is the leading cause of death in the United States, above tobacco and alcohol use, and far above drug use and motor vehicle accidents. In addition, the health care costs of poor nutrition and inactivity are astronomical. Healthier diets could save billions of dollars in medical costs per year and also prevent lost productivity and, most important, loss of life.

Good nutrition and physical activity are the two most beneficial "medicines" you can use to prevent disease and live a good-quality life. Take control! You owe it to yourself to treat your body well.

Learn more about ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness and Health, Second Edition.