Chapter 15 Staying Physically Active: A Way of Life
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your exercise program. You may want
to work out fi rst thing in the morning
to get your day off to a good start.
You might have some free time after
school when you can enjoy activities
with friends. Perhaps you would rather
exercise at night before going to bed. It
does not matter when you exercise as
long as you do it.
Once you fi nd an exercise time that
is convenient for you, make it a set part
of your daily schedule. This will help
you form a habit that is easy to follow.
Know Your Fitness Level
For your exercise program to be
successful, you need to know your
fi tness level. In striving to meet your
goal for total fi tness, resist the tempta-
tion to begin working out too hard too
soon. This increases your risk of fatigue
and injury and, thereby, increases your
likelihood of discontinuing your fi tness
program.
Before you begin an exercise
program, measure your level of fi tness
in each of the health components. Ask a
fi tness counselor or health or physical
education teacher for information about
self-assessment exercises. Also review
the checklist in 15-16 to see if you need
to seek medical advice before you start
exercising. If you are in good health,
you can begin a sensible exercise plan.
Jake stopped playing soccer two years ago.
He hasn’t been active in any sports since then. He
spends much of his free time studying and playing
video games. Lately, he has noticed that his muscle
tone is gone and he can’t run up the stairs as easily
as he once could. Yesterday in gym class, he was
winded just a few minutes into a game of basketball!
Jake decides he needs to take action before his
fitness level gets any worse.
That night, Jake sets the alarm on his clock for
one hour earlier in the morning. Even though he hates
exercising in the morning, he is determined to start his new
fitness plan first thing the next day. His fitness plan is to run
three miles and lift weights before school every morning.
When the alarm goes off the next morning, Jake
hits the snooze button four times before he finally drags
himself out of bed. He throws on some clothes and
sets off for a run. Jake is out of breath and begins to
walk after running just two blocks. He is so discouraged
that he turns around and goes home. By the time Jake
showers and has breakfast, he is running late and
misses the bus for school. As his mom is driving him to
school, Jake decides being fit just isn’t worth the trouble.
Case Review
1. How do you think Jake felt after deciding to give
up on his fitness plan?
2. Why do you think Jake’s new fitness plan failed?
3. What suggestions would you give to Jake about
improving his fitness plan?
Case Study: Jake’s Fitness
Goals
15-15 Exercising or playing sports with a
friend can make physical activity more fun.