C ouch Culture: Only a Quarter of u.S. Youth Get Recommended Exercise
By Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin Jan. 08, 2014
It’s no surprise that kids don’t exercise, but the first national survey documented exactly how inactive American children are.
In 2008, the U.S. government issued its first guidelines for physical activity, based on studies indicating which exercises people should try and how long they should be active in order to improve their health. The recommendations included daily physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity for 60 minutes for children. But in the latest analysis of how well the advice is being followed, the National Center for Health Statistics found that only about 24.8% of youth surveyed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)’s National Youth Fitness Survey got the recommended amount.
Young boys were more physically active than girls — 27% of boys met the guidelines compared to 22.5% of girls. Among boys, basketball was the most common way to exercise, followed by running, football and bike riding. For girls, running was the most common form of exercise, followed by walking, basketball and dancing.
The survey also revealed some unsurprising patterns between physical activity and weight; the percentage of boys who exercised dropped as their weight increased, confirming the vicious cycle between inactivity and obesity.
That suggests that public health campaigns such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort might make heavier kids a priority, since they face greater challenges in exercising. With one out of every three children in the U.S. now overweight or obese, the survey authors say encouraging more kids to become active is critical to reducing their risk of becoming adults with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Taken from: http://healthland.time.com/2014/01/08/couch-culture-only-a-quarter-of-u-s-youth-get-recommended-exercise/
Self-study Work 3. Periodization of Training
I. Read the text and answer the following questions:
1. Give a definition of periodization?
2. What are the benefits of periodization?
3. What is the purpose of periodization?
4. What can you optimize with the help of periodization?
5. What does the term intensity refer to in weight-training programs?
6. What does the term training volume refer to?
7. Who is responsible for your stagnated progress in training?
Periodization is the process of varying a
training program at regular time intervals to bring about optimal
gains in physical performance. Some proven benefits of periodization
are improved muscular endurance, strength, power, motor performance,
and/or muscle hypertrophy. The goal of periodizing an exercise
program is to optimize training during short (e.g., weeks, months)
as well as long periods of time (e.g., years, a life time, or an
athletic c
areer).
Using periodization, a competitive athlete is able to peak physical
performance at a particular point in time, such as for a major
competition. The same concept works if your goal is overall health
and fitness. Periodization will help maximize results in a minimal
amount of time!
Many training variables can be manipulated in an attempt to optimize the exercise program: the number of sets per exercise, repetitions per set, the types of exercises, number of exercises per training session, rest periods between sets and exercises, resistance used for a set, type and tempo of muscle action (e.g., eccentric, concentric, isometric), and the number of training sessions per day and per week.
In a periodized exercise program, the terms volume and intensity are frequently used. In weight-training programs, the term intensity refers to the weight lifted in relationship to a maximal strength level (e.g., one repetition maximum), or a multiple repetition maximum (e.g., 10 repetition maximum). In a running or conditioning program, intensity is often used to describe a percentage of an age predicted maximum heart rate or VO2 max. In general, the higher the intensity, the lower the volume of a particular exercise or workout. The term training volume is used to reference the total number of sets, reps and exercises performed in a strength training program and the distance and/or time of a conditioning program.
Workout programs apply periodization in all of its customized programs. If your progress has stagnated, you owe it to yourself to give us a try. You’ll love the results!
II. Find the equivalents in your native language to the following words and word-combinations:
periodization
regular time intervals
muscular endurance
power
motor performance
muscle hypertrophy
to peak physical performance
overall health and fitness
the number of sets per exercise
frequently used
repetition maximum
conditioning program
maximum heart rate
strength training
progress has stagnated
you owe it to yourself
III. Write about periodization benefits using the new terms from the text.