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<h1>Physical Activity</h1>

<h2>Questions #1 and #2 – Low Intensity physical activity</h2>

<p>Why are they asking this question? The American Heart Association has stated that even low intensity activities can bring benefits. These activities include pleasure walking, climbing stairs, gardening, yard work,  and housework. 

</p><p>Who cares is I score low? Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. It also contributes to other risk factors including obesity, high blood pressure and a low level of HDL cholesterol. Even low intensity physical activity can bring health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation. 

</p><p>How can I raise my score? Find ways to be more active in your daily activities. Even simple things like walking around the house while you are talking on the phone or parking farther away at the grocery store. These low intensity activities add up and can have positive effects on your health and mood.

</p><h2>Questions #3 and #4 – Moderate Intensity Physical Activity</h2>

<p>Why are they asking this question? Moderate Intensity physical activities are the most common modes of exercise for adults. They include activities such as brisk walking, hiking, jogging, and bicycling at moderate levels. The American Heart Association recommends that adults perform moderate intensity activities for 30-60 minutes on most days of the week at 50-75 percent of maximum heart rate. Physical activity need not be strenuous to bring health benefits. What is important is to include activity as part of the regular routine.

</p><p>Who cares if I score low? If you are skipping out on moderate intensity activity you are missing out on some tremendous benefits. Exercise has been proven to:
•	Reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity 
•	Keep joints, tendons and ligaments flexible so it's easier to move around 
•	Reduce some of the effects of aging 
•	Contribute to your mental well-being and helps treat depression 
•	Help relieve stress and anxiety 
•	Increase your energy and endurance 
•	Help you sleep better 
•	Help you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories) 


How can I improve my score? Sticking with a program of moderate intensity exercise can be a real challenge. Here are some keys to raising your score in this area:
•	Choose something you like to do. Make sure it suits you physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.
•	Get a partner. Exercising with someone else can make it more fun.
•	Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like chopping wood.
•	Choose a comfortable time of day. Don't work out too soon after eating or when it's too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you're too stiff in the morning.
•	Don't get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise.
•	Forget "no pain, no gain." While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn't. Stop if you hurt.
•	Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for example. Find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play tennis.
Questions #5 and #6 – High Intensity Physical Activity
Why are they asking this question? While low and moderate intensity activities are great and the most common modes of exercise for the average American, there are great benefits to doing more vigorous aerobic activities, such as running, swimming, and bicycling at more intense levels. They produce the greatest benefits for the lungs and heart when done regulary for more than 30 minutes on most days of the week.  For a more advanced exerciser, doing speed or “sprint” type exercise can greatly enhance athletic ability as well. Make sure you consult a physician to make sure it is safe to engage in high intensity physical activity.
Who cares if I score low?  If you are able to participate in higher intensity activities and don’t, you are not living up to your “physical” potential. Don’t you want to live the most productive, healthy life you can? Physical activity builds healthy bones, muscles and joints, and reduces the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer. In fact, millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity. Physical activity also brings psychological benefits. For example, it reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improves mood and promotes a feeling of well-being.
How can I raise my score? Consult your physician before raising the intensity of your exercise routine. A personal trainer could be just what you need to help you know just how intense you should be working out and push you to reach that full potential. When trained correctly, you can achieve your fitness goals faster and safer. Click here to consult with a personal trainer today! 
Question #7 – Flexibility
Why are they asking this question? Flexibility is an important component of fitness, yet it is often overlooked. Ignoring flexibility can keep you from excelling in other areas of your fitness. 
Who cares if I score low? If you have tight, stiff muscles you are at greater risk for an injury. By stretching regularly you can decrease that risk, and also:
•	Increase the blood supply and nutrients to joint structures
•	Improve balance and posture
•	Decrease risk of low back pain
•	Reduce muscle tension and soreness
How can I raise my score? All it takes is 5-10 minutes, at least three times a week and you’ll have the highest score on this question. That’s only 15 – 30 minutes a week. Make sure you stretch before and after you exercise to prevent injury. Another trick is to  stretch while you are watching the evening news or a favorite T.V. show. 

Question #8 – Strength Training – change question to 20 minutes, 2 days a week. 
Why are they asking this question? Strength training has recently be given more attention by health and fitness advocates because of its many benefits. The American College of Sports states that "Strength training of a moderate intensity, sufficient to develop and maintain fat-free weight, should be an integral part of an adult fitness program. One set of 8-12 repetitions of eight to ten exercises that condition the major muscle groups at least 2 days a week is the recommended minimum." 
Who cares if I score low? As we age, our muscles begin to deteriorate with disuse. No longer are we running, jumping and playing daily as we did during adolescence. Rather, we're sitting down at work all day, watching television at night too much and not focusing on exercise enough. This disuse can quickly lead to muscle loss, a serious side effect of aging. 
Age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is now termed "sarcopenia," a relatively new buzzword in the medical field but one that is garnering plenty of research. Scientists today are evaluating the effects age and a sedentary lifestyle have on lean muscle. They are finding that disuse, rather than age, can lead to sarcopenia. 
"As an individual ages and activity levels decline, muscle atrophy occurs," says Beth Ribblett, fitness director at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation's Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans, La. "This reduction in muscle size slowly begins at age 25 and by age 50 represents a 10 percent loss. A more rapid loss occurs from age 50 to 80 during which an additional 40 percent is lost." 
How can I raise my score? It's never too late to begin a strength-training program. Scientists have discovered that lean muscle mass can increase at any age if a strength-training program is started and maintained. 
10 Quick Tips To Help You Get Started: 
1.	Remember to warm up. Warming up gives the body a chance to deliver plenty of nutrient rich blood to areas about to be exercised, to actually warm the muscles and lubricate the joints. 
2.	Stretch - Increases or maintains muscle flexibility. 
3.	During the first week of starting an exercise program keep it light. Work on technique-good body mechanics and slowly work up to heavier weights. 
4.	Quick tips to maintain good body mechanincs: go through the complete range of motion, move slowly and with control, breathe, and maintain a neutral spine. Never sacrifice form just to add more weight or repetitions. 
5.	Listen to your body. Heart rate is not a good way to determine your intensity when lifting weights, it is important to listen to your body based on an overall sense of feeling of exertion.  
6.	As a general rule, each muscle that you train should be rested one to two days before being exercised further in order for the fatigued muscles to rebuild. 
7.	"No pain, no gain." This statement is not only false, but can be dangerous. Your body will adapt to strength training, and will reduce in body soreness each time you workout. 
Question # 9 – Back Health
Why are we asking this question? Having tight hamstrings, and weak back and ab muscles can cause back pain. Back pain is a symptom that can arise from many causes. It can range from a dull, annoying ache to absolute agony. Many cases of back pain are caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Sedentary jobs and lifestyles may create a vulnerability to this type of stress or damage. Obesity, which increases both the weight on the spine and the pressure on the discs, is another factor.
Who cares if I score low? Lower back pain affects four out of five adults in the United States at some point in their lives and will often go away by itself within a few days or weeks. In fact, surveys show that at any given time, half of all working-age adults suffer from lower back pain. Costs associated with treating back pain are estimated at $25 billion per year. It is one of the most common reasons for a visit to a primary care doctor.
How can I raise my score? Here are some links with examples of 
Hamstring Stretches: http://tms.ecol.net/fitness/hamsstr.htm
Lower Back Exercises: http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/lowback/backex.html
Abdomen: Crunches are still the most basic and effective way to tone the abs. Here's how to do a proper crunch:
1.	Lie down
2.	Put your hands behind your neck (don't pull too hard on the neck)
3.	Pull your knees in just above the hips with your feet flat on the floor
4.	Lift your shoulders no more than 30 degrees above the ground 
5.	Hold for 3 full seconds
6.	Then slowly return the shoulders to a resting position. 
Beginners should do 1 set of as many repetitions as it takes to make the abs burn. Do these exercises at least 3 times a week. 
Here is a good exercise for the the lower abs or obliques (love handles).
You can do these lying down on a flat bench or any other bench-like surface. Here's how to proceed:
1.	Lie down flat on your back on a bench
2.	Lift your legs (straight out) about 45 degrees in the air
3.	Then return them slowly to the resting position (without touching the ground)
4.	Repeat
The sets and reps should be the same as for crunches. Reverse crunches, in which you pull the knees into your chest as you lift your shoulders, are also effective ways of exercising the lower abs. 
Question #10 – Lifting heavy objects
Why are they asking this question? The proper way to lift heavy objects is to bend your knees and keep your back straight. This will lower your risk for getting injured.
Who cares if I score low? There are two common mistakes made in lifting. The first is using the wrong muscles, the back muscles, instead of the leg and buttock muscles. You should always bend your knees when lifting heavy objects so you have a solid foundation for your spine. You should keep your trunk vertical when bending down and lifting something. A horizontal trunk can put pressure on the lower back amounting to hundreds of extra pounds. This pressure can eventually compromise a disc or sprain or strain a back muscle. The second common error is lifting an object too far from the body. Get close to what you are lifting. It decreases the pressure on your spine. Try to start with the center of the weight no more than 8 inches from your body, then lift the object with a straight back using your leg and buttock muscles. These are simple principles that will help you minimize injury to your back when lifting.
How can I raise my score? Pretty easily. Just remember to bend your knees and keep your back straight while lifting heavy objects. 

