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=__**Mr. Gillespie's Fitness Help Center**__=



__**Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity:**__

 * Reduce the risk of premature death
 * Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
 * Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
 * Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
 * Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
 * Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
 * Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
 * Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
 * Reduce depression and anxiety
 * Improve psychological well-being
 * Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

=== **__What is your pulse?__** Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Pulse rates vary from person to person. Your pulse is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise (because more oxygen-rich blood is needed by the body when you exercise).=== Knowing how to take your pulse can help you evaluate your exercise program. Check your pulse: _ __x 6 =__ __ //(beats in 10 seconds) (your pulse)// __
 * How to take your pulse **
 * 1.** Place the tips of your index, second, and third fingers on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb. Or, place the tips of your index and second fingers on your lower neck, on either side of your windpipe. //(See the illustrations to the right.)//
 * 2.** Press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. You might need to move your fingers around slightly up or down until you feel the pulsing.
 * 3.** Use a watch with a second hand, or look at a clock with a second hand.
 * 4.** Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by six to get your heart rate (pulse) per minute.[[image:http://www.cchs.net/health/health-info/Pictures/0984_2.gif width="231" height="196" align="right"]]


 * **What is a normal pulse?** ||
 * ====**Age Group**==== || ====**Normal Heart Rate at Rest**==== ||
 * Children (ages 6-15) || 70-100 beats per minute ||
 * Adults (age 18 and over) || 60-100 beats per minute ||

**5 Components of Fitness**__

 * 1) Cardiovascular endurance** is the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to provide the needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained workloads. Examples would be jogging, cycling and swimming. The Cooper Run is used most often to test cardiovascular endurance.


 * 2) Muscular strength** is the amount of force a muscle can produce. Examples would be the bench press, leg press or bicep curl. The push up test is most often used to test muscular strength.


 * 3) Muscular endurance** is the ability of the muscles to perform continuous without fatiguing. Examples would be cycling, step machines and elliptical machines . The sit up test is most often used to test muscular endurance.


 * 4) Flexibility** is the ability of each joint to move through the available range of motion for a specific joint. Examples would be stretching individual muscles or the ability to perform certain functional movements such as the lunge. The sit and reach test is most often used to test flexibility.


 * 5) Body composition** is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs. This can be measured using underwater weighing, Skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing is considered the “gold standard” for body fat measurement, however because of the size and expense of the equipment needed very few places are set up to do this kind of measurement.