Health Exercise and Fitness

This course is designed to equip you with the theoretical knowledge to begin or develop a career in the health, exercise and fitness industry. It also provides all the information and resources needed to educate people on how to lead healthier lifestyles. The health and fitness industry is becoming increasingly more important and dominant in today’s society. There will always be a demand for jobs and career in this industry as people strive to lead healthier, active lifestyles.


The need to be fit and healthy is an essential commodity of life. People are constantly looking for ideas and solutions on how to lose weight, how to exercise safely and what exercise to do. This course offers you the chance to understand what you can and ultimately need to do in order to lead a healthier lifestyle. It gives you the theoretical knowledge and offers practical ideas on how to set about shaping yours and others lifestyles in order to increase health and fitness.


This course will focus on health, exercise and fitness. You will acquire a wealth of knowledge about your body and how it can be adapted to improve health and fitness.


The course will first of all focus on gaining a sound knowledge base on what we mean by the concepts Health, Exercise and Fitness. It will address the essential components of fitness and examine how these can be tested. The ability to take part in exercise depends on your level of fitness which can be improved through regular training and exercise. Methods of training will be analysed to give practical ideas on how and what type of training you can do. Guidance will be given on how to effectively plan training programmes and sessions. Practical examples of training programmes and sessions will be included.

A unit will focus on the impact of diet and nutrition on health and fitness. Essential nutritional requirements will be looked at and how to compose a balanced diet. The dietary requirements of an athlete will also be studied.


Injury will be covered in another unit. Ways of preventing injury will be evaluated and discussed. You will gain an insight into how to recognise and treat different injuries and this will prepare you with basic first aid knowledge. (Completing this course does not mean that you are First Aid qualified).

There will be seven units that will give you detailed knowledge about the different body systems and how they enable us to exercise and the effects that exercise has on them. These units will give you a clear understanding of how your body is structured, how the body organs work and how the different systems work in unison to ensure your body functions effectively and to its maximum potential.



The final unit looks at the role of stress and anxiety on sporting performance. It gives an insight into the physiological and psychological characteristics of these two closely connected forms of tension. You will be given practical ideas on how to cope and manage stress.


At the end of this course you will be able to plan exercise and nutritional programmes for individuals taking into account their individual differences in terms of age, gender, weight and fitness level.


Qualification:


NCFE Level 3


Pre-requisites:

Basic English reading and writing skills, as full tutor support is given.


Support:


Tutor support is available 7 days per week via email by a fully qualified Fitness instructor.

Can I obtain employment after completing this course?


As with all distance learning courses you will need practical experience before applying for a job in a Gym, so why not approach your Gym as a volunteer to gain practical experience.


Study Details


This course can be studied at your own pace and there are no deadlines for assignments. However you must complete the course within 12 months from the date you received the course. To complete this course it will take in the region of 150 study hours, which can be spread over a 12 month period.


How does the course work?


We send you the complete course by courier and you complete a series of assignments which you can e-mail or post to your tutor.


Is there a word count for my assignments?


No, there is no specific word count but you have to prove to your tutor that you have fully understood the questions. One word answers will be rejected and you will have to re-submit them.


Payment Plan.


You can choose to pay in full at the time of ordering, we can raise an invoice for payment or you can pay in monthly instalments.


If you would like to pay in instalments, we would need the one of the instalments as a deposit with your order (either by cheque or by credit/debt card) we will take the rest of the instalments off the card for the remaining months. For further details on paying by instalments please call or e-mail UK Open Learning.


Course Content


Unit 1 – Defining the Concepts Health, Exercise and Fitness

What is Health? Physical, Social and Mental Health What is Exercise? Types of Exercise – Sports Continuum The Sports Continuum What is Fitness? Health Benefits of taking Part in regular Exercise 10 Reasons to get More Active Health Related Components of Fitness Skill Related Components of Fitness Comparison of Health and Skill Related Fitness

Unit 2 – Understanding the Components of Fitness and How

To Test them

Definition of the Components of Fitness Detained Analysis of each Component Why do we want to Test our Fitness? Measuring the Components of Fitness – Examples of Fitness Tests Components of Fitness needed for Different Sporting Activities

Unit 3 – Ways to Improve Fitness – Training Methods

How does the Body Generate Energy for Exercise? The Creatine Phosphate System The Lactic Acid System and Oxygen Dept The Aerobic System Analysis of Different Training Zones Principles of SPORT FITT Principles Methods of Training :- Continuous, Fartlek, Interval, Weight Training, Plymetrics, Flexibility Training and Circuit Training Examples of Training Sessions for each Training Method

Unit 4 – Planning Training and Fitness Programmes

Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Warming Up Cool Down – Reasons why it is Important Phases of a Warm Up:- Body Temperature Raising, Stretching and Skill Development Planning a Training Programme Applying the Sport and Fitt Principles of Training Periodisation – Off Season, Pre Season, Peak Season and Transitional Period Planning a Training Session:- Warm Up, Main Activity and Cool Down Examples of Training Programmes and Sessions

Unit 5 – Factors Affecting your Sporting Performance

Factors affecting Sporting Performance – Age, Gender, Personality, Lifestyle, Environment, Injury, Illness, Diet, Body Type and Drugs Social Drugs:- How Smoking and Alcohol Affect Sporting Performance Other Social Drugs and their Effect on Sporting Performance Types of Performance Enhancing Drugs Examples and Effects of Performance Enhancing Drugs Blood Doping

Unit 6 – Safety in Sport

How to Prevent Injury:- Safe Environment, Clothing and Equipment, Fair Competition, Obey the Rules and Warm Up and Cool down What Causes Sports Injuries? Accidental Injuries, Overuse Injuries, Chronic Injuries Examples of Sports Injuries:- Soft Tissue Injuries, Skin injuries and Hard Tissue Injuries Injuries, Symptoms and Treatment RICE Procedure More Serious Injuries Assessing the Casualty’s Condition – DRACB How to Treat an Unconscious Casualty Emergency Action Plan Other Conditions that can Influence Sports Performance

Unit 7 – Diet and Nutrition

A Balanced Diet The Essential Groups of Nutrients Macronutrients and Micronutrients Diet and Exercise The Importance of each Nutrient for Exercise Energy and Diet:- Metabolic Rate and Physical Activity Level Energy in Food Energy Equations The Athletes Diet:- Day of Competition, After the Event and Glycogen Loading Common Eating Disorders Healthy Eating Food Pyramids Examples of Diets

Unit 8 – Body Systems – The Skeletal System

Outline of the Different Body Systems The Human Skeleton – Major Bones Functions of the Skeleton:- Support, Protection, Movement, Blood Production and Mineral Storage Ossification Cartilage Types of Bone The Skeletal Frames:- Axial and Appendicular Exercise and the Bones Definitions of Fixed, Slightly Movable and Synovial Joints A Typical Synovial Joint Structure Movement Patterns at Synovial Joints How can Exercise Help Improve the Skeletal System

Unit 9 – The Muscular System

Functions of Muscles Types of Muscle Tissue Skeletal Muscles – Structure and Functions Muscular Contractions:- Isotonic, Isometric and Isokinetic How Muscles are Attached to Bones Muscle Fibres:- Slow and Fast Twitch Characteristics of Muscle Fibres and Exercises they Relate to Major Muscles in the Human Body:- Location and Function Exercises to Strengthen the Muscles Benefits of Warming Up the Muscles

Unit 10 – The Cardiovascular System

What Parts of the Body Make Up the Cardiovascular System Functions of the Cardiovascular System The Double Pumping Action of the Heart Pulmonary Circulation Systemic Circulation Structure of the Heart Blood Flow Through the Heart How does the Heart Pump Blood Blood Vessels:- Arteries, veins and Capillaries The Heart and Exercise Heart Rate – Measuring the Pulse What Happens to our Cardiovascular System when we Exercise Long Term Effects of Training on the Cardiovascular System Components and Functions of Blood The Blood and Exercise Blood Pressure – Measuring Blood Pressure Factors Affecting Blood Pressure

Unit 11 – The Respiratory System

Structure of the Respiratory System How Air Passes Through the Body Pulmonary Ventilation The Mechanics of Breathing Inspiration and Expiration How do we get the Oxygen to the Working Muscles? External Respiration Internal Respiration Capacity for Exchanging Gases What Happens to the Respiratory System as we Exercise?

Unit 12 – The Digestive System

What is Digestion? Energy Molecules in Food Chemical Digestion Physical Digestion The Digestive Process Parts of the Digestive System and their Functions What is an Enzyme Food Enzymes Digestive Enzymes The Digestive System and Exercise

Unit 13 – The Nervous System

Basic Functions of the Nervous System Parts of the Nervous System The Central Nervous System – Parts of the Brain The Spinal Cord The Peripheral Nervous System:- Sympathetic and Autonomic Nervous Systems Reflex Actions and Conditioned Reflexes Receptor Organs The Nervous System and Sport

Unit 14 – The Endocrine System

Hormones – What are they? Hormone Producing Organs and Body Parts The Endocrine System and Exercise

Unit 15 – Stress and Anxiety in Sport

Defining Anxiety – Cognitive and Somatic Types of Anxiety Anxiety and Sport Stress What Causes Stress? Symptoms of Stress Stress Management Stress Management Technique