Are you working out the F.I.T.T. way?

The F.I.T.T. Principle in exercise is a set of rules that help you get the most out of your workouts.

 

Frequency: how often you exercise

-  3-5 days per week

-  30 minutes or more of Moderate-intensity PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is preferable on MOST days of the week for health related benefits.

-  For those exercising at a lower intensity, exercising more than 3 days per week may be needed to achieve the caloric expenditure associated with weight loss and fitness goals.

-  NOTE: Vigorous training is not recommended 7 days per week. Including “light days” can reduce risk of injury and aid in adherence.

 

Intensity: how hard you work during exercise

-  Target Range of 150-400 kcal (kcal=fitness calorie) of physical activity and/or exercise energy expenditure per day.

-  10 minutes of exercise = 100 kcal, thus 30 minutes = 300 kcal; 60 minutes = 600 kcal

-  Energy expenditure (through exercise or physical activity) in excess of 2,000 kcal/week has been shown to be successful for both short- and long-term weight control.

-  The RPE Scale (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is another method used to measure intensity.  An RPE between 3-6 (on a 0-10 scale) elicits a “Moderate” to “Hard” intensity.

-  The “Talk Test” is yet another method used to structure intensity levels.

 

Time: how long you exercise

-  30-60 minutes of continuous or intermittent activity. Therefore 10 minute bouts accumulated throughout the day are acceptable.

-  Warm-up/cool-down (5-10 minutes each) not included in the 30-60 minutes.

 

Type: what type of activity you're doing

-  Repetitive type movements (rhythmic in nature) that employ large muscle groups.

-  Examples: Thermal Walks, Brisk walking, Biking, Jogging, Swimming, Aerobics, Kickboxing, Water Aerobics, Dancing, etc.

 

Using the F.I.T.T. principle can help you vary your exercise and make the most of your fitness efforts.  To change things up , you could add another day of walking (changing your exercise Frequency), walk faster or add some running (changing the Intensity), walk for a longer period of time (changing the Time) or try something different like swimming or cycling (changing the Type).