Show The FITT principle is an acronym that represents, Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. It can be prescribed to people to improve health, similar to pharmacologic intervention. You can easily remember the basic principles of exercise using the so-called FITT factors. It can be used by anyone, beginner or experienced, for any type of activity. It can also be used by therapists, in the patient population, for individuals recovering from a condition. The principle of FITT training can be viewed as a framework for training recipes. [1][2] FITT[edit | edit source]Frequency (how often): Exercise should be carried out 3-5 days a week. Training three times a week produces significant training effects; however, training 5 days a week at a lower-intensity exercise may be more manageable for some people. Little additional benefit is seen with more than five training sessions a week, and the risk of injury is increased. Training twice a week does not produce increases in VO2max; however, it may produce some functional changes and it is probably better than no exercise at all. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise done at least 5 d ∙ wk or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise done at least 3 d ∙ wk or a weekly combination of 3–5 d ∙ wk of moderate and vigorous-intensity exercise is recommended for most adults to achieve and maintain health/fitness benefits. Intensity (how hard) Intensity can vary between light, moderate and vigorous intensity activities. For example, walking slowly is a low intensity activity, walking briskly or shooting around a basketball is a moderate intensity activity and running (>5mph) is a vigorous intensity activity. A good rule of thumb is that a person doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity can talk, but not sing. A person doing vigorous-intensity activity cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Intensity can be monitored by heart rate in most patients, although some patients may have pathology or be on drug treatment that affects their HR response to exercise (in which case HR cannot be used to monitor exercise intensity). The short video below shows hart rate calculation [3] Measures of perceived effort and affective valence (i.e.the pleasantness of exercise) can be used to modulate or refine the prescribed exercise intensity. eg Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scales, Talk Test. Time (duration or how long) A total of 20-60 minutes of continuous or intermittent aerobic activity a day should be performed. The activity can be divided into a minimum of lO-minute bouts throughout the day. The duration of training is dependent on intensity. Individuals starting at the lower end of the training band need to sustain exercise longer (30-60 minutes) to achieve training effects. Type Refers to the sort of activity to complete eg Aerobic activities like walking, jogging, biking, swimming or dancing or strengthening activities such as exercises using exercise bands, weight machines or hand-held weights.[4] Individualise[edit | edit source]The FITT Principles: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type should be used individualised to the clients needs.
Community Physical Activity Improvement[edit | edit source]The principles of FITT training are essentially a guideline to make it easier for people who do physical activities/sports. Based on the principles of this FITT exercise, the community has a clearer direction in their activities. Use of the FITT guidelines can be seen as a way to improve physical fitness and at the same time contribute to the management of several diseases related to lifestyle such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Additionally the mental health aspect should not be overlooked.[2] Add Fun to FITT Principle[edit | edit source]It is recommended that an important component is missing from the FITT Principle, and that is adding an F for 'Fun'. This is seen to be crucial for exercise adherence. Consideration social cognitive, personality, and environmental or socioeconomic factors when choosing aspects of the FITT principle [5]
Viewing[edit | edit source]Here's a video explaining the concepts of the FITT Principle: [6] References[edit | edit source]
Think of The FITT principle as a set of rules that must be adhered to in order to benefit from any form of fitness training program. These rules relate to the Frequency, Intensity, Type and Time (FITT) of exercise… These four principles of fitness training are applicable to individuals exercising at low to moderate training levels and may be used to establish guidelines for both cardiorespiratory and resistance training. The FITT principle is used to guide the development of unique and bespoke fitness plans that cater for an individual’s specific needs. FrequencyFollowing any form of fitness training, the body goes through a process of rebuild and repair to replenish its energy reserves consumed by the exercise. The frequency of exercise is a fine balance between providing just enough stress for the body to adapt to and allowing enough time for healing and adaptation to occur…
INTENSITYThe second rule in the FITT principle relates to intensity. It defines the amount of effort that should be invested in a training program or any one session. Like the first FITT principle – frequency – there must be a balance between finding enough intensity to overload the body (so it can adapt) but not so much that it causes overtraining. Heart rate can be used to measure the intensity of cardiorespiratory training. Workload is used to define the intensity of resistance training.
Heart Rate & Maximum Heart Rate Target Heart Rate For fitter, more advanced individuals, a target heart rate zone of 70-85 percent of their maximum of heart rate may be more appropriate. Staying with the example above, that 40 year old now has a heart rate zone of 126bpm – 153bpm. There are limitations with heart rate and the heart rate reserve method, while no means flawless, may be a more accurate way to determine exercise intensity.
TYPEThe third component in the FITT principle dictates what type or kind of exercise you should choose to achieve the appropriate training response… Cardio Respiratory Training Resistance Training TIMEThe final component in the FITT principle of training is time – or how long you should be exercising for. Is longer better? Cardio Respiratory Training Beyond the 45-60 minute mark there are diminished returns. For all that extra effort, the associated benefits are minimal. This also applies to many athletes. Beyond a certain point they run the risk of overtraining and injury. There are exceptions however – typically the ultra-long distance endurance athletes. In terms of the duration of the program as a whole, research suggests a minimum of 6 weeks is required to see noticeable improvement and as much as a year or more before a peak in fitness is reached. Resistance Training Perhaps the most important principle of training (that ironically doesn’t have it’s own letter in the FITT principle) is rest. Exercising too frequently and too intensely hinders the body’s ability to recover and adapt. As a rule of thumb, the harder you train, the more recovery you should allow for. Unfortunately many athletes don’t have that luxury! Sports Training PrinciplesThe FITT principle is designed more for the general population than athletes. Sport-specific training should be governed by a more in-depth set of principles. These include:
For a more detailed look at the the principles of training for athletes, see the excellent “Sports Training Principles” (1997) by Frank Dick. |