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Glossary ............................................................................................................................................... Select Letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Abdomen: The region between the diaphragm and the pelvis. Abduction: This is movement away from the midline of the body. Active Recovery: Engaging in light activity after a more stressful exercise bout, for example stretching or easy aerobic exercise. This also applies to engaging in light activities the day after an intense session so as to allow the body to recover. Adduction: The is movement towards the midline of the body Adipose: Fatty substance Aerobic Exercise: A prolonged continuous activity which stresses the cardiovascular system. For example running, walking, cycling, swimming. Agility: This is the ability to start, stop and move the body quickly in different directions Agonist Muscle: A muscle that is directly engaged in contraction. Anaerobic Exercise: Short, intense exercise bouts that occur without the presence of oxygen. For example sprinting 50m to catch a bus, walking very quickly up two flights of stairs. Antagonist Muscle: The muscle that acts in opposition to the action produced by an agonist muscle. Anterior: Anatomical term that refers to the front, for example anterior deltoid refers to the front of the shoulder. Atrophy: This is a decrease in the size of a muscle due to lack of activity or injury. ................................. B Balance Board: A piece of exercise equipment used to develop physical balance and enhance core stability. It is usually comprised of a platform over an unstable ground contacting member. Barbell: A steel bar of 2 metres in length. Weight plates are slid onto either end of the bar to obtain the desired weight for lifting. Basic Metabolic Rate: This is the energy used by the body during rest. Body Composition: The relative percentage of muscle, fat, bone and other tissues of which the body is composed. Body Mass Index (BMI): A relative measure of body mass to body height in order to determine obesity levels. Borg Scale: This is a simple method of measuring an individual’s intensity of exercise. That is how hard an individual feels that they are working during exercise. It is a simple scale from 0 – 10 which the participant can use to give a rating of how hard they feel that they are working. For example a Borg Scale rating of 5 would represent “hard”. Back to Top ................................. C Callisthenics: This is a type of exercise that involves body weight exercises such as squats, press-ups and sit-ups for example. Carbohydrate: An essential nutrient that provides energy to the body. 1 gram carbohydrate = 4 kilocalories. Cardiovascular Disease: Any disease of the heart and blood vessels. This includes coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, peripheral heart disease, coronary occlusion, valvular heart disease and congestive heart failure. Cardiovascular Fitness: The ability of the heart and lung system to carry fuel, primarily oxygen, to the muscles and the ability of those muscles to utilize this fuel to allow sustained exercise. Chronic Disease/Illness: Any disease/illness that persists over a long time. Circuit Training: Training which requires the person to complete a set number of exercises in a set order with little or no rest between exercises. These exercises can target cardiovascular fitness, strength, power, muscular endurance or a combination of the above. Complete Proteins: Foods that contain all 10 essential amino acids. Most meats and dairy products would fall into this category. Cool Down: Light exercise after more vigorous exercise which allows the body to taper off at the end of the session. This can include, but is not limited to, walking, light jogging, and stretching and mobility exercises. Core Board: A piece of exercise equipment used to develop core stability, balance, strength and agility. It is comprised of a platform over three pegs that can be adjusted to affect the board’s stability. Cross Trainer: A piece of stationary exercise equipment used to simulate walking/running without causing pressure to the joints. The majority of Cross Trainers work the user’s upper and lower body. ................................. D Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): This is soreness that occurs in the muscles 24 to 48 hrs+ of intense exercise. It is normally most prominent after starting exercising or after starting a new set of exercises that challenge your muscles in new ways. It is thought to be caused by tiny tears in the muscles. Developmental Stretching: This is a type of static stretching in which the participant holds the stretch for 40 – 60 secs without releasing the tension on the muscle being stretched. This is normally executed at the end of an exercise session so as to promote flexibility around the joints. Dumbbells: These are weights created in a dumbbell shape and usually held in one hand. They can be of a fixed weight or they can be adjustable. Back to Top ................................. E Exercise Bike: This is a stationary bicycle used as exercise equipment. Extension: Movement at a joint that brings two parts into or toward a straight line, thereby increasing the angle of the joint. For example straightening the knee or the elbow. ................................. F Fartlek Training: This is a type of training which is continuous in nature but it involves random sections where the participant increases his/her pace for an unspecified distance and then slows down again. For example on a 20min walk one can alternate walking fast and slow over selected distances during the walk. Fast Twitch Muscle Fibres: The muscle fibres primarily used in short explosive bursts of exercise. For example in strength and power training/exercises. Fat: An essential nutrient that provides energy and insulation to the body. 1 gram fat = 9 kilocalories. Flexibility: The range of motion possible about a joint. Flexion: This is movement about a joint in which the bones on either side of the joint are brought closer to each other. For example flexion of the elbow is when you bring the hand closer to the shoulder. Food Pyramid: This is a food guide that assists you in healthy eating. Developed in 1992 in the U.S. Frequency of Training: The amount of formal training/exercise that a participant carries out in a week. ................................. H High Density Lipoprotein: This is a lipoprotein that contains more protein than cholesterol. Also known as “good cholesterol” Heart Rate: This is the amount of times your heart beats in a minute. A low heart rate normally indicates a more efficient cardiovascular system. Hypertension: High blood pressure. Hypertrophy: An increase in the size of muscles due to specific types of training. ................................. I Intensity of Training: This is how hard the body is working during exercise. Interval Training: This is a form of training that alternates work periods with rest periods. For example 4 mins run followed by 3 mins recovery. Repeat four times. The work and recovery periods can be changed determining on the goals of the exercise program. Back to Top ................................. L Lactic Acid: This is a substance produced in the muscles during very intense exercise. High levels of lactic acid in the system leads to muscle fatigue. Lateral: This is an anatomical term that refers to moving away from the midline of the body. For example lifting your arm away from the side of your torso is a lateral type action. Low Density Lipoprotein: This is a lipoprotein that contains more cholesterol than protein and as such is known as “bad cholesterol”. ................................. M Maximal Heart Rate: This is the highest heart rate than one can attain. Medial: This is an anatomical term meaning toward the midline of the body. For example returning the arm to the side of the body after reaching to lift an item off the shelf. Medicine Ball: This is a heavy ball which varies in size from the size of a volleyball to the size of a basketball. They come in various weights from 2kg to 5kg. They are primarily used for rehab and strength and power training. Muscular Endurance: The ability of the muscles to repeatedly exert themselves. Muscular Strength: The ability to lift an external force or to lift a weight. ................................. N Nutrient Dense Foods: These are foods that provide more nutrients than calories. ................................. O Obesity: This is when the body has accumulated too much body fat. This is normally defined as over 25% body fat for men and over 30% body fat for women. Overload Principle: In order to progressively improve performance in exercise it is important that one applies progressive overload to the muscles and the body in a safe and controlled manner. For example this can be done by increasing the frequency, intensity and/or time spent exercising over the course of a program. ................................. P Plyometric Training: This is a type of training that is used to develop explosive power. Mainly used by athletes in preparation for their sport. Posterior: This is an anatomical term meaning toward the back. For example the posterior deltoid is the back of the deltoid muscle at the shoulder. Prone: This is the position of the body when lying face downwards. Protein: An essential nutrient that builds and repairs body tissues. 1 gram = 4 kilocalories. Proximal: This is an anatomical term that means towards the attached end of a limb. For example towards the shoulder of the arm. Back to Top ................................. R Range of Motion: The number of degrees that a joint will allow one of its segments to move. Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA): This is the recommended daily nutrient and mineral intake to maintain optimal health. Reebok Step: A piece of exercise equipment used that is 90cm long X 35cm wide. It has three adjustable heights and is primarily used for stepping onto in exercise to music classes/programmes. Repetitions: This is the term used for the number of lifts one executes in Resistance Training. Repetitions Maximum (RM): The maximum number of repetitions one can move a resistance. For example 1RM = maximum weight lifted one time. Resistance Bands: These are elastic bands that can be used in strength training and/or rehab. They are available in five colour-coded resistance levels: extra-light, light, medium, heavy and extra-heavy. Resting Heart Rate: This is the number of beats per min of the heart when the heart is at rest. The best time to calculate one’s RHR is first thing in the morning. Risk Factor: This is a condition or behaviour, such as smoking, that increases one’s risk of developing a specific disease. Rower: This is an indoor machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. It is normally known as an “ergometer”. This calculates the amount of work that one is doing. ................................. S Sedentary: Not active. Sets: This represents the number of exercise repetitions followed by a rest interval. For example one may have 3 sets of 12 reps of push ups in one’s program. Slow Twitch Muscle Fibres: These are muscle fibres that are mostly used in sustained, continuous exercise. These fibres are highly resistant to fatigue. Squat Rack: This is a piece of equipment that is designed for the execution of a safe free weight workout using a barbell. It comprises of four vertical posts with moveable horizontal bar catchers on each side. The uprights are normally connected producing a cage. Static Stretch: This is a low force, long duration stretch. Stepper: This is stationary exercise equipment that simulates a stepping-up action as in climbing stairs. Supine: This is the position of the body when lying face upward. Swiss Ball/Stability Ball: This is a ball constructed of elastic rubber with a diameter of 55 to 85cm. It is used in physical therapy and exercise. ................................. T Target Heart Rate: This is the intensity level that one attempts to achieve in one’s training. That is a set number of beats per minute that one must achieve throughout the exercise session. Treadmill: This is a piece of indoor equipment that is used to allow the individual to engage in walking/jogging/running without moving any distance. ................................. W Waist Circumference: This is a useful measure in order to determine appropriate levels of abdominal fat. To determine your waist circumference locate the upper hip bone and place a measuring tape around the abdomen (ensure that the tape measure is horizontal). The tape measure should be snug but should not cause compressions on the skin. Warm Up: This is the phase at the beginning of exercise and comprises of light to moderate incremental activity. Its purpose is to reduce the incidence of injury and to prepare the body for more vigorous activity. Weight Training Bench: This is a piece of equipment that resembles a normal bench but is designed for use in weight training. It may have a variety of designs such as fixed horizontal, fixed inclined and adjustable. |
