Fitness

What exactly is fitness?

Does being able to run very far or lift a lot of weight in the gym mean you are fit? No. Fitness has five elements, and the five elements need to be assessed to see what your level of fitness is:

Heart and lung endurance
Muscle strength
Muscle endurance
Body composition
Flexibility

Your heart and lung endurance

What does this mean?

The ability of your heart and lungs to fuel the body while exercising for a while.

To improve the endurance of your heart and lungs:

Choose activities that raise the heart rate safely for a period of time.
The activity does not have to be extremely active to improve endurance.
Start slowly, and gradually increase.

Your muscle strength

What does this mean?

The ability of your muscles to strive against something when you are exercising.

To improve your muscle strength:

Choose activities that make your muscles work hard.

Muscle endurance

What does this mean?

Your muscles’ ability muscles to keep going as you exercise without getting tired.

To improve the endurance of your muscles:

Choose activities where your heart and lungs work hard.

Body composition

What does this mean?

How much of the body is muscle, fat, bones, etc. Your weight on the scales may not change over a period of time, but the scales don’t show how much of the body is fat, bones, etc.

To improve your body composition:

Choose activities that burn fat and build the muscles.

Flexibility

What does this mean?

Your joints’ ability to move. The more flexible your joints are, the less likely you are to have injuries.

To improve your joints’ flexibility:

Choose activities that make your muscles stretch.

Do you have to spend a lot of money to keep fit? No!

Glossary

Energy:

Energy helps us to do things. We need energy to do the smallest tasks like raising our arm to wave goodbye. We would need even more energy to run a marathon!

Heart:

The heart is a muscle. It pumps blood around the body. The right side of your heart receives blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs and the left side of your heart receives the blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the body.

Joints:

A joint is where two bones meet

Lungs:

The lungs are an organ. The body has two lungs, one each side of the body. When you breathe in, air containing oxygen flows into the lungs and when you breathe out carbon dioxide leaves the lungs.

Muscles:

Our muscles help us move. They work by contracting and relaxing.

Image & text

The Work of a Personal Trainer

Helen Morris is a personal trainer. She works at a gym in Swansea.

This is an interview with Helen.

G: Why did you want to be a personal trainer?

H: I liked sport at school and wanted to work with sport as well. I didn't want to work in an office or in a shop because I would hate to be unable to move around!

G: What did you study to do this?

H: I did several certificates and diplomas, things like a Certificate in Fitness Training and a Diploma in Coaching Health, Fitness and Exercise.

G: What is the work exactly?

H: I work with clients in the gym. We look at their fitness level now and try to see how they can get fitter.

G: How do you do this?

H: I plan a fitness programme for them. I look at exercises they can do and set short- and long-term targets. Another important part of the work is to provide advice on health and eating etc.

G: What happens on a day-to-day basis in the gym?

H: I help clients with the exercises and see how they get on. I can usually see this by doing tests - for example, measuring the heart rate and how much fat is on the body.

G: What's the best thing about the job?

H: Seeing people reaching their target, becoming fitter and staying fitter. I get a lot of satisfaction from that.

G: Would you encourage a young person to do the job?

H: Yes, certainly. Go for it! Personal trainers are needed. People are living longer and they want to keep fit.

G: Thank you very much for the interview, Helen.

Diary entry

16 July 2020

'Why in the world did I agree to run in the Grand Canyon?' I thought when I realised what was in front of me. The trip to the USA had been a pleasure, and Gareth, my best friend, was excellent company.

But once I got to the Grand Canyon, I felt completely different. The path looked dangerously steep. However, a promise was a promise, and I had promised to run a 48-mile route with Gareth.

It had just dawned, and there were hours of running ahead. With the pebbles crunching underfoot, Gareth ventured on the path downwards and I was close on his heels. It was a lovely experience to see the sun gradually rising over the canyon. I tried to focus on the scenery around me and marvel at the beauty of the rock strata. As I was starting to get fed up Gareth started telling me funny stories, and I laughed so much that my stomach muscles were more painful than my legs!

We kept at it for hours, smelling the sweat as it ran down our backs. Then we had to climb. After the minutes turned into hours - at last, this was the end of the journey coming. An unforgettable experience. And except for a few painful blisters, nobody was any the worse!

Hyperlink

Song / poem

Guto Nyth Brân

You’ve seen Olympic sprinters
Who move at the speed of light
But here’s a boy with the wind at his heels
And the grace of an eagle’s flight.

No other runner could catch him,
Not a boy, but a lightning streak,
And he’d clear every obstacle in his path
As he raced to the mountain peak.

Guto Nyth Brân
His soul on fire
With love for Siân
His heart’s desire.

Not a creature could outrun him,
Not even the swiftest hare,
And neither dog nor stallion
Could with his speed compare.

So fleet of foot was Guto
The sheep came to his call,
Before his father blinked an eye
He’d lured and penned them all.

When running teatime errands
Guto really showed his mettle,
For he’d be home before his mam
Had time to boil the kettle.

Guto Nyth Brân
His soul on fire
With love for Siân
His heart’s desire.

Now Guto was a boy whose speed
Is celebrated still
And men turned pennies into pounds
By betting on his skill.

A challenger arrives – John Prince –
Whose horse won all its races.
‘I know we’ll beat the lad,’ he jeered.
‘Let’s put him through his paces.’

But Guto liked a challenge
And he slept a dreamless sleep,
His rival’s boasts could not disturb
A confidence so deep.

Throughout the night he dreamt that he
And Siân together lay,
Her body nestled in his arms
Beneath a quilt of hay.

Next day he jogged his way to town
Appearing in no hurry,
Despite the crowd’s excitement
He knew he needn’t worry.

‘Get going, Guto!’ roared the throng,
‘For Prince and his horse are flying,
Siân’s the prize you’re going to lose,
And clearly you’re not trying.’

But Guto knew that at the start
He shouldn’t run too fast.
To win a steeplechase like this
His strength would need to last.

How right he was, for mile by mile
The horse began to tire,
Whilst Guto’s stamina increased
With every passing spire.

He bounded like a year-old stag,
All obstacles he cleared,
He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead
As the finishing post he neared.

With Newport far behind him
And Bedwas next in sight,
A little church and journey’s end
Filled Guto with delight.

And as he crossed the finishing line
The crowd all cheered, ‘Hurray!
All honour to our champion,
For Guto’s won the day.’

Guto Nyth Brân
His soul on fire
With love for Siân
His heart’s desire.

He stepped towards his darling girl
For a longed-for lover’s greeting.
‘Well done!’ said Siân, and clasped him close:
With that, his heart stopped beating.

The race it ended with the day
And with the winner’s death,
That mountain runner swift as thought
Had breathed his final breath.

No winner’s purse could comfort her,
His broken-hearted Siân,
For she had valued nothing more
That the love of Guto Nyth Brân.

Welsh: Tudur Dylan Jones / English: Lolfa

Welsh: Tudur Dylan Jones

English: Lolfa

Interactive

Game:	Bando	Cnapan
How many played?	Two teams, up to 30 people.	Two teams of men from two parishes, no matter how many!
Where did they play?	Somewhere flat, sometimes on the beach.	On the land between the two parishes. The game started in the middle between the two parishes.
Equipment:	A bando, which was a stick like a hockey stick, for each player. Also, a ball.	A cnapan, which was a small wooden ball.
Aim of the game:	Hit the ball between two marks (like a goal) at each end of the field.	Get the ball back to your parish - to somewhere like the church entrance.
When was this?	Up to about the end of the 19th century.	Up to the 19th century.
Where in Wales?	Across Wales, particularly in the county of Glamorgan.	Across Wales, particularly in Pembrokeshire and south Ceredigion.