Physical Activity Guidelines: F.I.T.T.

How much is enough? Am I able to do it? How hard do I have to work?

These are good questions, especially if you’re just starting out on an activity program.

Your current activity level, motivation, and available time will help determine your starting point and ensure that your activity choices fit your lifestyle, work schedule and other commitments.

Begin slowly and err on the side of caution. Do a little bit your first few sessions and see how you feel. If you’re tired or sore, you might want to slow down. If you feel great (energized and no stiff muscles), you can change one of the following components of your program to continue to increase the benefits:

F.I.T.T.

F REQUENCY: How many times a week do you participate in activities?
I NTENSITY: How hard do you work?
T IME: How much time do you spend on each activity?
T YPE: What kinds of activities are you interested in doing?

Being physically active for a minimum of 30 minutes a day will slightly improve and/or maintain your current health and fitness status.

If you want to increase your health benefits further, control weight loss and improve your endurance, strength and flexibility, it’s important to be physically active for up to 60 minutes each day.

Frequency

Physical activity should be performed each day. The number of activity sessions completed each week may be influenced by your motivation, the weather and other factors, such as how you’re feeling.

Keeping a log is a great way to chart your progress. It reminds you how much you were doing when you started and how much you’re able to do now. (see sample weekly activity log in S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting tip sheet)

Intensity

To enjoy activity or exercise, your level of intensity has to match your fitness level. (Years ago, it was thought that exercise had to be strenuous to be beneficial. Now, newer research shows that many health benefits can be gained from regular, moderate physical activity. )

Increases in intensity should be gradual, so your body can adapt. Ways to monitor your intensity include:

Breathing rate: how fast or how hard are you breathing?
Talk test: can you carry on a conversation?
Body temperature and sweat factor: how warm is your body and how much are you sweating?
Rate of perceived exertion: how hard do you feel you’ve worked, on a scale of 1-10? An improvement in your fitness level is indicated by a lower effort rating for the same activity.
Working heart rate: Find your pulse at your wrist, count the number of beats per 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to determine your working heart rate in beats per minute.

To determine your level of intensity

Heart Rate Calculator

To determine your intensity as a percentage of maximum heart rate, divide your working heart rate (beats per minute) by your maximum predicted heart rate (220-age). Here are some examples of intensity percentages for different types of physical activity:

Low – strolling along (55-64%)
Moderate – brisk walking (65-74%)
Vigorous – jogging/running (75-90%)

More ways to gauge your intensity:

Time to complete a given distance: set a distance and see how long it takes you to complete the route. Covering a set distance in a shorter amount of time indicates an improvement in your fitness level.
Distance covered in a given time: determine how long it takes to complete a given distance. Covering a greater distance in the same amount of time indicates an improvement in your fitness level.

You can measure and chart intensity using the following factors:

Intensity Rating Factors	Intensity of Effort 1= Low 2= Moderate 3= Intense
Breathing Rate	Slight increase	Deep and consistent	Rapid
Talk Test	Carry on a conversation	Talk intermittently Need to catch your breath	No talking, Out of breath
Body Temperature	Warm	Warmer and light sweat	Very warm and sweating
Rate of Perceived Effort (scale 1-10)	3-5	6-7	8-10
% Maximum Heart Rate	55-64%	65-74%	75-90%

Time

Determine the amount of time accumulated during one physical activity session and add up each session completed in a given day. Gradually increase the amount of time you’re active during one session. The recommended guidelines suggest increasing your time by a maximum of 10% each week. (i.e. Week 1: 20 minute walk; Week 2: 22 minute walk for a 10% increase – 2 minutes)

Type

Choose activities that you look forward to. That way, you’re more likely to continue.

Here are some examples of the F.I.T.T. principle in action:

Just Getting Started

Walk for 10 minutes at a time, and try to do it 3 times a day. As your fitness level increases and you experience some of the benefits, you can increase your physical activity time gradually (1-2 minutes a week), aiming to reach 30+ minutes at a time.

If you are active intermittently (1-2 times per week), continue with your current activities but increase the number of times a week that you participate in the activities (to 4-7 times per week).

Active Regularly

If you are active regularly (3 or more times per week), you can:

increase the amount of time you’re active each day;
vary the intensity (light, moderate, vigorous); increase the time of each activity; and
change the types of activities you do. Variety is an important component of any physical activity program. It helps keep you motivated and excited so you’re more likely to stick with it.

Links:

Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living