So could you fit in a daily 15 minutes? Could you tag this onto some regular daily activities such as your dog walk or power walk home from work for example? This can be strength, high intensity CV or even a lovely long, languished stretch. It offers a structure and components to use to develop, monitor, or enhance both cardiovascular and strength training. Flexibility work further enhances our movement and function and, again, should feature in our exercise routine. The FITT principle is a method of creating an efficient workout plan. Our muscles and bones are changing, unfortunately diminishing in efficacy through this life stage, our risk of overuse injury increases and it is vital that we promote strength work to sustain our muscles as we age in addition to promoting bone density through impact work in safe and controlled environments. Whilst exercising the heart and lungs with cardiovascular activities – running, cycling, swimming etc has value, it should not be the primary or even sole focus of our exercise routine. Shorter, activity sessions even as little as 15 minutes a day can offer real and valuable returns when that time is spent on the right type of activity. Each letter stands for a specific word you will learn about how. Longer (low intensity – 5/6 RPE ) cardio activities such as runs and rides may be an occasional activity for some – however this stage of life isn’t really the right time of life for these as a main training focus. The FITT Principle is a principle that helps us to plan our exercise for maximum benefit. So how long to train for? Up to 60 minutes gives plenty of time to challenge at least one, but also more than one ‘component’ of fitness such as cardiovascular training and some strength work or perhaps strength work with a flexibility session. Time – For this section, duration is in fact a more appropriate term to use. You should be reaching a 7/8 during your planned workouts. This is measured using a 1:10 scale where 1 is laying down and 10 is working as hard as you physically could. However as a simple ‘go to’ the generic ‘How It Feels’ scale can be helpful, it’s sometime referred to as RPE or rate of perceived exertion. Intensity – This one can be measured in various ways depending on the type of activity.įor example: amount of weight lifted, heart rate measurements, speed. If it’s at least 2-3 times each week, give yourself a nice big tick in the box, this is ideal and will ensure you make steady progress.

This is separate to your daily step count and any active daily living activities (like digging in the garden for example). When prescribing exercise, fitness professionals generally refer to the FITT acronym which stands for:Īs we move into and through peri-menopause it is worth reviewing our regular exercise routines – whether this is something you’re starting out on or if you already complete regular planned workouts.

Fitt principle