University Health Program: HSE103 Six-Week Cardiovascular Fitness Plan

This document details a six-week cardiorespiratory fitness program designed for Stephanie Jackson, based on a health assessment and baseline testing results. The program incorporates health appraisal data, body composition data, and cardiorespiratory assessment data. The program includes a warm-up, conditioning exercises (shoulder press, chest fly, bench triceps extension, seated bicep curls), cool-down stretches, resistance training (wall plank, bench push-ups, supported squats), and a combination of walking, power walking, jogging, and running. It also provides guidelines on frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise. The program aims to improve cardiovascular fitness while maintaining a healthy body composition. The document also references relevant literature, including research on the effects of exercise on cardiovascular health and muscle strengthening. The program adheres to guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and emphasizes the importance of aerobic exercise for overall health. The assessment also considers the client's medical history, lifestyle, and risk factors to tailor the program appropriately.

Running Head: CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS
Six-week Training Program
First Name Last Name
Institution
Date

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 2
Health Appraisal Data
Stephanie Jackson’s six-week training program aimed at improving her cardiovascular
fitness. A moderate-intensity physical activity should last for at least 6 weeks which is suitable
for Stephanie. Clients are however recommended to combine both moderate and vigorous-
intensity training program for a better outcome Seco et al.1A target heart rate range can be
determined by either finding maximal heart rate or heart reserve rate. Performance of intermittent
exercise of at least 75 minutes every week is recommended which is equivalent to 20 minutes per
day for vigorous exercise. This is an efficient method for continuous exercise. Her fasting
glucose is normal including resting blood pressure and heart rate. She can, therefore, be
considered as a moderate-risk category since she is young, with no family history of heart
disease nor signs or symptoms of the cardiorespiratory condition.
Body Composition Data
Skinfold thickness measurements rank a person based on subcutaneous fat depots. The
triceps skinfold is measured at the back of the left arm in between the scapula and olecranon of
the ulna. The average values for triceps skinfold for women are approximately 18 mm which is
equivalent to 30% fat. Stephanie’s triceps can, therefore, be considered as borderline or fat
depleted since they are 16 mm which is below the normal values. The biceps skinfold is
measured similar to skinfold while the Supraspinale skinfold is measured above the iliac crest in
the plane of a dermatome.
The average amount of fat that a healthy person carries depends on age and gender. For
women, it ranges from 20 to 25%. Stephanie’s fat mass is 23.5 which is a healthy percent of
body fat. The cardiorespiratory training program for Stephanie should, therefore, aim at
2

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 3
maintaining her fat mass to avoid excess fat or deficiency which is accompanied by several other
complications Hannan et al .2
Cardiorespiratory Training Program
Program goal: Cardiorespiratory
training
Session duration: 6 weeks
Description Duration
Week 1 Warm-up Should be conducted prior to any
other exercise in order to prepare
the body for upcoming physical or
mental activities.
Lasting for 5 to 10
minutes
Week 2 Conditioning Include;
Shoulder press Lasting for 2 minutes
Chest fly Lasting for 2 minutes
Bench triceps extension Lasting for 2 minutes
Seated bicep curls Lasting for 2 minutes
Week 3 Cool down The static stretch of the triceps,
biceps, traps and rotator cuffs.
Lasting for 10 minutes
Week 4 Resistance Wall plank Lasting for 1 minutes
Bench push-ups 5 to 10 reps
3

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 4
Supported squats 5 to 10 reps
Week 5 Walk Power walk
Jog
Run
Week 6 Flexibility Calf stretch 15 seconds holding
each leg
Lying hip flexor stretch 15 seconds holding
each side
Lying glute-medius stretch 15 seconds holding
each side
Cardiorespiratory Assessment Data
For better outcome, Stephanie should perform aerobic physical activities for at least 5
days every week. I would recommend her to do vigorous aerobic exercises since her heart rate is
normal plus it consumes less time compared to moderate exercises. Based on duration, she
should follow up the time given on every physical activity as illustrated on the table. For muscle-
strengthening activities such as calf stretch, Static stretch of the triceps and biceps, she should
perform them for 2 to 3 times per week. A load of 70% is recommended for such muscle-
strengthening activities.
4

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 5
Physical activity targets are necessary as they help in reducing potential muscle soreness
and other related injuries for enhancing compliance Schumann et al.3 If Stephanie chooses to
workout with the vigorous-intensity exercises, should do it gradually after 2 to 3 weeks of
moderate-intensity exercise.
In conclusion, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 4 acknowledges
cardiorespiratory exercises to be suitable for everyone. It defines aerobic activity as exercises
that utilize large muscle group which an individual can make it be consistent and later becomes
rhythmic in nature. Muscle groups activated by aerobic exercise depends on aerobic metabolism
which further helps in producing energy in the form of carbohydrates, adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) excreted from amino acids and fatty acids. Some of the cardiorespiratory activities include
walking, warm-up, and conditioning which involves shoulder press, bench triceps extension and
seated bicep curls among others.
5

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS 6
References
1. Seco J, Abecia LC, Echevarría E, Barbero I, Torres‐Unda J, Rodriguez V, Calvo JI. A
long‐term physical activity training program increases strength and flexibility and
improves balance in older adults. Rehabilitation Nursing. 2013 Jan;38(1):37-47.
2. Hannan AL, Hing W, Simas V, Climstein M, Coombes JS, Jayasinghe R, Byrnes J,
Furness J. High-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training
within cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open access journal
of sports medicine. 2018;9:1.
3. Schumann M, Yli-Peltola K, Abbiss CR, Häkkinen K. Cardiorespiratory adaptations
during concurrent aerobic and strength training in men and women. PloS one. 2015 Sep
29;10(9):e0139279.
4. American College of Sports Medicine, editor. ACSM's health-related physical fitness
assessment manual. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013 Jan 21.
6