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Course, Subject

Health, Physical Education, Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences

Duration

One to two class periods

Objectives

Students will

• act as a team of personal trainers to design, present, and justify an exercise and nutrition plan for an imaginary client; and
• discover how knowledge of the body's systems can help people reach personal health and fitness goals.

Materials

• computer with Internet access
• library references on diet, nutrition, and exercise

Procedure

1. Have students summarize the function or job of each body system: nervous, digestive, respiratory, and musculoskeletal.
2. Ask students how knowing about even one system could help an athlete in training or a person who wants to tone muscles or stay healthy? For example, the video shows how a competitive swimmer increases his oxygen intake because he knows how the respiratory system works.
3. Tell students that they will use their knowledge of body systems and do additional research to act on a team of personal trainers for a client below:

• A 17-year-old high school soccer player wants to maintain a high energy level during soccer games.
• A 35-year-old woman wants to tone the muscles in her stomach.
• A 65-year-old man wants to keep his heart healthy.

4. Ask students if they know what a personal trainer does. This background information may be helpful: A personal trainer helps design an exercise and nutrition program that helps a person meet goals. Such trainers use their knowledge about how the body works to design individual plans and help their clients put them to use. People may hire a personal trainer for help in losing weight, becoming fit, getting stronger, staying healthy, increasing endurance, or improving athletic performance.
5. As a member of a personal training team, students must develop and present an exercise and nutrition plan that helps their client reach goals. A real -training plan would involve an ongoing exercise program and long-term diet, but the students' plans should include three or four exercises and a suggested diet for one day. In addition to exercises and menu, training teams will must show how their exercises and menu relates to least three facts about how the body systems work. Once a team has developed its plan, it will present it to the class.
6. Break students into teams. Have each team select a client from the list above. Then teams should consider the following questions:
   
   What is the client's goal? Is it to lose weight, gain endurance or strength, get fit, tone muscles, or improve speed, athletic performance, or flexibility? The team members must identify this goal when they present their exercise plan and diet.
   
   

• Given the goals of the client, how can eating certain foods help? For example, if the client wants more energy, which foods can help? If the client wants to maintain a healthy heart, which foods are low in cholesterol and saturated fat?
  To create a client's diet, have students refer to the Food Guide Pyramid, established by the United States Department of Agriculture. It is based on daily nutritional requirements established by the government. You may visit the Web sites below and print the appropriate material, or have the students visit the sites themselves. You may want to make available books and magazines about nutrition and healthful eating, exercise, and fitness.
  Food Pyramid
  http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2000/document/frontcover.htm
  
  
  For information about exercise, consult these Web sites:
  http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html
  http://www.key2fitness.com/index.html
  http://www.fitness.gov/be-active/

7. Once students have finished their research, they should develop the plan for their client. It should include the client's goals, a recommended diet, three or four exercises, and three facts about the body's systems.
8. Have students present their plans to the class. You may want to have other students, teachers, or parents act as clients and ask questions and provide input.

Resource

Access this resource at:

Body Systems

Content Provider

Discovery Education

Discovery Education offers a breadth and depth of digital media content that is immersive, engaging and brings the world into the classroom to give every student a chance to experience fascinating people, places, and events. All content is aligned to state standards, can be aligned to custom curriculum, and supports classroom instruction regardless of the technology platform.

Whether looking for a digital media library service, an implementation to help you transition your classroom to a 21st century environment or to move completely to replace textbooks with digital resources, Discovery Education offers a continuum of solutions to meet your district's specific needs. In addition, we offer real-time assessment services and a variety of professional development to ensure effective implementation in the classroom. You know your needs. We know our services. Together we can create an effective solution.

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Credit: Robin Porter, freelance education writer

Vocabulary

cardiovascular
Definition: Relating to the heart and blood vessels
Context: Most people who have heart disease try to do exercises that improve their cardiovascular conditioning.

cholesterol
Definition: A type of fat found in animal products; too much can be bad for the heart.
Context: To reduce the risk of heart disease, he limited the amount of cholesterol in his diet.

diet
Definition: The usual food and drink of a person or animal
Context: Eating a healthful diet helps us feel good and stay healthy.

endurance
Definition: The ability to sustain stressful effort or activity
Context: Soccer players must have endurance to run up and down the field for the entire game.

exercise
Definition: Activity that is formed to develop or maintain fitness
Context: I feel really good on the days I exercise.

nutrient
Definition: A source of nourishment, especially a nourishing ingredient in a food.
Context: Carbohydrates are a nutrient that supplies the body with energy.

Related Academic Standards

New York State

HPF.HE.E.1 Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.

HPF.HE.E.1.1.D Students recognize influence which affect health choices and behaviors.

HPF.HE.E.1.1.F Students practice and support others in making healthy choices.

HPF.PE.E.1.1.D Students understand the effects of activity on the body, the risks associated with inactivity, and the basic components of health-related fitness (cardiovascular, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition).

HPF.PE.E.1.1.F Students understand the relationship between physical activity and individual well being.