Fitness and health

Question 1

What is blood pressure measured in?

Answer 1

mmHg.

Question 2

Systolic Pressure

Answer 2

Is the maximum pressure the heart produces.

Question 3

Diastolic Pressure

Answer 3

Is the blood pressure between heart beats.

Question 4

Which factors increase blood pressure?

Answer 4

• Stress
• High alcohol intake
• Smoking
• Being overweight

Question 5

Which factors decrese blood pressure?

Answer 5

• Regular exercise
• A balanced diet

Question 6

Effects of high blood pressure?

Answer 6

High blood pressure can cause blood vessels to burst. This can cause damage to the brain, which is often called a stroke. It can also cause kidney damage.

Question 7

Effects of low blood pressure

Answer 7

Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness and fainting as the blood supply to the brain is reduced, and poor circulation to other areas such as the fingers and toes.

Question 8

What is the difference between fitness and health?

Answer 8

• Fitness is the ability to do physical activity.
• Health is being free from diseases such as those caused by bacteria and viruses.

Question 9

How can general levels of fitness be measured?

Answer 9

With cardiovascular efficiency.

Question 10

What activities can measure fitness?

Answer 10

• Strength by the amount of weights lifted.
• Flexibility by the amount of joint movement.
• Stamina by the time of sustained excercise.
• Agility by changing direction many times.
• Speed by a sprint race. Therefore, you can be very fit for a sprint race but not perform well in a marathon.

Question 11

How does smoking increase blood pressure?

Answer 11

• Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. It combines with haemoglobin, preventing it from combining with oxygen, so less oxygen is carried. This means that the heart rate increases so that the tissues recieve enough oxygen.
• Nicotine in cigarette smoke directly increases heart rate.

Question 12

What causes heart disease?

Answer 12

• A restricted blood flow to the heart muscle.
• The narrowing of the arteries caused by plaques in the coronary arteries can reduce blood flow to heart muscles. The plaque also make blood clots (thrombosis) more likely to happen, which will also block the artery.

Question 13

What increases the risk of heart disease?

Answer 13

• A high level of saturated fat in the diet, which leads to a build-up of cholesterol (a plaque) in arteries.
• High levels of salt, which can increase blood pressure.