Health Related Physical Fitness
Health related physical fitness focuses on optimum health and prevents the onset of disease and problems associated with inactivity.
Maintaining an appropriate level of health related fitness allows a person to:
· Meet emergencies
· Reduce the risk of disease and injury
· Work efficiently
· Participate and enjoy physical activity
· Look your physical best
Physical fitness should be the result of the balance of activities that are provided in the physical education program at school and continued by the family and in other community activities outside of school. The assessments can be practiced at home with a minimum of adult supervision. Practicing at home initiates the opportunity for parents and students to exercise and be physically active together, making fitness a family activity.
Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
Experience
Explore
Elevate
Two Rivers
Physical Education
Mr. Costello
jcostello@crec.org
The Components of Physical Fitness
The Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment is given annually to all students in grades 4, 6, 8 and 10. It measures student proficiency in the five areas of physical fitness and provides the teacher with an understanding of individual performance and need. The importance of lifetime fitness can never be overemphasized and we encourage everyone to GET FIT.
Students in grades 6,7 and 8 will participate in the assessment during the year 2006/2007.
Flexibility
The ability to stretch your muscles and the ligaments and tendons that connect them to bone.
Test: Modified Sit and Reach
The sit and reach is designed to test the ability of the student to reach a certain distance on the right and left sides. It measures flexibility of the hamstrings and lover back. Proper hamstring flexibility helps avoid lower back pain.
Tips:
F The modified sit and reach is a good exercise as well as a test for improvement
F Remember that general stretching of major muscle groups to develop flexibility involves a slow and controlled motion. Hold a stretch for 10-30 seconds.
F Hold the body or limbs in a position that elongates the muscles to a point where you feel a gentle stretch-not pain!
Muscular Strength
Capacity of your body’s muscles to generate force in a short period of time
Muscular Endurance
The measure of how well muscles can repeatedly generate force.
Test: Abdominal Muscles in the Partial Curl up
The student will complete as many partial curl ups as possible at a rhythmic pace. Abdominal fitness is important to good health because lower levels are associated with bad posture and lower back pain.
Tips:
F The partial curl up is a good exercise as well as a test. Learning to pace yourself and controlling a movement by engaging the muscles is essential
Test: Upper Body Right Angle Push-ups
The student will have to complete as many right angle push ups they can at a rhythmic pace. Upper body muscular fitness assists with the performance of daily living and recreational activity with vigor and undue fatigue.
Tips:
F Practicing this test also serves as a great exercise.
F You can improve your strength by using the overload principle and pushing the muscles to make them work harder and longer…to become STRONGER!
Cardiovascular Endurance
The body’s ability to exercise whole muscle groups over an extended period of time.
Test: One Mile Run/Walk
The objective of the test is to measure cardiorespitory or aerobic endurance. The one-mile run/walk is a good indicator of the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to functioning muscles.
Tips:
F Accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each day.
F Practice pacing-NOT racing!
F Participate in activity that features consistent movement for an extended period such as:
walking briskly, hiking, dancing,
cross country skiing, rope jumping,
jogging, cycling, swimming
