Fitness tests are a valuable tool for helping students assess their fitness, set goals, and track progress. They provide consistent measurable data for teachers and students to measure their progress over the course of the year. A variety of fitness tests can be used to measure different areas of physical fitness including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Inclusive Practices for Fitness Testing:
Offer choices: Let students select from equivalent exercises to demonstrate fitness in a way that works for their bodies.
Wall/knee push ups, shortened distance, etc.
Focus on personal progress: Emphasize growth, effort, and self-improvement instead of comparison to peers or standardized norms.
Scores not used for grades
Modify environment and equipment: Create accessible testing spaces with visual supports, adaptive equipment, and clear instruction.
Use designated spots, individualized testing, supports, etc.
Use peer supports: Use peer buddies to help assist with encouragement, counting, and modeling as needed.
Fitness tests examples:
Pacer (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run):
Purpose: Measure aerobic capacity and cardiovascular endurance
How it's done: Students run back and forth between 2 lines, 20 meters apart, at a pace dictated by audio cues (progressively gets faster)
Inclusive Adaptions: Use shorter distances, use other cardio equipment (stationary bike, elliptical) for a timed distance, visual, tactile, and audio signals, allow a pacing partner
Push-Up Test:
Purpose: Measures upper-body macular strength and endurance
How it's done: Students perform as many push-ups as they can to either a cadence or in 1 minute timing
Inclusive Adaptions: modified push-ups (knee, wall, etc.), chest presses, encourage accurate and controlled reps
Curl-Up/Sit-Up Test:
Purpose: Measures core (abdominal) strength and endurance
How it's done: Student lies on back with knees bent and perform as many curl or sit ups as they can to either a cadence or in a minute.
Inclusive Adaptions: use yoga wedges or support pillows, allow alternative core exercises (crunches, leg lifts, etc.), reduce range of motion
Sit-and-Reach Test:
Purpose: Measure flexibility of the hamstrings and lower back
How it's done: In a seated position students reach forward on a measuring box as far as they can
Inclusive Adaptions: Allow from an alternative seating options, provide a raised box, use upper body reach variations
Mile Run:
Purpose: Measures cardiovascular endurance and stamina
How it's done: Students copmlete 1 mile and measure the time it takes to complete it
Inclusive Adaptions: allow self-paced intensity, modified distance/ time-based assessments, offer breaks and water, use assistive equipment (gait trainers, wheelchairs, or walkers)
Vertical Jump:
Purpose: Assess leg power
How it's done: Students jump as high as possible from a standing position
Inclusive Adaptions: allow seated medicine ball throws, balance aids, alternative power measurement