Fitness Challenges

Health-Related Physical Fitness Challenges

-Running in Place (Cardiorespiratory Endurance)

1- Determine your resting heart rate for one minute. To do this, use your fingers to feel your pulse at your wrist or neck, then count your pulse (heartbeats) for one minute.

2- Run 120 steps in place for one minute. Count one step every time a foot hits the floor.

3- Rest for 30 seconds, then count your pulse (heart rate) for one minute. People with good cardiorespiratory endurance recover quickly after exercise. Is your heart rate within 15 beats per minute of your resting heart rate before running in place?

*This challenge focuses on cardiorespiratory endurance

-Two-Hand Ankle Grip (flexibility)

1- Squat with your heels together. Lean the upper body forward and reach with your hands between your legs and behind your ankles.

2- Clasp your hands in front of your ankles.

3-Interlock your hands for the full length of your fingers. Keep your feet still.

4- Hold the position for 5 seconds.

*This challenge focuses on flexibility

-Single-Leg Raise (muscular endurance)

1- Bend forward at your waist so that your upper body rests on a table and your feet are on the floor.

2- Raise one leg so that it is extended straight out behind you. Complete several such raises with each leg. Performing multiple repetitions (8 or more) requires muscular endurance. Stop if you reach 25 with each leg.

*This challenge focuses on muscular endurance

-90-Degree Push-Up (strength)

1- Lie facedown on a mat or carpet with your hands under your shoulders, your fingers spread, and your legs straight. Your legs should be slightly apart and your toes should be tucked under.

2- Push up until your arms are straight. Keep your legs and back straight- your body should form a straight line.

3- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (elbows at a 90-degree angle), then push-up until your arms are fully extended. Do one push-up every 3 seconds. You may want to have a partner say “up-down” every three seconds to help you. Performing up to 5 push-ups requires muscular strength.

*This challenge focuses on strength

-Knees-to-Feet (power)

1- Kneel so that your shins and knees are on a mat. Hold your arms back. Point your toes straight backward.

2- Without curling your toes under you or rocking your body backward, swing your arms upward and spring to your feet.

3- Hold your position for 3 seconds after you land.

Skill-Related Physical Fitness Challenges

Line Jump (agility)

1- Balance on your right foot on a line on the floor

2- Leap onto your left foot so that it lands to the right of the line.

3- Leap across the line onto your right foot; land to the left of the line.

4- Leap onto your left foot, landing on the line.

*This challenge focuses on agility

Double Heel Click (speed)

1- Jump into the air and click your heels together twice before you land.

2- Your feet should be at least three inches (eight centimeters) apart when you land.

*This challenge focuses on speed

Backward Hop (balance)

1- With your eyes closed, hop backward on one foot five times.

2- After the last hop, hold your balance for three seconds.

*This challenge focuses on balance

Double-Ball Bounce (coordination)

1- Hold a volleyball in each hand. Beginning at the same time with each hand, bounce both balls at the same time, at least knee high.

2- Bounce both balls three times in a row without losing control of them.

*This challenge focuses on coordination

Coin Catch (reaction time)

1- Point your right elbow outward in front of you. Your right hand, palm up, should be beside your right ear. If you’re left-handed, do this activity with your left hand.

2- Place a coin as close to the end of your elbow as possible.

3- Quickly lower your elbow and grab the coin in the air with the hand of the same arm.

*This challenge focuses on power

Cardiorespiratory Endurance

PACER

(Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, or 20-meter shuttle run)

This test is included in Fitnessgram, ALPHA-FIT, and the IOM Fitness Test Battery

1- The test objective is to run back and forth across a 20-meter (almost 22-yard) distance as many times as you can at a predetermined pace (pacing is based on signals from a special audio recording provided by your instructor).

2- Start at a line located 20 meters from a second line. When you hear the beep from the audio track, run across the 20-meter area to the second line, arriving just before the audio track beeps again, and touch the line with your foot. Make sure to wait for the beep before running back.

3- At the sound of the next beep, run back to the line where you began. Touch the line with your foot. Make sure to wait for the beep before running back.

4- Continue to run back and forth from one line to the other, touching the line each time. The beeps will come faster and faster, causing you to run faster and faster. The test is finished when you twice fail to reach the opposite side before the beep.

Practice Tips-

-Practice running at the correct pace so that you arrive just before the beep that signals you to change directions.

-Practice adjusting your pace as the beeps come faster and faster.

*The PACER is a good test of cardiorespiratory endurance.

Goal Setting- Self Assessment

SMART Goals-

S-specific. Your goal should include details of what you want to accomplish.

M- measurable. You should be able to measure your progress and accurately determine whether you’ve accomplished your goal.

A- attainable. Your goals should challenge you. They should not be too easy or too hard.

R- realistic. You should be able to reach your goal if you put in the time and effort and have the necessary resources.

T- timely. Your goal should be useful to you at this time in your life and can be met in the time allotted.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Curl-Up

(abdominal muscle strength and muscular endurance)

1- Lie on your back on a mat or carpet. Bend your knees approximately 14- degrees. Your feet should be slightly apart and as far as possible from your buttocks while still allowing your feet to be flat on the floor. Your arms should be straight and parallel to your trunk with your palms resting on the mat.

2- Place your head on a piece of paper. Place a strip of cardboard (or rubber, plastic, or tape) 4.5 inches (11.5 centimeters) wide and 3 feet (about 1 meter) long under your knees so that the fingers of both hands just touch the near edge of the strip.

3- Keeping your heels on the floor, curl your shoulders up slowly and slide your arms forward so that your fingers move across the cardboard strip. Curl up until your fingertips reach the far side of the strip.

4- Slowly lower your back until your head rests on the piece of paper.

5- Repeat the curl-up procedure so that you do one curl-up every three seconds. A partner could help you by saying “up, down” every three seconds. You are finished when you can’t do another curl-up or when you fail to keep up with the three-second count.

6- Record the number of curl-ups you completed.

Push-Up

(upper body strength and muscular endurance)

1- Lie facedown on a mat or carpet with your hands (palm down) under your shoulders, your fingers spread, and your legs straight. Your legs should be slightly apart and your toes tucked under.

2- Push up until your arms are straight. Keep your legs and back straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.

3- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (elbows at 90-degree angle), then push up until your arms are fully extended.

4- Do one push-up every 3 seconds. You may want to have a partner say “Up, down” every 3 seconds to help you. You are finished when you are unable to a push-up with proper form for the second time or are unable to keep the pace for a second time.

5- Record the number of push-ups you performed.

Handgrip Strength

(isometric hand and arm strength)

1- Use a dynamometer to measure isometric strength. Adjust the dynamometer to fit your hand size.

2- Squeeze as hard as possible for two to five seconds. Your arm should be extended with your elbow nearly straight. Do not touch your body with your arm or hand.

3- Results are most often reported in kilograms (a kilogram equals about 2.2 pounds). To get your score in pounds, multiply your score in kilograms by 2.2.

4- Do two tests with each hand. Record your best score for each hand. Add your best right-hand score to your best left-hand score, then divide the total by two to get your average score.

5- Record your average score.

Standing Long Jump

(Leg Power, or explosive strength)

1- Use masking tape or another material to make the necessary line on the floor.

2- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart behind the line on the floor. Bend your knees and hold your arms straight in front of your body at shoulder height.

3- Swing your arms downward and backward, then vigorously forward as you jump forward as far as possible, extending your legs.

4- Land on both feet and try to maintain your balance on landing. Do not run or hop before jumping.

5- Perform the test two times. Record the better of your two scores in inches (1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters).

Back-Saver-Sit-and-Reach

(Flexibility)

1- Place a measuring stick, such as a yard-stick or meter stick, on top of a box that is 12 inches (30 centimeters) high with the stick extending 9 inches (23 centimeters) over the box and the lower numbers toward you. You may use a flexibility testing box if one is available.

2- To measure the flexibility of your right leg, fully extend it and place your right foot flat against the box. Bend your left leg, with the knee turned out and your left foot flat 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) to the side of your straight right leg.

3- Extend your arms forward over the measuring stick. Place your hands on the stick, one on top of the other, with your palms facing down. Your middle fingers should be together with the tip of one finger exactly on top of the other.

4-Lean forward slowly; do not bounce. Reach forward with your arms and fingers, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat four times. On the fourth reach, hold the position for three seconds and observe the measurement on the stick below your fingertips.

5- Repeat the test with your left leg straight.

6- Record your score to the nearest inch (1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters).

Trunk Lift

(Upper Back)

1- Lie facedown with your arms to your sides and your hands under your thighs.

2- Lift the upper part of your body very slowly so that your chin, chest, and shoulders come off the floor. Lift your trunk as high as possible, to a maximum of 12 inches (30 centimeters). Hold this position for three seconds while a partner measures how far your chin is from the floor. Your partner should hold the ruler at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in front of your chin. Look straight ahead so that your chin is not tipped abnormally upward.

3- Do the trunk lift two times (lifting slowly) and record how far from the floor you can lift and hold your chin (for three seconds). Do not record scores above 12 inches (30 centimeters).

Caution: The ruler should not be placed directly under your chin, in case you have to lower your trunk unexpectedly.