FitnessGram

Introduction

The Presidential Youth Fitness Program has adopted the use of the FITNESSGRAM to assess the fitness level of our youth. On its website, it explains a variety of options to begin fitness assessments at your school and create personal child-centered, criterion based fitness challenges in your school. Visit the Presidential Youth Challenge Website for more information. Below, I share the basic information about the FitnessGram and ActivityGram and its web-based application.

What is it?

FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM is the national educational assessment, data management, and reporting software program. The software contains two major components, a comprehensive physical fitness assessment and reporting program (FITNESSGRAM), and a detailed 3 day physical activity assessment program (ACTIVITYGRAM). The software also includes a physical activity logging tool (Activity Log) that allows youth to track physical activity levels (minutes or step counts) on an easy to use calendar interface. The logging tool can also be used by teachers to administer class or school-based physical activity challenges. The FITNESSGRAM/ACTIVITYGRAM program was developed by The Cooper Institute and a Scientific Advisory Board in response to the need for a comprehensive assessment protocol.

Products available

  • Web-based FitnessGram 9
  • iPhone/iPad app to input data - $4.99

What is the FITNESSGRAM physical fitness assessment program?

FITNESSGRAM physical fitness assessment program includes a variety of health-related physical fitness tests designed to assess cardiovascular fitness, body composition, muscle strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. The fitnessgram / activitygram includes various tests devoted to measure aerobic capacity, body composition, and musculoskeletal fitness. Criterion-referenced standards associated with good health are used rather than normative standards.

Why Criterion-Referenced?

Scientific information is used to determine the amount of fitness needed to meet minimum health levels. FITNESSGRAM uses a “Healthy Fitness Zone” to designate the range of fitness scores associated with good health. Scores falling below the “Healthy Fitness Zone” are categorized as “ Needs improvement” to indicate that efforts are needed to bring the score into the Healthy Fitness Zone. The Healthy Fitness Zone are criterion-referenced health standards because they are based on how much fitness a child needs for good health. Normative standards (e.g., percentiles) provide comparisons relative to other youth in a group but do not provide information concerning how the values relate to health.

What does the FITNESSGRAM software program do?

The FITNESSGRAM software provides individualized report cards that summarize the child’s performance on each component of health-related fitness and provides suggestions about how to promote and maintain good fitness. The program also includes a data management system that produces summary reports for groups, aids in management of group data, and allows for long term tracking of the student’s fitness throughout their school years. FITNESSGRAM can be used by students to help them in personal fitness program planning, by teachers to determine student needs and to help guide students in program planning. The reports are most effectively used if they are distributed to parents to help communicate their child’s fitness needs and to assist in planning an appropriate program of physical activity.

What is the ACTIVITYGRAM physical activity assessment program?

The ACTIVITYGRAM assessment program is designed to assess the physical activity patterns of youth. The assessment requires youth to report their activity patterns on three different days (2 weekdays and 1 weekend). The assessment uses a “segmented day approach” in which children report the primary activity that they perform in each 30-minute period of the day (7:00 am – 11:00 pm). The activities are selected using easy to use drop down menus that are depicted on the “Physical Activity Pyramid”. Activities in the self-assessment are groups into 6 different categories (lifestyle physical activity, active aerobic activity, active sports, active recreation, muscle fitness exercise (strength and muscular endurance), flexibility exercise and rest. Once a child selects an activity in one of these categories, they are asked to report the intensity (Rest, Light, Moderate or Vigorous) and duration (some of the time, most of the time, and all of the time). The software computes the type and amount of moderate or vigorous physical activity that is performed each day. Personalized reports show the total amounts and provide recommendations to help youth find ways to be more active.

What does the ACTIVITY GRAM software program do?

The ACTIVITYGRAM software provides a report for students, teachers and parents as well as record keeping functions for individuals and groups. The ACTIVITYGRAM is designed to help students evaluate their typical activity patterns and learn self-monitoring skills to help them be active later in life. ACTIVITYGRAM uses the physical activity pyramid as a basis for analyzing personal activity patterns.

When should you start with fitness testing?

Students can begin learning about FITNESSGRAM as early as Kindergarten. It is suggested however, that from K-3, self-testing should be used with the emphasis on familiarizing students about the various parts of physical fitness. More formal testing is not recommended until 4th grade. Standards of performance are not reliable prior to this age nor is student understanding of the meaning of the results.

Sources

Cooper Institute (Meredith, M. D. & Welk, G. J. eds.) (2004). FITNESSGRAM/ ACTIVITYGRAM: Test Administration Manual (3 rd. ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Welk, G. J. & Meredith, M.D. (Eds.). (2008). Fitnessgram / Activitygram Reference Guide. Dallas, TX: The Cooper Institute.

Learning Tasks / Further Resources