Physical Fitness Test’s Importance

Article by Jesse Regan

A physical fitness test is an effective method of finding out a person’s health and physical abilities. Through it, he is required to perform a battery of exercises and routines that would gauge his strength, agility, flexibility and endurance; the four factors of physical fitness. Such tests are normally implemented by organizations and agencies that give priority to one’s physical conditions. The military and the police demand these from their recruits. Athletic clubs and organization have also set these as standards for drafting potential players.

Cardio training exercises such as running for a prescribed distance or time if on a treadmill can be done to measure one’s endurance. For testing one’s strength, weightlifting and bodyweight lifting like push-ups are usually performed. Short sprints and dealing with an obstacle course are meant to gauge agility and flexibility such as those done in the army. For a comprehensive test, however, all four types of exercises may be required in order to discover the one’s drawback and potency.

It is always the physical strengths and weaknesses of person that are first noticed in a fitness test. Through undergoing the routines where the four factors are measured, the gray areas are discovered. Nevertheless, a fitness or workout program can be initiated even without the benefit of a fitness test. However, this may only result in giving priorities to what are already considered as strengths while overlooking those that required attention instead.

After a thorough and well-balanced physical fitness test, the findings can then be the bases for devising a fitness program that would give consideration to a person’s capabilities. If the findings say that endurance is his gray area, then he will be asked to focus more on cardio routines. If he needs to develop muscles and increase his body mass, then he will need to emphasize weight training. Of course, he would still be required to do the other routines as well.

These fitness tests are also employed to check on the conditions of patients. Doctors consider these as part of diagnostic testing, requiring patients to execute several exercises so that they can monitor the function of the heart and the lungs. They observe a patient’s blood pressure and pulse rate as he deals with the treadmill for a specified period. Patients who have been operated for bone fractures and muscle injuries are sometimes asked to do minor weightlifting so that they can determine the level of recovery.

Physical fitness tests have become part of most school’s curriculum and requirement. This is necessary in order to find out the physical condition of every student and to create a suitable fitness program, especially giving consideration to those who have physical limitations. This has even more become important today as the cases of obesity among primary and high school students have increased at alarming rates. To introduce the youth to an active and healthy lifestyle, fitness tests have to be conducted regularly.

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Physical Fitness Tests

Article by Trixie Avalon

So you want to be fit and stay fit. Hundreds of different exercises and sports are available for you to choose from. But before venturing into a physical activity, you might want to consider knowing how physically fit you are to endure such challenging activity. Good thing, physical fitness is designed to do just that.

Our body has its own capabilities and limitations. You might think that you can do almost every sport and physical activity out there, but a physical fitness test is one thing that you must consider beforehand. Physical fitness tests give an idea of your body’s capability to endure physical stress and assess how you can progress into a physically demanding activity without having your body give up to the pressures. A physical fitness test provides guidance on how you can pace your progress with any kind of physical activity, and where you would most likely want to focus on. Here are some simple physical fitness tests:

Sit and Reach Test: The body must be flexible in order to perform physically demanding activities. One way to test your flexibility, particularly of the lower back is through the sit and reach test. Do this physical fitness test by sitting on a flat surface, legs opened and straight out. Breathe deeply while raising both arms above your head, then bend down trying to reach your toes and try holding on to the position for about 10 seconds. You can ask someone to mark the area touched by the tips of your fingers and measuring the distance of your reach in inches using a yardstick.

Sit-ups Test: This physical fitness test provides an idea on the endurance level of your abdominal muscles. While lying down on a flat floor, bend your legs and place your hands behind your head. Do as many sit-ups as you can in one minute and maintain a proper position to avoid hurting yourself. Record the number of times you can do a sit-up in one minute.

Push-ups Test: Through this kind of physical fitness test, the strength of the upper body, specifically the arm muscles, is determined. Do this while lying down on a flat surface facing the floor and palms firmly planted on the ground. Pull yourself up while bending your elbows, then go down again. Maintain proper posture by keeping a straight back. Record how many push-ups you can perform in one minute.

1.5 Mile Run: Running is physical fitness test which gives an idea on the status of your cardiovascular muscles and endurance. Run a 1.5 mile distance and record the time. The lower the running time is, the better is your stamina.

These are basic physical fitness tests you can adopt as a preliminary study of your body’s condition, or even your exercise routine. Physical fitness tests are important in order to know the condition of the body before venturing into a physically-demanding sport or activity. It determines your body’s capability, limitations, and avoids stressing the different muscle groups which consequently can lead to serious injuries.

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