Caitlin Davis

u0664686
Semester Evaluation Report- Functional Fitness
Introduction
Mission Statement: The purpose of my functional fitness class is to improve
strength, endurance, and flexibility through all stages of life. I strive to encourage all
participants to attend class regularly, and create an environment that is welcome to all.
I intend to push participants to give their all every time they come to class.
Goals of my functional fitness class included improving overall strength and
endurance by 10%, improving flexibility by 10%, and having a class average attendance
of 70% or better.
One of the main focuses of my functional fitness class was whole body strength
and endurance. My participants did not want to have one part of the body extremely
strong compared to the rest of the body, but have another part of the body lacking in
strength and endurance.
Program Evaluation

NOTES:
The graph above shows the pre- and post-test scores of the wall sit test. The
values along the y-axis demonstrate the seconds held in the wall sit position. I used the
wall sit to test participants lower body endurance. I used this test because it does not

require any equipment, and was relatively easy for all my participants to do. The four
participants listed above are the only participants that attended class throughout the
entire semester. All participants increased their lower body endurance, with an average
increase of 74%. Our class goal was to increase lower body endurance by at least
10%, which was accomplished and then some. Participants were instructed to have
their feet positioned approximately six inches away from the wall, and to sit until their
knees were at a 90-degree angle. All participants demonstrated better form on the posttest.
NOTES:
The graph above shows the difference in Participant 2s pre- and post-tests for

push-ups. I used the push-up test to demonstrate improvements in upper body

endurance. Over the semester, Participant 2s upper body endurance improved by
about 122% according to this test. Participant 2 exceeded the class average increase
in upper body endurance, which was about 79.5%. The functional fitness class
accomplished their goal of increasing upper body endurance of at least 10%.
Participant 2 was very happy with being able to do 20 push ups at the end of the
semester, when she could only do 9 at the beginning. She did regular push-ups for both
the tests, but her form was much better during the post-test. Her hips were sagging
quite a bit and she was hunching her shoulders during the pre-test. I chose to use the
push-up test for upper body endurance because it is easy to do, and does not take very
long to complete. I like using this test because everyone can do their push ups at once
and keep track of their own scores.

NOTES:
The graph above shows the attempts made by Participant 3 in the sit and reach
test. This test was used to measure flexibility. Participant 3s fingertips reached 3
inches past her toes during the pre-test, and 4.5 inches past her toes during the posttest. These scores indicate a 50% increase in flexibility over the semester. She was
just below the class average of 55.5% increase in flexibility. The class accomplished
their goal of increasing flexibility by at least 10%. This test was completed at the end of
a workout for both the pre- and post-tests so the participants muscles were warm.
Participants were instructed to keep both legs on the floor and reach forward with hands
placed on top one another. The distance away from or past their toes that their
fingertips reached was measured and recorded. Each participant did two attempts, and
the better of the two was used as the official score.
My class commented that they were surprised with how much they had improved
in both upper and lower body endurance and flexibility. They knew they had become
stronger, but hadnt realized just how significant their improvements were. The
participants in my class were the most surprised about their improvements in flexibility.
They were impressed with themselves that stretching twice a week in our class had
helped them all become more flexible.
Further Instructor Information
Overall, the functional fitness class accomplished their goals. Every participant
that attended class throughout the entire semester increased their lower body
endurance by at least 10% (average increase was 74%), upper body endurance by at
least 10% (average increase was 79.5%), and improved flexibility by at least 10%

(average increase was 55.5%). My class also had an attendance goal of a class
average of at least 70%. The average attendance by the four participants who attended
class consistently throughout the semester was 70.5%. They did accomplish their goal,
which they were very proud of. The average attendance by everyone on my roster
throughout the semester was much lower. I had several participants who were on the
roster but only attended class a few times. The average attendance for everyone on the
roster was only 39.8%.
Two participants in my class (Participants 1 and 4) suffer from a little bit of knee
pain. They are able to do most everything, just have to be cautious when doing
exercises that involve a lot of pressure on the knees, like squats, lunges, and jumps.
The participants in this class enjoyed doing full body workouts. They most
enjoyed workouts that incorporated upper and lower body exercises, core work, a cardio
component, and a full body stretch for cool down. This class only met twice a week, so
the participants felt full body workouts were most effective for them.
My advice for the next instructor is to try to find a good balance between variety
and familiarity when planning workouts. My class seemed to enjoy variety to keep
workouts interesting, but also like seeing some familiar exercises throughout the
semester. Ask participants if they have certain exercises they really enjoy, and bring
them back in future workouts. Ask for feedback often and really listen to what
participants are telling you. When given constructive criticism, ask for ideas on how to
improve, not just for something participants do not like.
Tips of the Day
I structured my tips of the day/week as discussions during our stretching time in
class rather than sent out as emails. I liked to hear what my participants thought about
the subjects we talked about, and if they had any questions about them.
Week 1: Drink plenty of water both before and after workouts to stay hydrated.
Week 2: We talked about taking the time to warm up thoroughly is important to help
prevent injuries.
Week 3: We talked about the importance of stretching after a workout to help prevent
muscles from tightening up too much. Also talked about the importance of
flexibility in completing activities of daily living.
Week 4: We talked about how resistance training and weight-bearing activities are
important for muscle strengthening and also beneficial for bone health.
Week 5: One participant had a question about sitting for long periods of time. We talked
about how it could be beneficial to try and sit for less time during the day, or
break up sitting time.
Week 6: Do little things throughout the day to increase energy expenditure like taking
the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away in the parking lot so you
have to walk further, etc.

Week 7: Think about engaging your core a little more when doing resistance training
exercises to help maintain good form and posture.
Week 8: We went through a foam roller sequence and talked about how rolling out can
help loosen tight and sore muscles.
Week 9: One participant brought up the subject of needing to eat more fruits and
veggies. I gave my class a goal of eating 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day
for one week.
Week 10: We talked about letting muscles have recovery time between workouts so
they can rebuild and become stronger.
Week 11: We did a healthy recipe exchange for our tip this week. I had each participant
bring a healthy recipe to share with everyone. Each participant left with four new
healthy recipes to try.
Week 12: I noticed my participants were holding their breath during some weight lifting
exercises. I encouraged them to keep breathing throughout the exercises.
Week 13: I advised/challenged my participants to do something active over the
weekend.
Week 14:We talked about how lifestyle changes are more effective and maintainable
than extreme exercising or dieting. Doing exercise/PA that they enjoy will last
longer than doing something they do not enjoy. Healthy food choices and a
balanced diet is easier to maintain than an extreme diet or caloric restriction.
Week 15:We talked about the importance of continually challenging yourself with the
amount of weight lifted. Increase the weight as you get stronger.
Week 16: I encouraged participants to remain active, even if they dont take functional
fitness or even a PEAK class again.
Summary
The most important successes of my program were that my participants were
able to accomplish the goals they had set as a class. Over the semester, the
participants in my class were able to increase their upper and lower body endurance,
flexibility, and even achieved their attendance goal. Another important success is that
the four participants who consistently attended class expressed that they enjoyed being
in class. I find it a success to not only create an effective program that can help people
accomplish their goals, but to create a class that people want to attend.