Physical Activity & Physical

Fitness at the High School

Physical activity = any body movement
carried out by the skeletal muscles and
requiring energy.
Physical fitness = a set of attributes that
people have or achieve relating to their
ability to perform physical activity.
Physical Activity is the process. Physical
fitness is the product.

Physical Activity for Adolescents

Guidelines established by the USDHHS
give teachers and parents a clear
prescription for the amount and type
of activity youth require.
1. Adolescents should do 60 minutes or
more of PA daily.
2. 3 types of activity = Aerobic, Muscular
Strength, Bone Strength

Physical Activity Pyramid

6 types of physical activities in the pyramid
and samples:
1. Lifestyle Activities
Description light PA (all/most days; moderate, 30 + min)
Sample walking, golf, bowling, yard work
2. Active Aerobic Activities
. Description elevates HR to relatively high level (3-6 days,
moderate to vigorous, 20 + min)
. Sample jogging, running, biking, step aerobics
3. Active Sports & Recreation Activities
. Description - sports involving vigorous bursts of activity with
brief rest periods (3-6 days, moderate to vigorous, 20 + min)
. Sample basketball, tennis, dancing, hiking, canoeing

4. Flexibility Activities
Description ability to use joints through full
range of motion (3-7 days; moderate; 15-60 sec.
1 to 3 sets)
Sample stretching, yoga

5. Muscle Fitness Activities

. Description strength and muscular endurance
(2-3 days; moderate to vigorous; 8-12 reps 1 to 3
sets)
. Sample resistance training, wall climbing

6. Inactivity - Sedentary Living

. Description- long periods of inactivity during
awake hours

Physical Fitness
Health-related fitness components:
1. Muscular Strength
2. Muscular
3. Body
4. Flexibility
5. Cardiovascular Endurance

Skill-Related Fitness
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Agility
Balance
Coordination
Power
Reaction Time
Speed

Creating a Positive
Fitness Experience
7 strategies to make fitness activity a
positive learning experience:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Individualize fitness workouts

Present a variety of routines and exercises
Provide meaningful feedback
Teach physical skills and fitness
Be positive role model
Start easy and progress slowly
Encourage activities that are positively
addictive

Fitnessgram
What is it?
- Health-related fitness test

(CVE, ME, MS,

F, BC)

- PEducators select assessments

appropriate for their Ss and develop
customized test battery
- Results teach Ss about importance of
PA for good health
- Not compared to other Ss - report
created for each S that evaluates
personal level of fitness compared

Fitnessgram Test Items

6 test items used for the Fitnessgram:
A. PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular
Endurance Run) 20-meter shuttle run back &
forth within a specified time limit teach Ss to
pace themselves rather than running all out and
fatigue rapidly
B. Body Comp skinfold or calculating BMI
C. Abdominal Strength curl up test
D.Upper Body Strength push up test
E. Trunk Extensor Strength & Flexibility trunk lift
facedown position
F. Flexibility sit & reach

Effective Uses of Fitness

Testing

3 uses of fitness testing:

1.Personal Self-Testing

2. Personal Best Testing

3. Institutional Evaluation

Circuit Training
Features to consider when developing a circuit:

total length of circuit,

number of stations,
time/reps at each station,
transition time,
provision of equipment,
equipment return,
number of students per station,
recording, number of total circuits,
choice of activity at a station,
content focus, extensions,
organize stations so different muscle groups or fitness
components are exercised,
instruction on how to perform activities correctly verbally or task
sheets/descriptive posters