Fitnessgram Research Paper

My experience administering the Fitnessgram was a life changing event. Dr. Rukavina had lectured us on the causal factors of child obesity and some preventative measures. The Fitnessgram allowed us to measure the student's strengths and weaknesses at Ward- Steward Elementary. This test helped me to be more comfortable with students, gave the students a better idea of their fitness levels, and taught me more about testing and how to measure those tests. Families and communities are becoming more aware of the importance of physical activity and physical fitness. This test not only benefits the student, but also the tester as well as the families. Most of us had probably never been in front of a class of fourth and fifth graders. I was extremely nervous on the day that I asked to be the leader. I did not know if the students would listen to me or if I would freeze up and look an idiot. However, I did know what I had learned in class. I remembered to speak loud and clear and to use key words like "knees bent" and "straight as a board". When the students listened and tried their hardest a little Fourth of July fire works show went off inside of me. One of the students even said she wanted to be just like me when she grows
up. Students like her encouraged me to not be afraid of nine year olds. I was also able to talk to her and show her that she can be like me or better when she grows up.
During the test, some of the students began to fatigue prematurely. During the push- up test I noticed that most of the girls could not properly do one push- up. The boys experienced the same difficulties, though many of them did at least one push- up. They had previously thought that they were at a normal fitness level. There were some difficulties when some students were uncooperative or when the environment affected the performance of the students. For example, during the morning hours some of the students were cold so they did not want to remove their jackets for the pacer test. This caused them to get hot quickly and want to stop. Some of the students refused to participate or did not do the exercise properly.
This test gave the students the motivation to be a little more active even if the Fitnessgram was the only significant activity that they had done all school year. Most of the students were excited to complete the test. Many of the students had taken the test before the actual test date. This prepared them for the test and the students strived to do better than the last time. When the student's parents receive the statistics they may even take the advice and give their children more fruits and vegetables rather than candy. They may even plan family activities that encourage the child to be more active. When the child discontinues his sedentary lifestyle, his risk for becoming obese decreased. There is nothing that can be done about genetic risk factors but removing all others factors makes an overall improvement.
After the test, I was a little surprised at the amount of calculations that had to be done.
The frequencies for the students in the healthy fitness zone were kind of high for this class. The overall class was in the 95th percentile for the curl- up test, 77th percentile for the sit and reach test, 72nd percentile on the BMI, 36th percentile for the push- up test, and the 4th percentile for the pacer test. After I actually did the math, it all began to understand the frequencies, percentiles, and how they all came together. The histogram is what put everything into perspective because then I could actually see how the males did better than the females on the push- up test, but performed about the same on all of the other tests and
BMI.
In conclusion, the Fitnessgram is a great test for physical fitness in young people. It is beneficial to the tester and the students. This test should be given at all elementary schools to give students different methods of exercising. I learned a lot by administering this test. I also bonded with my fellow classmates and I will never forget the experience. I came to learn and respect this test. I can remember doing a similar test when I was in the fourth and fifth grade. I had never done this test before fourth grade and I never did it again after fifth grade. Had I not already been an active person, I probably would not have done significant exercise after fifth grade. Even if it this test is just used to prepare college undergraduate students how to administer this test to their students when they become coaches, the Fitnessgram should be on every elementary school's calendar. Even when the Fitnessgram is gone, it should be replaced by a similar test that is of the same standard.