Progression of Physical Fitness in the Last 60 Years
Zach Driver
Foundations of Kinesiology
Dr. Trogdon
November 18, 2010
National Youth Fitness Testing
American youth is in trouble and has been for a while. Since the 1950s there have been prevalent problems. The physical fitness level has been pretty bad for the last sixty to seventy years. Childhood obesity is growing at a ramped pace in the United States. America has done numerous test, studies, councils, meeting, groups, you name it to try and get America back on the right track. Some of the most important test has been the Kraus-Webber test, the fitness gram, and the NCYFS I and II. These tests will be the subjects that I will use to show the progression of physical fitness in the last 60 years.
First one Dr. Hans Kraus, M.D. saw the way that people lived in the 20 century, how life was becoming easier and easier and that Americans were losing muscle tone. He wanted it to go back to the way that it was when people walked everywhere for transportation, and worked on farms, and accomplished most activities through manual labor. So Krause created along with Sonya Webber and created the Kraus-Webber test for muscular fitness. The Kraus-Weber test consisted of six small test to test the strength of the participant. Test such as sit ups, stretching, and trunk lifts to name a few.
They administered the Kraus-Weber Tests to 4,400 American public school students between ages six and sixteen and to about 3,000 European students in the same age range in Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. It was said that fifty-three percent of Americans failed at least one of the components of the test. The results of the European test came back and of the 3,000 European students tested only eight percent of them failed at least one component of the test.
When results of the Kraus-Webber studies were reported to President Dwight D. Eisenhower by Senators James Kelly and James Duff, he responded by holding a White House Conference in June of 1956. Two very important things came
Foundations of Kinesiology
Dr. Trogdon
November 18, 2010
National Youth Fitness Testing
American youth is in trouble and has been for a while. Since the 1950s there have been prevalent problems. The physical fitness level has been pretty bad for the last sixty to seventy years. Childhood obesity is growing at a ramped pace in the United States. America has done numerous test, studies, councils, meeting, groups, you name it to try and get America back on the right track. Some of the most important test has been the Kraus-Webber test, the fitness gram, and the NCYFS I and II. These tests will be the subjects that I will use to show the progression of physical fitness in the last 60 years.
First one Dr. Hans Kraus, M.D. saw the way that people lived in the 20 century, how life was becoming easier and easier and that Americans were losing muscle tone. He wanted it to go back to the way that it was when people walked everywhere for transportation, and worked on farms, and accomplished most activities through manual labor. So Krause created along with Sonya Webber and created the Kraus-Webber test for muscular fitness. The Kraus-Weber test consisted of six small test to test the strength of the participant. Test such as sit ups, stretching, and trunk lifts to name a few.
They administered the Kraus-Weber Tests to 4,400 American public school students between ages six and sixteen and to about 3,000 European students in the same age range in Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. It was said that fifty-three percent of Americans failed at least one of the components of the test. The results of the European test came back and of the 3,000 European students tested only eight percent of them failed at least one component of the test.
When results of the Kraus-Webber studies were reported to President Dwight D. Eisenhower by Senators James Kelly and James Duff, he responded by holding a White House Conference in June of 1956. Two very important things came
Cited: “National Children and Youth Fitness Study (NCYFS).” http://www.nku.edu/~lipping/PHE125/National%20Children%20and%20Youth%20Fitness%20Study.htm. NKU. Web. Unknown. “AAHPERD 1986-2009.” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-222228134.html. High beam. Web. November. 2009 “President 's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.” http://www.fitness.gov/50thanniversary/toolkit-firstfiftyyears.htm. Fitness. Web. 2003 “Program Overview” http://www.fitnessgram.net/overview/. Fitnessgram. Web. 2010