This study compared health-related fitness variables of high school students (14 to 19-years-old; 120 males, 67 females) participating in physical education (PE) and school-sponsored sports (SSS) to students participating solely in PE. Cardiovascular fitness, the primary variable of interest, was measured using the 20-Meter Shuttle Ran (number of…

After-school programs can be implemented by school nurses to facilitate healthy lifestyle choices in children with the goal of decreasing obesity. Kids Living Fit[TM] (KLF), an after-school program designed by community hospital nurses, was implemented in elementary schools and focused on best lifestyle choices regarding foods consumed and…

This monograph documents the basis for selection of test items and health-related, criterion-referenced standards associated with the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The manual is divided into separate chapters for the relevant components or sub-components…

Most authorities consider balance to be a component of skill-related physical fitness. Balance, however, is directly related to health, especially for older adults. Falls are a leading cause of injury and death among the elderly. Improved balance can help reduce falls and contribute to older people remaining physically active. Balance is a…

The overall strength of the musculature does not require testing of large numbers of muscle groups and can be accomplished from three or four tests. Small batteries of strength tests have been devised to predict total strength. The best combination of tests for males are thigh flexors, leg extensors, arm flexors, and pectoralis major. The battery…

Reports a study that compared three measures for determining percent body fat in mentally retarded adults (multiple skinfolds and circumference measurements, Infrared Interactance, and Bioelectrical Impedance). Results indicated the Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer and Infrared Interactance Analyzer produced values for percent body fat that were…

The authors' purpose in this action study was to examine the effect of a 10-week intervention, using the Disconnected Values Model (DVM), on changes in selected measures of fitness, blood lipids, and exercise adherence among 51 university faculty (10 men and 41 women) from a school in the southeastern United States. The DVM is an intervention…

This study sought to determine the changes elicited following 9 weeks of fast fitness circuit training 4 days a week. Data were gathered for a 3-year time period on 5,993 female and 4,708 male volunteer subjects with a mean age of 27.6. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The independent variable consisted of 24 exercise stations equally…

This field test to assess the functional fitness of adults over 60 covers of the following areas: (1) body composition; (2) body weight; (3) standing height measurement; (4) flexibility; (5) agility/dynamic balance; (6) coordination; (7) strength; and (8) endurance. Posttest activities are suggested, and a data sheet and exercise consent form are…

Adults (N=142) who engaged in a 12-week moderate exercise program requiring the maintenance of training state exercise heart rates for a minimum of 20 minutes, 3 times a week, experienced an improvement in cardiovascular functioning regardless of age and/or sex. (Author/IAH)

This training manual presents information on the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The first chapter of the test training manual includes information dealing with health-related criterion-referenced testing, the interaction between physical activity and…

This fact sheet uses a question-and-answer format to summarize issues related to physical fitness in people with mental retardation. Questions and answers address the following topics: a definition of "physical fitness"; the components of physical fitness (muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, body composition, and cardiovascular endurance);…

This project compared the relative physical fitness levels of 30 visually handicapped/blind students (aged 7-18) at a residential school with that of non-handicapped peers, to develop a school-based fitness and nutrition intervention program and determine impact of the intervention. The compounding handicapping nature of fitness deficits and…

A description is given of a program that provides preventive measures to check obesity in children and young people. The 24-week program is divided into two parts--a nutrition component and an exercise component. At the start and end of the program, tests are given to assess the participants' height, weight, body composition, fitness level, and…

The results of 2 studies determining the effects of body checking in Pee Wee hockey indicate variability in player size and strength is reason to avoid this practice. In leagues allowing body checking, 55 percent of all injuries and greater frequency of serious injury were a result of body contact. (SM)