Fitness Appraisals for Cardiorespiratory and Musculoskeletal Health

1. UNIT 2 FITNESS APRAISALS

2. “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear” - Buddha

3. Cardiorespiratory Appraisals These are the most important of all fitness appraisals They gauge the efficiency of your heart and lungs

4. VO2 Max The test that determines the amount of Oxygen consumed during intense (maximal) exercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aoe3GamtOc A high VO2Max test indicates a strong cardiorespiratory system, which means your working muscles are able to receive and use more Oxygen

5. Resting Heart Rate The average resting heart rate is between 70 and 80 beats per minute The lower the number usually means your heart and lungs are that much stronger, while the higher the resting heart rate would mean the weaker this system is. There are some Olympic endurance athletes who actually have a resting heart rate in the low 40’s! Does genetics play a role? Absolutely, but you can still do much to improve the strength of your heart with regular aerobic exercise and a better diet

6. Find Your Pulse Using 2 fingers find your pulse at either your carotid artery on your neck or the radial artery on your wrist Once you all have it we’ll start the timer for 30 seconds You will count the beats then multiply that number by 2 Place that number under the pre test on your fitness test sheet under resting heart rate.

7. Find Your Target Heart Rate Zone First we must find our maximal heart rate (MHR), which is simply 220-our current age Then, we must find our heart rate reserve (HRR), which is your MHR-your resting heart rate (RHR) Once we’ve done these two things we will then find our lower limit of our target heart rate zone by using the formula on pg. 61 Doing the same for the upper limit We will record these two numbers on #2 of your fitness test sheet under pre test for your target heart rate zone (ex: 138-186)

8. So What Does This Mean? Basically you want to exercise with your heart rate in this zone for maximal benefit If you are exercising with your heart rate below your lower limit you are not working hard enough for maximum benefits And, if you are exercising above your upper limit you are working too hard, which could put you at risk for injury or at risk for more serious health issues

9. 12 Minute Run Was originally designed for military use by an American Researcher in 1968 This appraisal is suitable for all fitness levels, but it is very important to make sure you are properly warmed up first In this type of test it is very important to pace yourself, do not try to keep up with everyone else, run your own race. Some will run faster, and run more laps, and that is ok!

10. The Beep Test A test that was created in 1982 at the University of Montreal It is a test run over a 20 meter straight line, back and forth, over and over again on the sound of a “beep” This is a highly accurate way to measure your maximal oxygen consumption or VO2Max The Beep Test is a “maximal” appraisal, which means at some point you should be running all out If you have any serious cardiovascular issues you should speak to me as there may be a few students who should not attempt this test due to health reasons

11. “The human body is made up of some four hundred muscles; evolved through centuries of physical activity. Unless they are used, they will deteriorate”

12. Muscle Strength and Endurance Appraisals These appraisals measure, with the aim of improving, overall musculoskeletal fitness. Some appraisals focus on specific muscles or muscle groups; others involve many muscles at one time

13. Musculoskeletal Fitness Refers to muscular strength and muscular endurance as well as to the flexibility in your joints. Muscular Strength – The maximum force a muscle can exert in a single contraction. Muscular Endurance – The muscle’s ability to perform repeatedly without fatigue. Flexibility – Simply refers to the ability of joints to bend through their full range of movement. The more flexible your joints, the more you will be able to perform physical activity effortlessly.

14. Push-Up Test This appraisal involves you performing as many push-up’s consecutively with no limit The appraisal ends when you are straining noticeably or are unable to maintain proper technique over 2 consecutive repetitions Based on the standardized scores from the text book, the male’s will attempt the test using the “standard push-up”, while the females will use the “modified push-up” This is by no way a slight to the female students, it is just the way the data was collected at the time, as the text says, I’m sure in future years studies will show a change in this feature

15. Sit & Reach Test This appraisal measures joint flexibility A number of factors can affect flexibility, including the structure of the joint itself, the bulk of the muscle close to the joint, and the length of its ligaments and tendons In young people, growth spurts also can affect flexibility Muscle tightness also will compromise your range of movement and could lead to an increased risk of injury This test simply requires you to put your feet straight out on the floor in the gym, then you reach out and touch as far as you can on a meter stick, your record the amount of cm you were able to reach You should attempt this test 3 times and record the best result, also while doing this test you should be stretching slowly

16. Vertical Jump Test This test requires the use of almost all of the major muscles in the body The muscles that do the pushing and lifting are the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, and calves The upper body muscles activated include the abdominals, the deltoids, and the back muscles. This appraisal measures “muscular power”, the ability to exert a large amount of force quickly, muscular power is especially important in sports that involved jumping, throwing, and rapid lifting You do this test standing sideways, reaching your near arm as high as you can on the tape and keeping that number in your head You then jump as high as you can and touch the wall. You take that number and subtract it by the previous number to get your “Peak Leg Power” You can attempt this 3 times, but it is a good idea to rest at least 10-15 seconds between jumps

17. Illinois Agility Run Agility is the ability to change direction quickly and accurately without losing balance Agility is important as it can prevent injuries in many sports, it is also a very important skill in games such as football, soccer, and hockey Agility comes in many forms; changing directions quickly to avoid an object, running backwards and then quickly turning to run forwards to catch a ball Since agility is many things, there is really not one true test for it. The Illinois Agility Run is one of the best as it involves changing direction, and weaving around objects (opponents) Most of you would of completed this course in your Grade 9/10 PE programs It is a timed appraisal in which you can attempt twice or until you get the course completed correctly

18. Wall-Ball Toss Test Coordination is the ability to use the nervous and musculoskeletal systems to control complex movements It is a key skill in most sports and recreational activities and one that you should seek to improve upon This test measures hand-eye coordination, which is especially important in games such as tennis, badminton, and baseball This test requires you to throw a tennis ball against the wall from waist level, and catch it with the opposite hand You will try to attempt this as many times as you can in 30 seconds You must use your hands at all times to catch the ball (no body catches) If you drop the ball, pick it up quickly and continue on to count the next completion

19. Sprint Test This test is used to gauge one’s ability to accelerate quickly (SPEED) This is an important test because in many sports, athletes start from a stationary position and attempt to reach a high velocity as quickly as possible This test was first developed in the NFL by the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1960’s, it is now not specifically used for football, but is widely used to test for speed and acceleration This test is really simple, your partner is timing to see how fast you can go from standing still on a line to sprinting to another line about 20 yards (18.29 meters) away Try not to slow down until you cross the finish line!

20. Chin-Up Test This test is measuring your muscular strength and endurance of the forearms, arms, and shoulders This test requires concentric and eccentric contractions If you are unable to perform 1 chin-up, there is another option that we can do if you notify me of this difficulty (flexed arm hang) This chin-up test uses an underhand grip You pull your body up until your chin rests over the bar and then lower yourself until your arms are straight! Perform as many of these as you can without using your legs to get momentum