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11/1/2008 - Meet the Challenge -- A Second Chance- Russ Melgar, CPT, FT, Fitness Coordinator If you were one of those kids that passed the President's Council On Physical Fitness Test in High School - good for you! But what about those of us who didn't get the reward patch but always wondered if we could pass that test if given another chance? Well folks, here's your chance! The President's Council has recently unveiled a fitness test for adults! Called "The President's Challenge" the test is designed for people 18 years and older and is a result of scores of baby-boomers urging the President's Council to produce a test like the one they took during their High School days. The aerobic component consists of a one-mile walk, or a 1.5 mile run (the run is not recommended for folks who don't run more than 20 minutes, three days a week). Strength is tested with push ups and half sit-ups; push ups are done until failure and sit-ups are done for one minute. Flexibility is measured by the standard "sit-and-reach" test. Finally, body composition is done through measuring weight, height and waist circumference to get a body mass index (BMI) score. Sorry, no patches or certificates are handed out for this one, and you're not really competing against anyone but yourself, but once you have all your results you can input your data into the President's Challenge website www.presidentschallenge.org and see how you fared compared to others. The website also gives you a detailed description of how the test components are conducted and scored. The good news is, if you don't score as well as you'd like, you can find advice on how to improve that score later. There's also a section that lets you select a fitness level (called a challenge level) you would like to attain and monitor your progress as you work toward it. With each workout you earn challenge points for the amount of activity you put in. It’s a great tool for setting and working toward fitness goals - individually and as a country! Up for a challenge? < Back |