Assessing Physical Fitness and Movement Competency and Fitness

Core Definitions: Physical Activity, Exercise, and Physical Fitness

• Physical Activity (PA): Defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. This term encompasses all actions performed throughout a day, including:
  • Household chores.
  • Walking to school.
  • Gardening.
  • Recreational play.
  • Choosing to take the stairs.
• Exercise: A sub-category of physical activity that is characterized by being planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful. It is specifically designed to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness. Representative examples include:
  • Strength training.
  • Swimming laps.
  • Dance aerobics classes.
  • Running.
  • Practicing yoga.
• Physical Fitness: A set of measurable attributes or characteristics that an individual possesses or achieves that relate to their ability to perform physical activity. A physically fit individual can efficiently fulfill everyday tasks and unexpected physical demands without becoming excessively fatigued, while retaining sufficient energy for leisure activities.
  • Fitness is categorized into two main branches: Health-Related Physical Fitness and Skill-Related Physical Fitness.

Global Health Standards and WHO Guidelines

• Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining both physiological and psychological health. It helps manage and prevent non-communicable diseases including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and various cancers.
• Physical activity also improves overall quality of life and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• World Health Organization (WHO) Recommendations for Adults (Ages 18–64):
  • Aerobic Activity: Adults should engage in at least $150–300$ minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, or at least $75–150$ minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. An equivalent combination of both intensities is also acceptable.
  • Muscle Strengthening: Activities that are functional and involve all major muscle groups should be performed at a moderate or greater intensity on $2$ or more days per week.
  • Sedentary Behavior: It is recommended to limit sedentary time (sitting or lying down) and replace it with physical activity of any intensity.
• International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): This tool is used to estimate the level of physical activity an individual has completed over the past $7$ days, specifically across walking, moderate-intensity, and vigorous-intensity activities.

Health-Related Physical Fitness and Pre-Assessment Safety

• Health-Related Physical Fitness Components: This course focuses on these five components because they directly impact long-term health, metabolic function, disease risk, and daily functional independence:
  • Cardiorespiratory Endurance.
  • Muscular Strength.
  • Muscular Endurance.
  • Flexibility.
  • Body Composition.
• Skill-Related Fitness Components: These components focus primarily on athletic performance and include agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed.
• Safety Protocols and the PAR-Q+: Before participating in physical exertion or fitness testing, individuals must ensure safety through a preliminary health screening.
  • Physical Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q): A seven-item questionnaire used to assess medical and physical readiness.
  • If an individual answers YES to any of the seven questions, they are advised to seek medical consultation before starting a regular physical activity program.

Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Endurance

• Cardiovascular Endurance: The ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the body during prolonged physical activity. Efficiency in this system requires a strong heart, healthy lungs, and clear blood vessels. Examples of activities include marathons, triathlons, and swimming.
• 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT): A standardized submaximal exercise test used to evaluate functional aerobic capacity and cardiorespiratory endurance by measuring the total distance walked on a flat surface in $6$ minutes.
• 6MWT Course and Equipment:
  • Walking Course: A flat, straight, indoor corridor or hallway exactly $30–\text{meters}$ ($100–\text{feet}$) long.
  • Markings: Turnaround points marked with bright cones; colored tape placed every $3–\text{meters}$ along the track.
  • Gear: Stopwatch, mechanical lap counter (or tally sheet), tape measure.
  • Monitoring: Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale.
  • Safety: A portable chair placed along the course for resting.
• Phase 1: Pre-Test Resting Baseline (10 Minutes Prior):
  • The participant must be cleared by a health screening (PAR-Q+).
  • The participant sits and rests for $10$ minutes.
  • Record baseline Resting Heart Rate (HR) and Baseline Borg RPE Score ($6–20$).
• Phase 2: Instructions and Demonstration:
  • Standardized ATS instructions: "The object of this test is to walk as far as possible for 6 minutes. You will walk back and forth in this hallway around the cones. Six minutes is a long time to walk, so you will be exerting yourself. You are permitted to slow down, stop, and rest if necessary. You may lean against the wall while resting, but resume walking as soon as you are able. Turn briskly around the cones without hesitating. Do not run or jog. Start whenever you are ready."
• Phase 3: Test Execution and Encouragement:
  • Timing begins when the participant starts walking. Laps are recorded as each $30–\text{meter}$ length is completed.
  • Verbatim encouragement at specific intervals:
    • Minute 1: "You are doing well. You have 5 minutes to go."
    • Minute 2: "Keep up the good work. You have 4 minutes to go."
    • Minute 3: "You are doing well. You are halfway done."
    • Minute 4: "Keep up the good work. You have 2 minutes to go."
    • Minute 5: "You are doing well. You have only 1 minute to go."
    • Minute 6: "Stop where you are."
• Phase 4: Calculation and Post-Test Measurements:
  • $6MWD \text{ (meters)} = (\text{Completed Laps} \times 30\text{ m}) + \text{Partial Lap Distance (m)}$
  • Record Post-Test HR and Post-Test Borg RPE Score ($6–20$).

Physiological Monitoring Tools

• Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale: A subjective estimation of exhaustion. The scale ranges from $6$ (resting intensity) to $20$ (maximal intensity), intended to relate to heart rate.
• Heart Rate (HR) Measurement Sites:
  • Carotid Pulse: Found by using index and middle fingers to locate the end of the jaw and sliding them diagonally downward approximately one inch toward the middle of the neck. Caution: Do not press too hard. Pulse should be found on the side corresponding to the hand used (right hand for right side).
  • Radial Pulse: Located by sliding middle and index fingers from the middle of the wrist approximately half an inch toward the thumb until a gentle throb is felt.

6MWT Normative Standards (Ages 18–29)

• Average Distance Standards: Men typically average $650–750\text{ m}$; Women typically average $600–700\text{ m}$.
• Male Fitness Ratings (6MWD):
  • Excellent / Superior: $\ge 750\text{ meters}$
  • Good / Above Average: $675–749\text{ meters}$
  • Average / Satisfactory: $600–674\text{ meters}$
  • Below Average: $525–599\text{ meters}$
  • Needs Improvement: $< 525\text{ meters}$
• Female Fitness Ratings (6MWD):
  • Excellent / Superior: $\ge 700\text{ meters}$
  • Good / Above Average: $625–699\text{ meters}$
  • Average / Satisfactory: $550–624\text{ meters}$
  • Below Average: $475–549\text{ meters}$
  • Needs Improvement: $< 475\text{ meters}$

Assessment of Muscular Strength and Endurance

• Muscular Strength: The ability of a muscle to exert force against resistance (e.g., lifting heavy weights).
• Muscular Endurance: The ability of a muscle to continue performing without fatigue or using muscles repeatedly without tiring (e.g., push-ups, planks).
• Push-Up Test: Records the maximum number of push-ups performed in one minute to assess upper body strength and endurance.
  • Procedure (Men): Face down on mat, hands under shoulders, fingers spread, legs straight and slightly apart. Push up until arms are straight, forming a line from head to heels. Lower until upper arms are parallel to the floor (elbows at $90^{\circ}$).
  • Procedure (Women/Modified): Similar to men, but legs are together with lower legs in contact with the mat and knees acting as the pivotal point.
• Push-Up Test Ratings (Age 17–19):
  • Excellent: Men $> 56$; Women $> 35$
  • Good / Above Average: Men $47–56$; Women $27–35$
  • Average: Men $19–34$; Women $11–20$
  • Poor / Very Poor: Men $< 11$; Women $< 6$
• Push-Up Test Ratings (Age 20–29):
  • Excellent: Men $> 47$; Women $> 36$
  • Good / Above Average: Men $39–47$; Women $30–36$
  • Average: Men $17–29$; Women $12–22$
  • Poor / Very Poor: Men $< 10$; Women $< 8$

Assessment of Flexibility and Body Composition

• Flexibility: The range of motion available at a joint. It requires muscles that are long enough and joints free enough to move fully without injury (e.g., ballet dancers, gymnasts).
• Body Composition: The relative amounts of muscle, fat, bone, and organ tissue in the body.
• Body Mass Index (BMI): An index using height ($m$) and weight ($kg$) to determine thinness or fatness.
  • Height Measurement: Stand without shoes against a flat wall with heels, buttocks, shoulders, and head touching the wall. Mark the level of a flat material placed on the head.
  • Weight Measurement: Use a calibrated scale (dial on $0\text{ kg}$) without shoes.
• BMI Ratings for Filipino Adults:
  • Underweight: $< 18.5$
  • Normal: $18.5–22.9$
  • Overweight: $23.0–24.9$
  • Obese: $\ge 25.0$
• Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR): A measurement used to assess health risk; weight carried in the middle of the body indicates higher risk. Research suggests WHR is a better predictor of future health risks (like abdominal/visceral fat) than BMI.
  • WHR Calculation: $WHR = \frac{\text{Waist Circumference}}{\text{Hip Circumference}}$
  • Procedure: Measure hips at the largest point (buttocks) and waist at the smallest point (or umbilicus level). Measure waist at the end of a normal inspiration.
• WHR Ratings for Adults:
  • Low Risk: Men $\le 0.90$; Women $\le 0.79$
  • Moderately High Risk: Men $0.91–1.00$; Women $0.80–0.85$
  • High Risk: Men $\ge 1.1$; Women $\ge 0.86$