Fitnessgram Results
1st and 2nd Grade Have High Percentages
by Angela Kleinhans
May 19, 2010
People come in all shapes and sizes, but everyone can benefit from regular physical activity and a healthy level of physical fitness. The FITNESSGRAM fitness test battery evaluates five different parts of health-related fitness, including aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. MISD is very proud that 63% of students passed all 5 tests the Fitnessgram measure. The 1st and 2nd grades did an awesome job with 2nd grade passing at 88% and 1st grade 83%. 6th grade was next with 75%, 5th grade 69%, 8th grade 63%, 4th grade 43% and 7th grade 18%.
Aerobic Capacity- This is a measure of the ability of the heart, lungs and muscles to perform sustained physical activity. Good aerobic capacity can reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Although generally not present in children, these diseases can begin during childhood and adolescence. This is measured with the Pacer test and 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th grade all passed this test with 100% accuracy.
Muscle Strength, Endurance and Flexibility- These components of health-related fitness measure the overall fitness of the musculoskeletal system. The fitness level of muscles is important for injury prevention and overall body function including good posture and low back health. This is measured on the Fitnessgram with 2 different tests. On the trunk lift MISD had all students in all grades pass with 100% accuracy. 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th also had 100% on the sit and reach flexibility test. Upper body strength is tested with push-ups. 2nd and 6th grade both had 100% on this test.
Body Composition- The body composition measure refers to the relative proportion of fat and lean tissue in the body. The Body Mass Index (BMI) can determine if a person is at a healthy weight for his or her height. Overweight youth are at high risk for being overweight adults. Adult obesity is associated with a number of chronic health problems and many of these problems begin early in life. MISD uses height and weight to test BMI. 4th grade was the only class to have everyone in the healthy fitness zone for BMI.
