01

UNIT INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Demonstrate in-depth understanding on the different concepts of
fitness test and assessment.
Acknowledge the roles and importance of fitness test and
assessment to achieve fitness goals.
Assess one’s level of physical fitness by taking the different physical
fitness test and assessment.

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 INTRODUCTION
Fitness assessments measure various aspects of your body and its
abilities. A fitness assessment identifies your current fitness levels and serves as a
baseline or starting point of your body's fitness. You can use this fitness
assessment to figure out your training needs and goals. You then compare your
progress over time to the initial fitness assessment.

A physical fitness test may include a repetition maximum of strength-based

exercises, like squats or bench presses, to assess muscular strength. It may also
involve performing exercises, like body weight squats, until exhaustion, which
tests muscular endurance.

These types of tests can be quite helpful in developing a complete understanding of

current health. Physical fitness can play an important role in an individual’s treatment
journey.
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04
LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you are expected to:

Assess one’s readiness in engaging to physical activity and fitness

training using the PAR-Q; and

Explain the concept and importance of PAR-Q before engaging to

fitness training.

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 Starting a new habit can be challenging, especially when it comes to
exercise. From joining a fitness facility to showing up for the first
appointment, there are so many steps for beginning a fitness program
that it can be overwhelming to take the first one. Anything that you can
do to start exercising as soon as possible by removing obstacles could be
seen as a good thing. However, there is one crucial step that we should
never overlook: a basic health screen, which is where the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) comes in.

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 WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
READINESS QUESTIONNAIRE (PAR-Q)?
The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) assesses an
individual's suitability for starting a new exercise plan. It helps identify
any medical conditions or physical limitations that may require
consultation with healthcare providers before beginning training.
Personal trainers use the PAR-Q to ensure safe and appropriate exercise
programming for their clients.

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The PAR-Q contains the following seven questions, which are an essential
screen for identifying any pre-existing health conditions:

1. Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only perform
physical activity recommended by a doctor?
2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you perform physical activity?
3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not performing any physical
activity?
4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness, or do you ever lose consciousness?
5. Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your
physical activity?
6. Is your doctor currently prescribing any medication for your blood pressure or a heart
condition?
7. Do you know of any other reason why you should not engage in physical
activity?

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 The PAR-Q consists of seven questions to assess how your body
might react to exercise. Its purpose is to determine if you need a medical
evaluation before starting vigorous exercise. If you answer yes to any
question, you may need medical clearance before continuing. The PAR-Q
relies on subjective information from clients rather than objective
measurements like height or weight.

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 WHY YOU SHOULD USE THE PAR-Q?
The PAR-Q is essential for identifying pre-existing medical conditions
that could worsen with increased physical activity, particularly regular
exercise. It plays a vital role in the onboarding process for new clients,
providing a non-intimidating way to gather crucial health information. In
essence, the PAR-Q is a necessary tool for all individuals engaging in
physical activity.

While not comprehensive, the PAR-Q's seven questions can flag pre-
existing health issues requiring medical attention before starting an
exercise program. However, a complete medical history is essential for
understanding a client's individual needs fully.

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 THE LIMITATIONS OF THE PAR-Q
The PAR-Q cannot identify a specific pre-existing health condition
nor determine why it may exist. It is merely designed to screen whether
or not an individual faces a health risk for increasing his or her level of
physical activity and should receive advice from a medical professional
before beginning an exercise program.

Many clients may think, “it’s the only exercise, I can do it.” But if they
have not exercised for an extended period, their body may not be able to
handle the increased stress of starting an exercise program. These
questions can help identify whether a more thorough exam is necessary.

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Nothing is without potential limitations and the PAR Q is only as effective as the
way it is used by the Fitness Professional. Let’s look at some of these limitations.

1. The form depends on your complete honesty, as a client, from the outset. Telling a
little fib can be pretty common, especially when it comes to alcohol consumption,
smoking and food choices. Be informed at the outset that you need to understand the
complete picture to help you and assist you with your goals and seek complete
transparency.

2. You, as a client, may not remember everything and can only record the information
you can recall and see as relevant.

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3. You, as a client, is not an expert and may not be aware of or perceive certain risks.
Some of these risks could be significant and detrimental to you pursuing an exercise
program.

4. The information given can become out of date very quickly. Take for example a non-
smoking client who subsequently takes up smoking. A client who likes the occasional
drink who is experiencing a particularly stressful period and finds themselves drinking
more frequently in larger quantities. If you complete the PAR Q at the initial
consultation and then neatly file it away it serves little but a short-term purpose. For this
reason, information on the form should be revisited at 6 to 12 monthly intervals or at
any point that you become aware of a lifestyle or health related change.

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14
 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2:
Directions: In this activity, explain the concept and importance of
PAR-Q before engaging to fitness training. Do it by filling-in the boxes
with relevant information about the PAR-Q. Be guided by questions
asked below.

1. Explain the use of PAR-Q and what it is all about?

2. Explain the relevance in taking PAR-Q Test prior to engaging in Fitness

Training and Physical Activity?

3. Explain why PAR-Q has limitations at some point?

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16
LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you are expected to:

Discuss the different barriers to physical activity;

Assess your own barriers to physical activity participation, and

Provide personal ways to overcome your barriers to physical activity

participation.

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 The physiologic, cognitive, and psychological benefits that may be
gained from regular participation in physical activity are vast. But many
technological advances and conveniences that have made our lives
easier and less active, many personal variables, including
physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors, may affect our plans
to become more physically active. Many individuals experience
barriers to habitual exercise. Understanding common barriers to
physical activity and creating strategies to overcome them may help
make physical activity part of daily life. People experience a variety of
personal and environmental barriers to engaging in regular
physical activity.

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 PERSONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND
BEHAVIORAL BARRIERS

The degree to which an individual feels barred from participating in

physical activity may be influenced by personal factors, environmental
aspects, and behavioral characteristics. The perceived barriers to physical
activity reviewed below relate to college students, as well as the general
population.

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PERSONAL BARRIERS
Several reasons individuals give for avoiding participation in regular
physical activity are personal in nature. Personal factors include, but are
not limited to: insufficient time, inconvenience, lack of enjoyment or
increased boredom with physical activity, fear of injury, and feelings of
self-consciousness or shame when being physically active (CDC, 2016).

With technological advances and conveniences, people’s lives

have in many ways become increasingly easier, as well as less active. In
addition, people have many personal reasons or explanations for being
inactive.

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The most common reasons adults don't adopt more physically active lifestyles
are cited as:
insufficient time to exercise lack of self-management skills, such as the
ability to set personal goals, monitor
inconvenience of exercise
progress, or reward progress toward such
lack of self-motivation goals

non-enjoyment of exercise lack of encouragement, support, or

companionship from family and friends
boredom with exercise
non-availability of parks, sidewalks, bicycle
lack of confidence in their ability to be physically trails, or safe and pleasant walking
active (low self-efficacy)
paths close to home or the workplace
fear of being injured or having been injured
recently

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 The top three barriers to engaging in physical activity across the
adult lifespan are time, energy, and motivation.

In a 2013 study that aimed to identify the external and

internal barriers to physical activity and exercise participation among
middle-aged and elderly individuals the most common external barriers
among the middle-aged and elderly respondents were 'not enough
time', 'no one to exercise with' and 'lack of facilities'. The most
common internal barriers for middle-aged respondents were 'too tired',
'already active enough', 'do not know how to do it' and 'too lazy', while
those for elderly respondents were 'too tired', 'lack of motivation' and
'already active enough'.

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ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS
Environmental aspects which may influence an individual’s physical
activity participation are both physical and psychosocial in nature. Physical
barriers in the environment include: lack of access to gyms and workout
facilities, inadequate sidewalk coverage, few parks/green spaces, or
deficiency in walking/biking trails that are safe and in a convenient
location (CDC, 2016). Psychosocial barriers in the environment
include: lack of encouragement, social support, or companionship with
family and friends when trying to initiate a physical activity program (CDC,
2016). The aforementioned factors may particularly impact those
within academic environments, as college students report a lack of social
support networks or campus environmental/facility-related obstacles as
major barriers to physical activity (Brown, Huber, & Bergman, 2006).
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BEHAVIORAL BARRIERS
Behavioral characteristics play an important role in shaping
perceptions of physical activity participation. Individuals who struggle
with self- management skills may not set effective personal health goals or
engage in proper goal monitoring and progression (CDC, 2016). Further, low
confidence and low self- efficacy (i.e., one’s situational self-confidence
for a behavior) in their ability to be physically active may prove to
be a significant deterrent to exercise (CDC, 2016). Moreover, lack of
motivation appears to exert a major negative effect on physical activity
participation in both the general population and college student
population (Brown, Huber, & Bergman, 2006; CDC, 2016). College
students indicate that low motivation and increased fatigue play a role in
prevention of exercise (Brown, Huber, & Bergman, 2006).
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 Many factors may play a role in an individual’s participation in, or
lack thereof, physical activity. College students report numerous
personal, environmental, and behavioral barriers to exercise
engagement. However, each of these factors may be appropriately
addressed if an individual is aware of which barrier is most important in
preventing their participation in physical activity. For example: if a
busy class schedule prevents a college student from exercising, the
student may plan activity into their daily schedule by enrolling in a
specialty physical activity class from the academic course listings such as
rock climbing, etc.

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 COMMON BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Perceived barriers to physical activity may significantly impact an
individual’s behavior choices, and prevent the individual from
engaging in exercise. College students face unique challenges to being
physically activity, as they strive to balance academic, professional, and
social opportunities and duties. A sample of full-time college students
between the ages of 18-24 identified student-specific factors which may
either be considered beneficial, or detrimental, to physical activity
participation. The common perceptual factors identified by these students
are listed below, and are categorized as either a barrier to, or benefit of,
physical activity participation (Brown, Huber, & Bergman, 2006)
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BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Low motivation Psychological improvement

Lack of peer interest Social benefits

Inconvenience (challenging gym/facility

location or no equipment availability) Physical appearance

Time constraints (exercise interrupts

work/school/social duties) Feeling of productivity

Identity improvement (enhanced self-concept

Lack of confidence in using equipment
and attitude)

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 OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY

Health care professionals can help people identify barriers to exercise

and make suggestions for how they can overcome these barriers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes suggestions for
overcoming physical activity barriers:

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Lack of time Identify available time slots

Monitor your daily activities for one week. Identify at least three 30-
minute time slots you could use for physical activity.

Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride
your bike to work or shopping, organize school activities
around physical activity, walk the dog, exercise while you watch TV,
park farther away from your destination, etc.

Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or

stair climbing.

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Social influence

Explain your interest in physical activity to friends and family. Ask

them to support your efforts.

Invite friends and family members to exercise with you.

Plan social activities involving exercise.

Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group,

such as a hiking club.

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Lack of Energy

Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week

when you feel energetic.

Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will

increase your energy level; then, try it.

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Lack of Motivation

Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your daily or

weekly schedule and write it on your calendar.

Invite a friend to exercise with you on a regular basis and write it on

both your calendars.

Join an exercise group or class.

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Fear of Injury

Learn how to warm up and cool down to prevent injury

Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age,

fitness level, skill level, and health status.

Choose activities involving minimum risk

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Lack of Skill

Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing

stairs, or jogging.

Take a class to develop new skills.

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Lack of Resources

Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment,

such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or calisthenics.

Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your

community (community education programs, park and recreation
programs, worksite programs, etc.).

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Weather Conditions

Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless

of weather (indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming,
calisthenics, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing,
gymnasium games, etc.)

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1:
DISCUSSION ON THE BARRIERS TO
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Directions: In this activity, discuss the different barriers to physical
activity participation.

1. Personal Barriers
2. Environmental Barriers
3. Behavioral Barriers

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38
LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you are expected to:

Identify the different physical fitness tests;

Conduct a physical fitness test to assess one’s fitness level

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 Fitness tests before starting a training program are crucial for
establishing baseline data and designing suitable routines. Results serve
as a reference point to monitor and enhance performance. Comparisons
against normative and peer data, as well as personal records, help
identify strengths and weaknesses, informing targeted improvement
strategies.
This knowledge can be used to justify recommendations to a
performer about how they can improve their fitness to meet their long-
term goals. The results from fitness tests can also be very useful as part
of the medium-term goal-setting process, lending the weight of authority
to suggestions about which fitness training methods are most
appropriate.

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1. Sit and Reach Test
Test for Flexibility

What do you need?

A box and a measuring tape or a sit and reach table

How do you do the test?

1. Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Place the measuring tape, with 0cm level with your feet, parallel with
your legs. If you are using a sit and reach table, the measurements are
already marked.
3. Put the soles of your feet, shoulder width apart, against the box/table.

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4. Make sure your knees are locked/straight,
as this is what determines hamstring flexibility.
If your knees bend during the test, the results will
be inaccurate.
5. With your hands stretched towards your feet,
lean forward, and reach as far as possible with your fingertips. If possible, reach
beyond the end of your toes and over the top of the box. You must make sure,
however, that there are no jerky movements while doing this and that you are
able to hold the reach for at least two seconds.
6. You get three chances to stretch forward and then the fourth is measured.
7. The distance that your fingers touch on the measuring tape/sit and reach table
will be your score. If you don’t make it to your toes then you will get a negative
score, showing the distance you were from 0cm.
8. The sit and reach test can be measured in centimeters or inches.

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Advantages of the Sit and Reach Test:
It is a well-known test.
It is quick and easy to perform.
There is a lot of normative data to use for comparison.

Disadvantages of the Sit and Reach Test:

Variations in length of individuals’ arms, legs, and trunk can make
comparisons between people misleading.
The test focuses specifically on the flexibility of the lower back and
hamstrings, so does not measure the flexibility of other parts of the
body.

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2. Illinois Agility Run Test
Test for Speed and Agility

What do you need?

Flat, non-slip surface
8 cones (you may use any
alternatives)
Stopwatch
Assistant Partner

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How do you do the test?
1. Set up the course, as shown in the diagram.
2. Warm up before beginning the test.
3. Lie face down on the floor at the ‘Start’
cone.
4. When your assistant gives the command ‘Go’ and starts the stopwatch,
jump to your feet, and run around the cones in the correct order to the
finish.
5. Your assistant should stop the stopwatch and record your time when you
pass the ‘Finish’ cone

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The following are the national norms for 16 to
19-year-olds:

ABOVE BELOW
EXCELLENT AVERAGE POOR
AVERAGE AVERAGE

< 15.2 15.2- 16.1 16.2 - 18.1 18.2 - 19.3 > 19.3
MALE seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds

< 17.0 17.0 - 17.9 18.0 - 21.7 21.8 - 23.0 > 23.0
FEMALE seconds seconds seconds seconds seconds

Source: Davis, B. et al., Physical Education and the Study of Sport, Mosby Publishing, 2000)

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Advantages of the Illinois Agility Run Test
It is cheap and easy to conduct.

Disadvantages of the Illinois Agility Run Test:

Human error can lead to inaccuracies in timing.
Weather conditions and the surface can affect the results.

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3. One-Minute Press-Up Test
Test for Muscular Endurance

What do you need?

A stopwatch and a partner.

How do you do the test?

1. Take up the starting position, with your arms straight,
elbows locked, body straight, hands placed slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart (with fingers pointing forward), and both feet on
the floor.

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2. From the starting position, on the
command ‘Go’, start the press-up by
bending your elbows and lowering your
body until the shoulders drop below the level of the elbows. Then return
to the starting position. Pausing to rest is permitted only in the starting
position.

3. Your partner should count how many full press-ups are completed in
one minute or up to the point where the performer retires from the test.

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Advantages of the One-Minute Press-Up Test:
It is quick and easy to set up.
No specialist equipment is required.

Disadvantages of the One-Minute Press-Up Test:

The press-up must be technically correct for it to count, and
what makes a technically correct press-up is open to interpretation.
This can lead to disputes about the total number.

The performer will get tired if they stay in the ready position for too
long. This can make testing many people simultaneously, difficult.

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4. One-Minute Sit-Up Test
Test for Muscular Endurance

What do you need?

A stopwatch and a partner.

How do you do the test?

1. Lie on a carpeted or cushioned floor with your knees bent at
approximately right angles and your feet flat on the ground. Your hands
should be resting on your thighs.

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2. Squeeze your stomach, push your
lower back flat, and raise your upper
body high enough for your hands to
slide along your thighs to touch the
tops of your knees. Don’t pull with your neck or head and keep your
lower back on the floor. Then return to the starting position.

3. Your partner should count how many full sit-ups are completed in one
minute or up to the point where the performer retires from the test.

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Advantages of the One-Minute Sit-Up Test:
The test is simple to perform.
It requires minimal equipment.
Large groups may be tested at once.

Disadvantages of the One-Minute Sit-Up Test:

It is difficult to determine when a correct sit-up has been performed
so there may be a dispute about the total number.

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5. Body Mass Index (BMI)
Test for Body Composition
Your BMI provides a way of calculating
whether or not your body is of an ideal
weight. A BMI test is designed for men and women over the age of 18,
and although people under the age of 18 can use it, their results should
not be taken to have any significant meaning.

What do you need?

Weighing scales marked in kilograms
Measuring tape
Calculator
Partner
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How do you do the test?
Measure your weight in kilograms.
Measure your height in meters (so
182cm is actually 1.82m).
Calculate your BMI using this formula below
BMI =weight (kg) / height² (m)

NHS Direct (UK) provides the following assessment of BMI

measurements. If your BMI is:
Less than 18.5kg/m2 you are underweight for your height.
18.5 to 24.9kg/m2 you are an ideal weight for your height.
25 to 29.9kg/m2 you are over the ideal weight for your height.
30 to 39.9kg/m2 you are obese.
Over 39.9kg/m2 you are very obese.
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Advantages of BMI:
It involves a simple calculation using
standard measurements

Disadvantages of BMI:
Muscle weighs more than fat, so bodybuilders and trained athletes
will often have a BMI in excess of 25kg/m2 without being overweight.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY 1:
CALCULATE YOUR BMI
Directions: Calculate your own BMI using the given formula
BMI =weight (kg) / height² (m)
and assess your BMI using this guide
Less than 18.5kg/m2 you are underweight for your height.
18.5 to 24.9kg/m2 you are an ideal weight for your height.
25 to 29.9kg/m2 you are over the ideal weight for your height.
30 to 39.9kg/m2 you are obese.
Over 39.9kg/m2 you are very obese.

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 UNIT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

In this module, you have learned the concepts physical

fitness test and assessment. You are also able to identify the different
fitness test and assessment to find out an individual’s level of fitness.
Aside from the theories thought in this module, you were given also the
opportunity to self-administer those assessments. Well, to assess the
knowledge and skills that you’ve learned in this module, get ready for
your unit performance assessment.

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 PERFORMANCE TASK II: FITNESS TEST AND
ASSESSMENT DEMONSTRATION VIDEO
Directions: Create a demonstration video about the different
physical fitness test. Discuss the definition, purposes, materials
needed, and scoring for each test.
Demonstrate the proper way of conducting the test to come up with an
accurate result.
Demonstrate at least 3 physical fitness tests. You may include those
tests discussed in this module and/or you may freely browse on the
internet for more tests.

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 BE GUIDED BY THE RUBRICS BELOW
CRITERIA DESCRIPTION PERCENTAGE

This refers to the completeness,

exactness and accuracy of the
Content information provided in the 50%
video

This refers to the video

audio quality, editing, removal
Video Technicality of unnecessary images, noises, 30%
etc

This refers to the over-all impact,

Overall Performance aesthetic value, and appeal of 20%
the video

TOTAL 100% 60
04
 REFERENCES:
2020 PAR-Q+. (n.d.). Retrieved from nasm.org:
https://www.nasm.org/docs/pdf/parqplus-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=401bf1af_12

Barriers to Being Active Quiz. (n.d.). Retrieved from physio-pedia.com:

https://www.physio pedia.com/images/8/8d/Barriers_to_health_quiz.pdf

Barriers to Physical Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved from physio-pedia.com:

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Barriers_to_Physical_Activity

Barriers to Physical Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved from open.lib.umn.edu:

https://open.lib.umn.edu/physicalactivity/chapter/2-5-barriers-to-physical-activity/

MCCALL, P. (n.d.). EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PAR-Q. Retrieved from blog.nasm.org:
https://blog.nasm.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-par-q

What is a PAR-Q? (n.d.). Retrieved from protectivity.com:

https://www.protectivity.com/knowledge-centre/what-is-par-q/

Wood, R. (2008). Stork Balance Stand Test. Retrieved from topendsports.com:

https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/balance-stork.htm

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