Phys. Ed .: Fitness Tests

Do you remember the fitness tests way back when? If you were in school in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, we had the Canada Fitness Test. You got a coloured badge based on your fitness level. You had to do standing jumps and distance running and sit ups and I can't remember what else. (I think I once managed to get a Silver. Always got Bronze. :( Gold wasn't the highest you could get!)

In thinking about my son's general physical activity level and fitness level, I've decided to do a fitness test at the start of the year as a benchmark. He's supposed to be setting goals as part of the phys. ed. course (which is actually a really good thing, in my opinion), but I'm not sure how he's supposed to set goals if he doesn't know what he's starting out at.

So, I've done a little research online and found some tests that I'm sharing here. Not sure just yet which one I'll use. If you want to test your teen's fitness level, too, and maybe your own ;), here are some to check out:

IFA Fitness Test: a limited mix of tests and benchmarks for various ages, for both men and women. Some of the tests do not have teen benchmarks.

Youth Fitness Test Norms: Has benchmarks for kids and teens for distance run, push-ups, pull-ups (for boys), flexed-arm hang (for girls), sit-ups, standing long jump, and the sit-and-reach flexibility test. This reminds me of at least some of the things we did for the Canada Fitness Test.


President's Challenge Fitness Benchmarks: The President's Fitness Challenge is undergoing a remake, but they still have the standards/benchmarks up for ages 6-7 for curl-ups, partial curl-ups, shuttle run, v-sit reach, sit and reach, one-mile run, distance runs, pull-ups and right-angle push-ups. (Some of those tests are "do this test OR this test", so not all tests are done.)

Fitnessgram Performance Standards: From California's Deptartment of Education. Gives the standards for a variety of tests, but some of the tests, you might have to find out how to actually do them.

And...

Wait for it...

An Air Cadet Fitness Test (from who knows when) that is based on the old Canada Fitness test including instructions on how to perform the different tests (rather than just the benchmarks).