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A course in Exercise Physiology is a common requirement among undergraduate students preparing for a career in physical education, adult fitness, or athletic training. Often, such courses are taught to an assortment of students from a variety of disciplines (Van Donselaar & Leslie, 1990) with an emphasis on physiological principles applied to adults. This creates a substantial challenge to the instructor in devising course materials and experiences that will meet the needs of each student, particularly for teacher education students who will be working primarily with children. The intent of this document is to specifically address and raise the awareness of the needs of students in a teacher preparation track, defining suggested minimum competencies for those students pursuing a career in physical education. A list of additional resources is provided.

The Department of Health and Human Services, working with other governmental agencies, professional groups, and individuals, has identified general areas of concern for the nation's health. This report explains how physical activity and fitness have been prominent aspects of Healthy People 2010 (HP2010), the national health promotion and disease prevention effort. The two broad goals of HP2010 are to increase the years and quality of healthy life and eliminate health disparities. Of the 13 HP2000 physical activity and fitness objectives, only the worksite fitness programs goal has been met, though 4 objectives show solid gains, indicating that the message about increased physical activity is reaching some segments of the population. Physical activity is listed in HP2010's top 10 health indicators. It also has an effect on other indicators, and it can provide an attractive alternative to other indicators. HP2010 objectives offer opportunities to ensure that physical activity and fitness become part of regular healthy behavioral patterns. HP2010 objectives focus on: physical activity in adults; muscular strength/endurance and flexibility; physical activity in children and adolescents; and access. This report details each objective. (Contains 42 references.) (SM)

This teacher's guide and student workbook are part of a series of supplementary curriculum packages of alternative methods and activities designed to meet the needs of Florida secondary students with mild disabilities or other special learning needs. Content is based on the Florida Curriculum Frameworks and correlates to the Sunshine State Standards. The Personal Fitness PASS (Parallel Alternative Strategies for Students) teacher's guide presents seven units concerned with various health and fitness topics. Each unit includes a vocabulary list, an introduction to the topic, facts and fallacies, content presented in words and graphics, exercises, quizzes, and answer keys in the teacher's guide. A final examination is also included. The following units are explored in both texts: (1) "Physical Fitness"; (2) "Body Composition and Nutrition"; (3) "Flexibility"; (4) "Muscular Fitness"; (5) "Cardiovascular Fitness"; (6) "Consumer Health Issues"; and (7) "Personal Health Program." Appendices to the teacher's guide include correlations to Florida student performance standards and lists of multimedia sources and Federal and Florida health agencies. The student workbook contains vocabulary, an explanation of the content, and practice exercises designed to evaluate comprehension. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)

This monograph documents the basis for selection of test items and health-related, criterion-referenced standards associated with the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The manual is divided into separate chapters for the relevant components or sub-components of health-related fitness: aerobic functioning, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility/range of motion. Each chapter includes information on both validity and reliability. The validity section of each chapter attempts to establish that the fitness component relates to health status. This section also defines criterion levels of the component that can be used as the basis for setting health-related physical fitness standards. A test-items sub-section provides a rationale for the inclusion of a specific item in the test battery, and a standards sub-section provides a rationale for the recommended criterion-referenced standards. Links between test scores to criterion levels of the components are provided. An attainability sub-section reports passing rates for the various tests by disability groups based on data collected on 1,542 youngsters. The final section on reliability focuses on available "norm-reference reliability" data for each test item. Each chapter concludes with a short discussion on ideas for future research. (Chapters include references.) (CR)

This training manual presents information on the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The first chapter of the test training manual includes information dealing with health-related criterion-referenced testing, the interaction between physical activity and physical fitness, and the interaction between physical fitness and health. Individualized education programming, the lifetime commitment to physical activity and physical fitness, and safety precautions important to implementing programs are addressed. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 are related to the development of components of physical fitness: cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility/range of motion. Each chapter presents information on the important components of physical fitness for health, how components of physical fitness are measured and evaluated in the BPFT, the underlying change in the body affected by the development of physical fitness, factors influencing the development of physical fitness, and guidelines for developing and implementing physical fitness. Chapters include information related to the development of physical fitness of youngsters with disabilities. (Each chapter includes references.) (CR)

This activity book is designed to assist teachers in enhancing preschool children's motor skills, physical development, and social skills, and to build young children's self-esteem. The activities are designed for both disabled and nondisabled children. The first section of the book suggests specific activities in 13 categories of motor skills: (1) body awareness; (2) locomotor activities; (3) balance; (4) tumbling; (5) throwing; (6) catching; (7) kicking; (8) striking; (9) dribbling/shooting; (10) ball rolling; (11) scooters; (12) obstacle course; and (13) parachutes. The second section provides sample lesson plans to develop the specific motor skills. The third section provides sample integrated plans for a month in an effort to adapt physical education to the whole of the child and assist in exploration and understanding of the environment. The fourth section provides sample special activity days and contains a planned mini Olympics to codify what the preschoolers have learned during the year in physical education. The final section consists of miscellaneous activities such as the A to Z's of physical education, recess activities, games, equipment uses and alternate uses, and adaptive uses for household and inexpensive items. Contains a listing of reference sources for further information and sources of creative play activities and suppliers. (SD)

This collaboration between teachers in Saint Lucia (West Indies) and Peace Corps volunteers offers a comprehensive physical education program for children and youth ages 10-18 years, including lesson plans, evaluation and assessment techniques, and psychological and physical growth and development characteristics for this age group. The program is not geographically-specific, and it contains pictures, drawings, charts, and graphs to illustrate various points. The curriculum has four main goals: to develop and maintain a high level of health-related fitness, to develop a knowledge of the sciences of physical education, to develop positive attitudes and behaviors for psychosocial development, and to develop and maintain a high level of skill-related fitness. The text includes notes for teachers on anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, body fat and weight control, cardiovascular fitness, circuits, flexibility, nutrition, sport psychology, and skill-related fitness. (Contains 15 references.) (NAV)

This workbook was developed to help adult literacy students learn about exercise and physical fitness. It contains information sheets and student worksheets, coordinated with an audiotape that is available. Some of the topics covered in the workbook are the following: benefits of exercise; stress; aerobic versus anaerobic exercise; exercise programs; maximum heart rate; nutrition; body composition; differences between the sexes; ways to fit more exercise into one's life; setting exercise goals; and exercising safely. Two appendixes provide information on caring for the back and special tips for walking and running; a glossary lists 41 terms that are underlined in the workbook. (KC)

This field test to assess the functional fitness of adults over 60 covers of the following areas: (1) body composition; (2) body weight; (3) standing height measurement; (4) flexibility; (5) agility/dynamic balance; (6) coordination; (7) strength; and (8) endurance. Posttest activities are suggested, and a data sheet and exercise consent form are included, as well as a list of suggested resources. (JD)

An implicit goal of Congress, the Department of Defense, and the armed services is that diversity in the armed services should approximate diversity in the general population. A key aspect of that diversity is the representation of Hispanics. Although polls of Hispanic youth show a strong propensity to serve in the military, Hispanics are nevertheless underrepresented among military recruits. The authors discuss the major characteristics that disproportionately disqualify Hispanic youth and explore the following questions: If recruiting standards were relaxed, what would be the effect on military performance? What actions could be taken to increase Hispanic enlistments? Finally, they examine several approaches to increasing enlistments -- increasing the number of Hispanic youth who are eligible and would meet the military's entry standards, increasing interest and recruiting more intensively among the qualified Hispanic population, and targeting recruiting toward less-qualified Hispanics. (Four appendices are included: (1) Detailed Information on Enlistment Standards; (2) Service Waiver Policy; (3) Estimates of Prevalence of Health Conditions, by Race and Ethnicity; and (4) Tests of Statistical Significance in Medical Disqualification Rates. Contains 50 figures and 77 tables Chapters and appendixes are individually footnoted.)

This book is designed to help dancers improve their technique and performance in all dance forms by strengthening the body's core while improving coordination, balance, alignment, and flexibility. It features 170 imagery illustrations paired with 160 dance-specific exercises to help maximize body-mind conditioning. It culminates with a 20-minute, full-body workout routine designed to help dancers warm up, condition, and refine their dance technique. The 10 chapters focus on: (1) "Mind-Body Conditioning"; (2) "Embodied Imagery"; (3) "Reflexive Balance"; (4) "Relaxed Flexibility"; (5) "Aligned Movement for Improved Technique"; (6) "Strengthening the Center"; (7) "Building Power in the Legs and Feet"; (8) "Developing Power in the Torso and Arms"; (9) "Improving Turns, Jumps, and Turn-Out"; and (10) "Thera-Band Centre Workout." (Contains 51 references.) (SM)

Describes periodization in strength training (the cycling of specificity, intensity, and volume of training to achieve peak levels of performance for the most important conditions), suggesting that well-designed periodized programs will allow superior performance at the appropriate time, reduction in overtraining potential, systematic control over training variables, and excellent performance adaptation. A well-designed periodized program is concerned with both immediate and subsequent competition. (SM)

Discusses warm-up before physical activity, focusing on recent research that questions the traditional use of static stretching in a warm-up before strength and power activities. (SM)

Discusses the various strength qualities (maximum strength, high- and low-load speed strength, reactive strength, rate of force development, and skill performance), noting why a training program design based on strength diagnosis can lead to greater efficacy and better performance gains for the athlete. Examples of tests used to assess strength qualities are presented. (SM)

Presents information to promote understanding of the concept of core strength and stability, explain why this concept is important to spine health, and evaluate trunk training activities with respect to their contribution to core strength and stability, noting implications for physical fitness and low back pain. The paper reviews the anatomy and biochemistry of the spine and describes problems attendant with low back pain. (SM)

Focuses on preventing performance-related injuries for music students. Discusses techniques for preventing injury, such as warm-ups, information on stretching and strength training, exercises for the upper arms, torso, and for selected muscle groups. Includes illustrations for some exercises. (CMK)

The specific types of fibers that make up individual muscles greatly influence how people will adapt to their training programs. This paper explains the complexities of skeletal muscles, focusing on types of muscle fibers (slow-twitch and fast-twitch), recruitment of muscle fibers to perform a motor task, and determining fiber type. Implications for training are noted. (SM)

Describes the possible causes of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which include buildup of lactic acid in muscle, increased intracellular calcium concentration, increased intramuscular inflammation, and muscle fiber and connective tissue damage. Proposed methods to reduce DOMS include warming up before exercise and performing repeated bouts of eccentric exercise within 1-6 weeks of the initial bout. (SM)

Describes the advantages of using plyometric programs in the water, explaining that they may provide athletes with several benefits (e.g., added resistance, which increases muscle strength, and getting a break from more monotonous drills on land). The paper discusses: the physical properties of water, aquatic rehabilitation that incorporates plyometrics, aquatic plyometric program design, aquatic plyometric equipment, and safety concerns. (SM)

The fundamentals of exercise physiology (the study of the physiological effects of bodily exertion) form the basis for this booklet designed for teachers of physical education. The scientific principles underlying the building of muscular strength and flexibility are described and illustrated. Topics covered include: (1) muscular strength, measurement, and improvement; (2) anaerobic performance; (3) aerobic performance; (4) flexibility; (5) diet and performance; (6) temperature and performance; (7) aids to performance; (8) physical appearance; (9) exercise and disease prevention; and (10) the aesthetic, social, and psychological benefits of exercise. (JD)

Participant materials are provided from a workshop to acquaint women with nontraditional careers in the skilled trades and to help them become more knowledgeable about their options in making informed career decisions. The agendas for five day-long sessions outline the scope of the workshop that emphasizes basic math skills, hands-on experiences in nontraditional occupational areas, specific requirements needed for nontraditional careers, work-related tests, and familiarity with terminology and hand tool usage. Representative materials in this package include a self-analysis shield, self awareness/knowledge instruments, information on assertiveness, role playing situations, information on communications, a quiz on women in the work force, a vocational interest checklist, information on types of training for nontraditional careers, information on potential problems in nontraditional fields, a life change questionnaire, suggestions for coping with stress, instructions for meditative relaxation, requirements and problems in apprenticeships, information on job interviews and applications, sources of information about employment, 25 pages of math problems, and six pages of exercises for physical fitness. (YLB)

This guidebook for a self-directed physical fitness program offers information on: (1) What is physical fitness; (2) How is physical fitness measured; (3) What is body composition; (4) How to improve fitness; (5) What is the new presidential physical fitness award program; and (6) What exercises qualify for the Presidential Fitness Award. A fitness quiz with answers is included. (JD)

It is important to individualize exercise programs to safely achieve exercise goals. The article reviews several key points to help exercise leaders individualize new exercise programs or rejuvenate routine workouts, focusing on cardiorespiratory and muscular training. The article emphasizes that individualizing exercise programs reduces injury, maximizes results, and makes exercising enjoyable. (SM)

This booklet is divided into seven sections that include the following topics: (a) physical performance, (b) adaptation to inactivity and activity, (c) physiological and medical motives for regular physical activity, (d) training, (e) physical fitness for everyday life, and (f) testing physical fitness and condition. Section one discusses energy output, neuro-muscular function, psychological factors, and age and sex. Section two discusses the changes in our bodies in adjusting to inactivity. Section three discusses cardio-vascular diseases, obesity, diet and choice of calories, hot environment and water balance, diseases and troubles of the back, joints, and posture. Section four includes the four principles of training, and a discussion of a simple training ground, and equipment. Section five discusses active recreation. Section six describes how the bicycle ergometer measures performed external work. The summary describes the responsibility of government and society for creating recreational areas and lists five points to remember. The author concludes that neglect of regular physical activity during adolescence cannot fully be compensated for later in life and that young people should acquire knowledge and experience of activities suitable for their future in school. These activities should include running, cycling, swimming, and skiing rather than the more organized team sports. A 49-item bibliography is included. (PD)

This teacher guide describes a parent education course designed to develop the skills of preschool and elementary school children by introducing parents to a number of learning activities suitable for implementation at home. The guide contains a series of seven lesson plans focusing on: (1) what the child learns in the primary grades, (2) how the parent can help a child do his best in school, (3) muscle development, (4) speech habits, (5) reading skills, (6) writing skills, and (7) mathematics. Each lesson plan is divided into two parts: directed activities to be used in the class with the parents and home activities for the parents' use with their children. Parent take-home sheets, which can be duplicated in quantities sufficient for distribution, make up half the booklet. (CS)

The physical development of the child from 4 to 6 years old is discussed. Activities and games that will increase the child's dexterity, balance, and ability to play with others are described and illustrated. (JD)

This fact sheet uses a question-and-answer format to summarize issues related to physical fitness in people with mental retardation. Questions and answers address the following topics: a definition of "physical fitness"; the components of physical fitness (muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, body composition, and cardiovascular endurance); how fitness levels of people with mental retardation compare to the general population (substantially lower); how muscle strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and body composition (body fat) in people with mental retardation compare to that of the general population; evidence that people with mental retardation can improve their fitness level; barriers to fitness for individuals with mental retardation (motivation and opportunity); and examples of simple fitness routines. (DB)

This manual is designed to help elementary school teachers create games and equipment for use in physical education activities. It suggests items to acquire (cartons, string, plastic jugs, cardboard tubes) and places to look for them. It describes how such items can be used and how to construct some common gym class accessories. There are also ideas for nonstandard activities that utilize "found" objects such as paper plates, inner tubes, bushel baskets, and fixed horizontal poles in the school parking lot. Games and activities are described that utilize the homemade, classroom-constructed equipment. Diagrams and directions are given for constructing volleyball net and standards, stilts, parallel bars, ladders, badminton racquets, etc. There are suggestions for muscle building exercises and contests. The last ten pages are composed of detailed diagrams of constructed athletic equipment. (Author/JD)

Sponsored by the Title III Elementary and Secondary Education Act Project "Discovery Outdoor Education", this guide is a collection of inexpensive, innovative, homemade equipment and devices for physical activities. Although designed for the impaired, disabled, and handicapped, these materials are adaptable to and applicable for groups and individuals of all ages for use in physical education, recreation, camping, playground, and related programs. With emphasis on creative, non-restrictive play, this guide presents brief sections on balance and resistance activities with a major section devoted to equipment relative to balance, vaulting and jumping, climbing and hanging, muscular strength and endurance, and rhythm and games. Each device is presented via a detailed sketch accompanied by delineation of purpose, possible activity use, helpful hints, safety considerations, materials needed for construction, and the approximate cost (from $1.00 to $35.00). Appendices A, B, C, and D present contributors, an appraisal guide (a questionnaire designed to elicit the user's appraisal of strengths and/or weaknesses of the equipment), a questionnaire requesting suggestions for additional equipment, and a classification index wherein equipment is indexed by purpose. (JC)

Secondary level physical education teachers can have their students use math concepts while working out on the weight-room equipment. The article explains how students can reinforce math skills while weightlifting by estimating their strength, estimating their power, or calculating other formulas. (SM)

Aerobics instructors can use step aerobics to motivate students. One creative method is to add the step to the circuit workout. By incorporating the step, aerobic instructors can accommodate various fitness levels. The article explains necessary equipment and procedures, describing sample stations for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. (SM)

Physical education teachers should incorporate the concept of muscular balance into their daily curricula and select activities that work the muscles as they are used in everyday activities. The article focuses on maintaining normal strength between the anterior and posterior trunk muscles, detailing appropriate exercises. (SM)

Answers teachers' questions about physical fitness, emphasizing children's physical fitness, why people believe children are unfit, children's activity levels, heredity and maturation in fitness testing, test results, adequate fitness, activity, and participation, how long it takes children to get fit, reward systems, current fitness testing, and teaching fitness concepts. (SM)

Explains why physical education teachers should discourage full sit-ups and describes the Robertson Modified Curl-Up Test as a recommended alternative test of abdominal muscular strength. Curl-up test administration guidelines are included with some preliminary norms from adult groups. (SM)

This module includes seven lessons designed to help students in grades 9-12 enhance their present and future levels of fitness. It begins with an exploration of the meaning and benefits of fitness. In lesson 1, students complete an inventory to assess their present level of physical activity. Lesson 2 deals with students' feelings about their physical appearance, and includes suggestions for enhancing body image. In lesson 3, students complete a series of activities that measure their present levels of physical fitness, and in lesson 4, students use this information to assess their individual fitness. This lesson includes an aerobic workout, and students develop a plan to maintain aerobic fitness. In lesson 5, students look at ways to enhance other elements of personal fitness, including body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance. Lesson 6 helps students identify myths and facts about exercise. It also examines some of the factors that influence the success of an exercise program. Lesson 7 deals with the importance of attitude and lifestyle related to physical fitness, then uses this information to develop personal fitness plans. Students are also given an opportunity to survey people who exercise regularly and develop a report. Lessons include information about objectives, materials, instructional strategies and procedures, evaluation, and the subject matter for teachers; and worksheets and handouts for students. (LLL)

Discusses how a strength and conditioning program can be safety incorporated into the daily life of people with cystic fibrosis as a complementary therapy to medications, regular checkups, bronchial drainage, and respiratory therapy, examining physical restrictions and guidelines, exercise prescriptions, and exercise applications, and explaining that appropriate programs can improve and prolong quality of life in people with cystic fibrosis.(SM)

Strength training is an effective method of developing musculoskeletal strength and is often prescribed for fitness, health, and for prevention and rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries. This paper describes and presents a rationale for the population-specific strength training guidelines established by major health organizations. (SM)

Research indicates that increased strength leads to improved balance and functional mobility and that nearly every senior patient can benefit from basic resistance training. The article provides guidelines for physicians on prescribing resistance training and for patients on increasing strength. (SM)

As weight training becomes increasingly popular with children and adolescents, physicians need to advise patients and parents about what is safe and what is not. Young people who adhere to a well-supervised, progressive strength training program can improve their strength and improve performance in other sports. (SM)

This Maryland State Department of Education document is a guide for the assessment and development of comprehensive K-12 physical education programs in Maryland schools. The first section defines the nature of physical education and describes its relationship to society, the learner, and the school curriculum. The second section presents broad statements of goals, subgoals, and desired outcomes. In the next two sections, expectancies and illustrative objectives are outlined. Learning outcomes, primarily behavioral, which are appropriate for curricular emphasis within the subgoals, are discussed. Examples are also provided of the types of student achievements which might reflect subgoal and expectancy attainment at particular grade levels. The final section describes ways to develop and use goals, subgoals, expectancies, and objectives in the preparation of physical education scopes, sequences, and instructional units. The appendixes provide a list of Maryland Physical Education Framework Task Force and Framework consultants and Framework Review Panel members, the Maryland Physical Education Framework, the State K-8 physical education program requirements, a glossary, and illustrative objectives for all goal areas for each grade level. (JD)

Tests are described that were given to 1,000 students randomly selected at grade 7-9 levels with an equal representation from both sexes. Participants were selected from two junior high schools in North York for a study comparing students in a regular physical education program to those in a program to develop cardiovascular endurance. The first half of the paper describes six Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (CAHPER) tests in terms of purpose, equipment, performance, scoring, and gives normative data for each test for boys and girls ages 12, 13, and 14. CAHPER Fitness Tests include the one-minute speed sit up, the standing broad jump, the shuttel run, the flexed arm hand, the 50-yard run, and the 300-yard run. In the second part of the paper a discussion is given about cardiovascular fitness and its importance and role in today's society. Several methods of estimating cardiovascular endurance are explained and norm tables for the three age levels follow. In addition, norms are provided for peak respiratory flow, grip strength, and percent body fat. (DMT)

This book outlines a carefully developed program for physical fitness. The concept of physical fitness and its physiological basis are examined and guidelines are laid down to enable the reader to evaluate an individual physical exercise program commensurate with his or her age and physical condition. Advanced conditioning methods are described as well as the interrelationships between nutrition, weight control, coronary artery disease, and physical activity. The value and feasibility of popular sports as lifelong physical fitness activities are evaluated. (JD)

The physical fitness and lifestyle of Canadian school children has been deteriorating in recent years. The main objectives of physical education are directed toward the development of physical fitness and a positive lifestyle. This manual provides an opportunity for measuring the components of physical fitness. Physical fitness testing involves the measurement of body fat percentage, posture, muscular endurance, muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, speed, power, flexibility, agility, and basic motor skills. This manual presents the norms compiled as a result of the Manitoba Schools' Physical Fitness Survey 1976-77, specifies test procedures, and suggests desirable fitness objectives. Suggestions for administering the test and motivating students are also included. It is suggested that teachers make the testing program an integral part of the physical education program. The suggested exercises can be utilized in progressive stages to improve physical fitness. The test results can act as a guide to the teacher for making program modifications to attain objectives and as a motivator for the students to strive for higher levels of performance. Appendices present norms for males and females from five to eighteen years of age, a suggested reference table for body fat percentage, and a cross country time sheet. (CJ)

This guidebook is designed for teachers of physical education at both the elementary and secondary levels. It is divided into six sections. The first section presents an overview of the scope and purpose of physical education in the schools. Discussions are included on developmental objectives, growth characteristics, physical fitness, safety in sports, and adapted physical education. Activities for children in elementary school are outlined in the second section. These include movement and rhythm skills, games requiring little organization, team sports, tumbling, and track and field. Descriptions are provided on how to organize each game, the physical objectives of each activity, and the equipment needed. Section three contains a bibliography for further reading on the activities described in the second section. Activities for students at the secondary level are described in the fourth section. These include team sports as well as sports that may be played by one or two players. A bibliography for further reading on the sports discussed in the fourth section is presented in section five. The final section contains a form that may be used by teachers to evaluate the contents of the guidebook. (JD)

This guide to biological awareness through guided self-discovery is based on 51 single focus statements concerning the human body. For each statement there are explanations of the underlying physiological principles and suggested activities and discussion ideas to encourage understanding of the statement in terms of the human body's functions, performance, and reactions to today's environment. The statements are divided into five major categories: (1) the various classifications of exercise and the uniqueness of each; (2) composition of the body and the value of health-related activities such as controlling weight; (3) control of muscle functions and the body's capacity for motor learning; (4) physiological mechanisms at work when a person exercises; and (5) explanation of how the body adapts to exercise versus sedentary living Suggestions are made for incorporating biological awareness lessons into the high school and college curriculum. (MM)

The purpose of this book is to bring together in one volume the information necessary for a complete gymnastics program for women. It is divided into four major sections. Part one deals with conditioning the body, the importance of dance, and a short history of women's gymnastics. Part two covers the techniques and equipment for modern rhythmic gymnastics. In part three the methods of teaching artistic gymnastics, tumbling, and trampoline are outlined. The final section discusses gymnastics curriculum, demonstrations, meets, and judging. The book is illustrated with line drawings of the movements under discussion. (JD)

This booklet is geared specifically towards the classroom teacher who may supplement the regular physical education classes using daily activity sessions with a fitness emphasis, minimal equipment, and limited space. Information is included on: (1) fitness components; (2) sample activities related to fitness components; (3) possible teaching environments; (4) recommended lesson format; (5) features of a daily physical activity program; (6) sample lesson plans; (7) role of the classroom teacher; (8) role of specialists; (9) sample timetables; (10) organizational checklists; and (11) student evaluation. Suggested resources and teaching aids are appended. (JD)

The exercises described in this booklet comprise a physical fitness program of moderate intensity. Exercises are graded according to difficulty, and, in most cases, balanced to encompass physical fitness components essential to health, maintaining optimum body weight, and promoting efficient movement. Illustrations and descriptions are given of: (1) warm-up, aerobic and weightlifting exercises; (2) a basic fitness workout; (3) interval training techniques; (4) circuit training (a non-stop progressively controlled sequence of exercises); (5) and aquabics. (JD)

This document presents baseline data on physical fitness that provides an outline for assessing the physical fitness of students. It consists of 4 tasks and a 13-item questionnaire on fitness-related behaviors. The fitness test evaluates cardiorespiratory endurance by a steady state jog; muscular strength and endurance with a two-minute bent-knee curl-up; flexibility with a sit-and-reach test; and body composition with a two-site skinfold measurement. The measure uses criterion-referenced standards. The questionnaire includes descriptive items on sex, age, race/ethnic group, highest grade planned for completion, body frame, height, weight, and six items on fitness-related behaviors. (JD)

This manual outlines physical fitness tests that may be used in the schools. The tests are based on criterion standards which indicate the levels of achievement at which health risk factors may be reduced. Test theory, protocols, and criterion charts are presented for: (1) muscle strength and endurance, (2) body composition, (3) flexibility, and (4) cardiovascular endurance. Graphs illustrate the desirable levels of achievement for these tests as well as levels which indicate a need for improvement. A sample student evaluation card and class composite record are included as well as a glossary of terms. (JD)