In order to be accepted by any branch of the United States military or employed by the country’s federal agency’s security, applicants must first successfully pass a physical fitness text to ensure that potential soldiers and agents have the strength and endurance to defend their country. Each branch of the United States Military has its own criteria for passing these tests, some of which are considerably more physically demanding than others. Each of the federal security agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) have tests of their own that require an applicant to be in top shape, particularly for positions that are located in the field. Here is an in depth look at what is expected...

For the human body to be physically fit certain basic standards should be maintained. A person may do the recommended amount of aerobics each week, and yet remain on a very unhealthy diet that has detrimental effects on the body and a person’s overall health. Many professionals and agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health make certain recommendations on basic physical fitness standards that can help maintain a healthy and fit body. One thing that people often overlook is dehydration. Most people in the United States are constantly in a mild state of dehydration. This prevents muscles and organs from functioning properly, and also prevents you from metabolizing food properly. The minimum standards...

The very nature of police work requires that an officer be ready for anything at a moments notice, and this is only possible if a police officer is in adequate physical shape. Although officers are well armed when they are on the streets, they normally only use physical force to subdue a resistant suspect. Officers must be physically fit enough to handle themselves in an altercation when they are the only police presence at a scene, and this often requires chasing a fleeing suspect on foot. As a result, the image of the patrol officer with a box of donuts in his lap is quite unrealistic. The majority of police officers are required to be in considerably better physical shape than the citizens that they have sworn to protect. When it comes to being a...

Physical fitness for men is evaluated in three areas: strength, endurance and flexibility. There are several nationally recognized organizations who have accepted benchmarks of physical fitness tests in these three areas. The President’s Challenge Adult Physical Fitness Test is one nationally recognized test. Another nationally recognized test is the Annual Physical Fitness Test, which is administered to test the physical fitness of fire fighters and marine cadets. The President’s Challenge Adult Physical Fitness Test incorporates three different events, to test the level of a man’s physical fitness. The first event is a mile and a half walk/run or a 500 yard swim, which tests cardiovascular endurance. The second event is reaching or...

Although there are many different types of physical fitness trainers, the primary duties in this line of work revolve around providing coaching and mentoring for individuals or organized groups of people. The two most important parts of this job include assessing an individual’s current physical fitness and creating a game plan that will help people attain all of their fitness goals. Other important job duties require a solid understanding of nutrition, formal training in providing first aid, a background in education and the ability to build both a personal and a professional relationship with one’s clients. Most physical trainers work on a one on one basis with their clients to provide them both with the individual coaching and...

More and more the term physical fitness seems to be misunderstood. Some people may assume that just because someone is not morbidly obese or drastically under weight, that they are pretty fit. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As a culture we seem to have lost touch with all the different facets of being truly healthy and fit. Experts go by a set of 5 components to determine physical fitness. The first component that goes into determining physical fitness is cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular system, which is also referred to as the circulatory system, includes your heart and blood vessels. Many problems can arise from poor cardiovascular health. Heart disease (which is the largest cause of death in North America), blocked arteries,...

Americans today are living in the generation of big screen TV’s, the all you can eat buffet and armchair quarterbacks. Finding ways to accomplish things with as little physical work as possible has become revered and take out pizza has replaced mom’s home-made lasagna. With the fast pace at which Americans live and the desire for everything to be easy and fast driving many individuals it is no wonder that America is loosing it’s battle against disease and obesity. During a 2006 study the National Center for Disease Control determined that the percentage of adult’s age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese was an astounding 67 percent. As if that were not bad enough, it showed that the lack of physical fitness leading to...

A national standard of physical fitness for children is determined by the President’s Challenge. The President’s Challenge is relevant to children age 2 and older. As a child grows older, the particular benchmarks for fitness will change accordingly. The President’s Challenge provides instructions, fitness tasks and scoring rubrics. The fitness tasks include a shuttle run which tests endurance as well as pull-ups, push-ups and v-sits which tests a child’s strength. The exact benchmarks vary depending on a child’s gender and age. If a child scores an 85% or above in the above referenced areas, he or she is considered to be fit, in that category, for their age and gender. Another good resource to determine if a child is fit, is the National...

Each year the amount of obese children in the United States rises. Physical fitness as a whole, including cardiovascular health, flexibility, strength, balance and coordination, has been steadily declining in all childhood age groups. The modern American child spends far less time being physically active than a child her or her age did just 20 years ago. Not only are they spending more time with their bodies inert, but they are shoveling more and more poor food choices into their digestive systems than ever before. The lack of physical fitness in the modern American child can not be blamed on one individual problem. The cause is a culmination of different factors that together pull children from a healthy and fit lifestyle into a life of obesity,...

People who succeed in pushing themselves to maintain a good level of physical fitness use many tools. Closely monitoring their diets, getting enough rest and always making sure to get the correct amount of exercise are all work together for good health. When considering the amounts of exercise needed for each person, and what types of exercises are needed for each body type, some people find the use of exercise equipment that promote over all fitness to be the most convenient method of keeping trim and fit. Some of the most popular and commonly used fitness equipment include machines such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, stair steppers and exercise bikes. Exercise machines such as these can be used together in combination with free weights to...