When was the last time you took the Presidential Fitness Challenge [1]? I like home fitness tests [2], this one the only test approved by the leader of the western world. Regardless of how you feel about the man holding the office, take the Presidential Fitness Challenge and see how you stack up against school age children! It is President's Day after all.


Here are the details of the challenge.

• Curl ups [3]: Lie on back with knees bent and feet about 12 inches from booty. Have partner hold your feet (or put them under your couch). Arms are crossed with hands placed on opposite shoulders and elbows held close to chest. Curl up touching elbows to thighs and then lower the back to the floor so that shoulder blades touch the floor. That's one rep. Count how many reps you can do in 60 seconds.
  Measures: Abdominal strength and endurance
• Shuttle Run [4]: Mark two parallel lines 30 feet apart and place two blocks of wood or similar object behind one of the lines. Start behind opposite line. Run to the blocks, pick one up, run back to the starting line, place block behind the line, runs back and picks up the second block and runs back across. Don't forget to time yourself.
  Measures: Speed, quickness and agility

  There are three more elements to the challenge so

• Endurance Run/Walk [5]: Run or walk a mile as quickly as possible.
  Measures: Heart/lung endurance
• Pull-ups [6]
  Pull-Up: Hang from a horizontal bar at a height the student can hang from with arms fully extended and feet free from floor, using either an overhand grasp (palms facing away from body) or underhand grip (palms facing toward body). Raise body until chin clears the bar and then lower body to full-hang starting position. See how many you can do.
  Measures: Upper body strength and endurance
• "V" sit [7]: Mark a straight line two feet long on the floor, this is your baseline. Draw a measuring line perpendicular to the midpoint of the baseline extending two feet on each side and marked off in half-inches. The point where the baseline and measuring line intersect is the "0" point. Sit on floor with measuring line between legs and soles of feet placed immediately behind baseline, heels 8-12" apart. Clasp thumbs so that hands are together, palms down and places them on measuring line. Reach forward as far as possible (have someone hold your feet if you can), keeping fingers on baseline and feet flexed. Hole for three seconds and that is your distance.
  Measures: Flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings

To be presented with the Presidential Fitness Award you need to be in or above the 85th percentile. For a 17 year old girl they are as follows:

• Curl ups: 44 in 60 seconds
• Shuttle run: 10 seconds
• One mile run: 8:15
• Pull ups: 1
• "V" sit: +8

So how did you do?