Personal Fitness

Merit Badge Workbook

This workbook can help you but you still need to read the merit badge pamphlet (book). No one can add or subtract from the Boy
Scout Requirements #33215. Merit Badge Workbooks and much more are below: Online Resources.
Worksheet developer: craig@craiglincoln.com . Requirements revised: 2007, Workbook updated: December 2008.

Scout’s Name: ____________________________________________ Unit: ____________________________ Counselor’s Name: _________________________________________ Counselor’s Ph #: ____________________________

Note: If meeting any of the requirements for this merit badge is against the Scout’s religious convictions, the requirement does not have to be done if the Scout’s parents and the proper religious advisors state in writing that to do so would

be against religious convictions. The Scout's parents must also accept full responsibility for anything that might happen because of this exemption.

1. Do the following.

a. Before completing requirements 2 through 9, have your health-care practitioner give you a thorough examination using the Scout medical examination form. Describe the examination. ______________________________________________

Tell what questions the doctor asked about your health. _____________________________________________________

Tell what health or medical recommendations the doctor made ________________________________________________

and report what you have done in response to the recommendations. __________________________________________ Explain the following:

(1): Why physical exams are important _______________________________________________________________________
(2): Why preventative habits are important in maintaining good health _______________________________________________
(3): Diseases that can be prevented and how __________________________________________________________________
(4): The 7 warning signs of cancer:
(5): The youth risk factors that affect cardiovascular fitness in adulthood
b.: Have a dental examination. Get a statement saying that your teeth have been checked and cared for. Tell how to care for your teeth. _________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain to your merit badge counselor verbally or in writing what personal fitness means to you, including:

a.: Components of personal fitness b. Reasons for being fit in all components
c.: What it means to be mentally healthy ______________________________________________________________________
d.: What it means to be physically healthy and fit _______________________________________________________________
e.: What it means to be socially healthy. _____________________________________________________________________

Discuss your activity in the areas of healthy social fitness________________________________________________________

F. What you can do to prevent social, emotional, or mental problems? ______________________________________________

3. With your counselor answer and discuss the following questions:

a.: Are you free from all curable diseases? ____________________________________________________________________ Are you living in such a way that your risk of preventable diseases is minimized? ____________________________________
b.: Are you immunized and vaccinated according to the advice of your health-care provider? ____________________________
c.: Do you understand the meaning of a nutritious diet and know why it is important for you? _____________________________ Does your diet include foods from all food groups? ___________________________________________________________
d.: Are your body weight and composition what you would like them to be ____________________________________________ and do you know how to modify it safely through exercise, diet, and behavior modification? ___________________________
e.: Do you carry out daily activities without noticeable effort? _____________________________________________________
f.: Are you free from habits relating to poor nutrition _____________________________________________________________ and the use of alcohol, __________________________________________________________________________________ tobacco, _____________________________________________________________________________________________ drugs, _______________________________________________________________________________________________ and other practices that could be harmful to your health? _______________________________________________________
g.: Do you participate in a regular exercise program or recreational activities? ________________________________________
h.: Do you sleep well at night and wake up feeling refreshed and energized for the new day? ____________________________
i.: Are you actively involved in the religious organization of your choice, _____________________________________________ and do you participate in its youth activities? _________________________________________________________________
j.: Do you spend quality time with your family and friends in social and recreational activities? ____________________________
k.: Do you support family activities and efforts to maintain a good home life? _________________________________________

4. Explain the following about physical fitness:

a.: The components of physical fitness _______________________________________________________________________
b.: Your weakest ________________________________________________________________________________________ and strongest component of physical fitness ________________________________________________________________
C.: The need to have a balance in all four components of physical fitness
D.: How the components of personal fitness relate to the Scout Laws and Scout Oath

5. Explain the following about nutrition:

A. The importance of good nutrition _________________________________________________________________________

B. What good nutrition means to you ________________________________________________________________________

C. How good nutrition is related to the other components of personal fitness__________________________________________

D. The three components of a sound weight (fat) control program

6. Before doing requirements 7 and 8, complete the aerobic fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and body composition tests as described in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Record your results and identify those areas where you feel you need to improve. (See Personal Fitness Merit Badge Pamphlet, pp. 47 -60)

Aerobic Fitness -Choose either the nine minute run/walk for distance OR the one mile run/walk.	Need to improve?
9-minute Run/Walk -You can run or walk.
*-or-1-mile Run/Walk*
Strength –Record your performance on all three tests.
Sit-ups in 60 sec. Arms crossed, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, have someone hold your feet down
Push-Ups in 60 sec. Keep shoulders, hips, and legs in a straight line. Start flat on the ground.
Pull-Ups in 60 sec. Palms forward. Start with your arms fully extended and your feet a few inches above the ground. Pull up until your chin is on top of the bar and repeat.
Flexibility
Sit and Reach Do four repetitions. Record the fourth reach after holding it for 15 seconds to qualify. Keep your knees down. You can tape a yardstick to the edge of a bench laid on its side with your feet placed flat on the seat panel. Tape down a yardstick so that the 9-inch mark is in line with the panel against which the feet are placed.
Body Composition
Right Arm Circumference right upper arm, midway between the shoulder and the elbow, with the arm hanging naturally and not flexed.
Shoulder Circumference with arms hanging, place the tape two inches below the top of the shoulder and around the arms, chest, and back after breath expiration.
Chest Circumference Place the tape under the arms and around the chest and back at the nipple line after breath expiration.
Abdomen Circumference At navel level (relaxed).
Right Thigh Circumference Right thigh, midway between the hip and the knee, and not flexed.

If possible, have the same person take the measurements whenever you are ready to be remeasured to chart your progress.

7. Outline a 12-week physical fitness program using the results of your physical fitness tests. Be sure your program incorporates the endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines discussed in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet.

***Before* *beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.***

Warm-up:______________________________________________________________________________________________

Aerobic Exercises:_______________________________________________________________________________________

Strength Exercises: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Flexibility Exercises: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Cool-Down: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Complete the physical fitness program you outlined in requirement 7. Keep a log of your fitness program activity (i.e., how long you exercised; how far you ran, swam, or biked; how many exercise repetitions you completed; your exercise heart rate; etc.). Repeat the aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility tests every two weeks and record your results. After the 12th week, repeat all four tests, record your results, and show improvement in each one. Compare and analyze your pre-program and post-program body composition measurements. (See Personal Fitness Pamphlet, pp. 61 -79)

FITNESS MEASUREMENTS Improved? Hit goal?

Test Results	12-Week Goals	Week12 Initial	Week12 Goal
Date	– – – –	– – – –	– – – –
9 Min. Run/walk -or1 mi. Run/walk (time)
Flexibility Reach (cm)
Sit-ups in 60 sec
Pull-ups in 60 sec Push-ups in 60 sec

BODY COMPOSITION TEST

Measurements:	Initial Results	Week 12	Improvement: Week12-Initial
Right upper arm	inches	inches	inches
Shoulders	inches	inches	inches
Chest	inches	inches	inches
Abdomen	inches	inches	inches
Right thigh	inches	inches	inches

Discuss the meaning and benefit of your experience, ________________________________________________________

and describe your long-term plans regarding your personal fitness. ____________________________________________

9. Find out about three career opportunities in personal fitness.

Pick one ______________________________________________________________________________________________ and find out the education, training, and experience required for this professions. ________________________________

Discuss what you learned with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you. _________________

Online Resources (Use any Internet resource with caution and only with your parent’s or guardian’s permission.)
Boy Scouts of America: ► scouting.org ► Guide to Safe Scouting ► Age-Appropriate Guidelines ►Safe Swim Defense

► Scout ►Tenderfoot ►Second Class ►First Class  Rank Videos ► Safety Afloat

Boy Scout Merit Badge Workbooks: usscouts.org -or- meritbadge.org Merit Badge Books: www.scoutstuff.org Requirement Resources

These resources and much more are at: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Personal Fitness ExpertVillage First Aid Videos Make a First Aid Kit Basics Basics2 CPR Basics Venomous Snake Bite

Warm Up  Stretching  Running  Pull-Ups  Push-Ups
Basketball Baseball Football Bench Press  Leg Curls

Requirement Resources 1a The new Annual Health and Medical Record has replaced the Class 1, 2, and 3 forms, which will be phased out in 2009. The use of the new form, No. 34605, will be required effective January 1, 2010, as well as for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. 1a4 Cancer Warning Signs: http://www.healthfirst.net.au/content/view/265/42/

http://www.baptistonline.org/health/library/canc4280.asp 1a5 Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4726 2a Mind, Body, Spirit: http://www.mind-body-spirit-411.com/ 3b CDC Vaccines & Preventable Diseases: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/ 3c Mental Health: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_health 4a BSA Components of Fitness: http://www.scouting.org/Media/Publications/PhysicalFitness/comps.aspx 6/8 National has advised us that there is an editorial error on page 72 of the Merit Badge Pamphlet (book) incorrectly stating to do

Sit-ups and either Push-ups or Pull-ups. On p.68 and in the Boy Scout Requirements, the requirement is to record your
performance in Sit-ups, Push-ups, and Pull-ups. Per National, do all three. (11/2008)

Flexibility Reach test box diagrams: http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/reachbox.gif
Proper way to do sit-ups: http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/situp.gif
Proper way to do pull-ups: http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/situp.gif
Proper way to do push-ups: http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/situp.gif
Exercise Careers: http://exercisecareers.com/

General Resources

Amateur-Sports.com: http://www.amateur-sports.com American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/ Centers for Disease Control: http://www.fitfamilyfitkids.com Fitness for Kids: http://www.fitnessforkids.org Intr. Food Information Council Foundation: http://ific.org KidsHealth: http://www.kidshealth.org National Athletic Trainer's Association: http://www.nata.org

SAMPLE FITNESS PROGRAM ACTIVITY LOG (Page 1)

Day Fitness Program Activity & Notes Distance Duration Repetitions Heart Rate Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

SAMPLE FITNESS PROGRAM ACTIVITY LOG (Page 2)

Day Fitness Program Activity & Notes Distance Duration Repetitions Heart Rate Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

SAMPLE FITNESS PROGRAM ACTIVITY LOG (Page 3)

Day Fitness Program Activity & Notes Distance Duration Repetitions Heart Rate Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12