Physical fitness among children is often more than just being able to run faster than others in the class. Here are various forms of fitness and how to quickly measure the level of fitness among children.
BMI / Body Mass Index: This gives a quick check whether a child is underweight or overweight. It is calculated by dividing the weight (in kg) by the square of height (in m2). It gives a quick glance whether the child is in a healthy range or has tendency to be either obese or underweight. One should be careful to use the right BMI scale as guidance value since BMI for adults tend to be different from that of children or teens.
Hand-eye coordination: Reflex action could be different for different children. One simple measure of hand-eye coordination could be to check how many times a child is able to bounce a tennis ball against the floor within a given minute. Generally the coordination improves as the children grow from pre-school to primary to middle school.
Balancing: Maintaining body balance while indulging in sports is a crucial factor of physical fitness. One quick check to measure balance is to be able to do a flamingo test, or to check how many seconds the child is able to stand on one foot. Certain activities such as gymnastics or yoga can help in developing body balance.
Speed test: A 100m sprint is a classic test of speed which can be easily measured, and is universally accepted as a test of physical fitness. The whole world stands in awe everytime someone like Usain Bolt finishes the race in less than 10 seconds. However, for younger children, a 50m dash could be more appropriate. Agility is another variant which is similar to speed test, however here the emphasis is on how quickly the child is able to change direction of motion.
Flexibility: Basically flexibility means how far one can stretch oneself. A simple measure of core flexibility is to be able to sit on the floor with fully stretched legs and to be able to touch the toes without bending the knee. This is one factor which generally deteriorates as the children grow older. Certain activities such as practicing yoga and martial arts can greatly help in gaining flexibility.
Endurance: Or stamina as we might call it in layman terms is a measure of aerobic capacity of the child. Long distance running is an excellent test for endurance. However when there are time constraints and it is not feasible to conduct distance running, endurance can be effectively measured by simple exercises as number of jumping jacks or burpies performed in a set time.
Strength: Weightlifting is a simple measure of muscle strength. For school children number of pushups done can quickly indicate arm and core strength of the child. For girl students, one can adapt modified push ups where they can take knee support on the floor. Similarly squats is a quick measure of leg strength. Generally calisthenic exercises are excellent way to build strength without needing any equipment which is ideal in school environments.
At CoachDirect we conduct physical fitness assessments at schools so that parents can understand where their child stands against other children on the above factors. If the child wants to do well in sports then it goes without saying that the child should be good in each of the above factors as it can really differentiate the champ from the rest of the pack.
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