Fitness is one of those words that everybody knows but nobody wants to say or do. For some, it’s as abstract as the sky and for others, it’s as specific as the next work-out regimen. But if you ask any college athlete whether they feel like they’re the best they’ve ever felt, you’ll likely get an enthusiastic response of “hell yes.” And why shouldn’t they be?
“itness” in today’s terminology means a lot of different things to a lot of people. It can mean how many pages you can push yourself through in an hour, or it can mean how quickly you can complete that page. Physical fitness refers to a condition of well-being and health and, more importantly, the capacity to perform various parts of daily activities, jobs and sports. Physical fitness is typically achieved through moderate-to-intensive exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate rest.
A typical fitness routine may include aerobic exercises (e.g., running, cycling, stair climbing, etc. ), strength training (e.g., push-ups, pull-ups, bench press, etc. ), flexibility exercises (e.g., stretching, knee bends, etc. ), balance training (e.g., jumping jacks, swimming, etc. ), and proper body positioning (e.g., sitting up straight, etc. ).
These activities are designed to increase your body’s metabolic rate, strengthen and improve your muscles, and improve your cardiovascular health and life performance. Exercise routines can be modified, adjusted, or extended based on your current health or fitness level or goals. In fact, your fitness goals should change over time. For example, if you’re in better shape now, but are interested in improving your fitness level for basketball, soccer, or track and field events, you might want to add some extra leg exercises or other activities to your current workout plan. Similarly, if you’re aging, you might want to add some endurance activities to your fitness routine or perhaps consider a combination of strength training and stretching to help you maintain or increase your physical abilities as you age.
One of the most frequently used assessment tools for fitness testing is the MOSAIC score. This is a rating scale that is based on a series of MOSAIC scores that are each associated with a characteristic or factor of the participant’s performance in one or more standard performance categories. For example, a MOSAIC score of 0.35 indicates that a participant’s performance in physical activities is very near perfect. A score of zero indicates that the participant is below the normal range in most physical activities for which they are expected to be proficient. A participant’s level of perceived exertion is also considered in the MOSAIC.
Some examples of MOSAIC scores are listed here. Fitness test scores can be listed on a MOSAIC sheet or they can be provided in a separate file like a performance battery. Most health, rehabilitation and exercise clubs offer both kinds of score cards. A 2-page fitness testing sheet and a separate battery are generally available free of charge.