The SCOUTStrong commitment of the BSA marks a new milestone in our commitment to total fitness of all participants in BSA programs. We have long identified and incorporated components of being “physically strong” to enhance individual physical fitness and functioning. With recognition of importance of being “mentally awake,” we are expanding our awareness of mental and emotional fitness as equally important in achieving success and satisfaction in life. Toward that end, the Mental Health Taskforce of the National Health & Safety Committee, has identified a number of goals:. Expand awareness of mind, emotions and mental health in BSA program and activities.
OBJECTIVESThis month’s activities should:. Define the importance of fitness. Teach Scouts about good nutrition.
Explain how wellness is related to fitness. Emphasize the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Teach positive ways to reduce stress.
Show Scouts how to work toward lifetime fitness.LEADERSHIP PLANNINGAs a leadership team, you may want to discuss the following items when choosing fitness and nutrition as your program feature during your planning meetings. Click above for fillable troop meeting planning form. Should we spread this module out over several months?.
Bsa Physical Fitness Requirements
Do we know any personal trainers?. Do we know anyone who teaches yoga or tai chi?. What activity will we do for the “Get Out and Play” meeting plan (week 4)?.
What type of race should we participate in for our main event?. What other skills and training are needed to participate in our chosen race?.
How might we include a camping or overnight component for the main event?PREOPENING IDEAS. As Scouts arrive, invite them to play hacky sack. Challenge them to see how long they can keep the beanbag in the air. Set out a display of food packages. Have Scouts study the labels and list the strange ingredients they find.
The Boy Scout Planning Guide suggests a for March 2013. This program feature offers the opportunity to introduce concepts of exercise diet, and healthy habits in a troop setting.
A PLC can use this program feature to plan a month of activities with a focus on physical fitness.The plans for the Physical Fitness troop program feature can be found in from BSA:Since one of the main purposes of the Boy Scouts of America is to promote physical fitness, this program feature is right on target. Besides, most Scout-age boys love physical action, so they will eagerly participate in the suggested activities. Physical Fitness ProgramsYounger scouts can work on their early rank requirements, including hiking, health, and conditioning. Older scouts can earn the. Some other related merit badges include, and.The featured activity for this month is a Scout Decathlon. Your PLC can choose 10 “competitions” to put on at a troop event. There are a lot of suggestions given in or they can make up their own.Filed Under:Scouts BSA:,.
Recent Comments. Peter Duston I love scouts and am an Eagle with a 50 year pin.
It's now been a year with girls in both our Pack and Troop. – on. Fredric Thank you for posting this, I get my teeth grinding in frustration when I see photographs of people with unsafe fires getting posted to social. – on. James Craig Link above is broken, but most of this can now be found here: – on. Michael R Best Uniform is indicated as class shirt or a class b uniform shirt which consists of a pack tshirt or a day camp tshirt – on. Megan We are currently doing this requirement with our den.
Physical Fitness Program Examples
My scouts have a very limited attention span and I wouldn't think I could get it.
IntroductionA formative framework for positive lifestyle and health behaviors is established during adolescence. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one organization that promotes healthy lifestyles among adolescent males and includes earning the Personal Fitness Merit Badge (PFMB). Despite the BSA Oath “to keep myself physically strong”, there is a paucity of evidence describing fitness test (FT) outcomes or correlations between FT and variables including age or body mass index (BMI) among Boy Scouts.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe and correlate FT to age and BMI among adolescent Boy Scouts.MethodsA prospective study design recruited Boy Scouts aged 11-17 years from Southeast Michigan using a sample of convenience. After securing physician clearance to participate, FT measures were performed utilizing previously established methodology. Third year doctor of physical therapy students trained in the measurement protocol performed the FT measures. Measures encompassed those required for the PFMB: BMI, pull-ups, push-ups, sit and reach flexibility test (SRF), sit-ups, and the one mile run (1MR). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, a Kruskal-Wallis test examined relationships between BMI and FT, and a nonparametric Spearman correlation examined correlations between FT performance and both age and BMI with statistical significance set at less than 0.05.ResultsNinety-nine Boy Scouts, whose mean age was 12.6 years (SD 1.4), met the inclusion criteria. The mean BMI was 21.5 (kg/height (cm)) 2 (SD 5.4) with eight scouts meeting criteria of underweight, 56 normal weight, 14 overweight, and 21 obese.
Fitness test results were as follows: pull-ups 1.75 (SD 2.7), push-ups 18.0 (SD 10.6), SRF 21.2 cm (SD 10.5), sit-ups 28.9 (SD 8.7), and the 1MR run 616.5 seconds (SD 156.8). When comparing normal weight scouts to overweight and obese scouts, a significantly higher frequency of pull-ups (p=0.002, p=.001), push-ups (p=0.02, p=0.03), sit-ups (p=0.01, p=0.003,), and decreased time for completion on the 1MR (p=0.001, p=0.001) was identified, respectively. Furthermore, while no correlations were identified by age, a negative correlation was identified between increased sit-up frequency (r=-0.36, p=0.001) and decreased 1MR time performance (r=0.39, p=0.001) and a higher BMI.DiscussionWhile prior evidence suggests improved FT scores in adolescent males with advancing age, this was not observed. Less favorable PFMB required FT performance with an increased BMI among Boy Scouts is in congruence with prior reports for adolescent males.ConclusionVariations in FT performance levels were observed among Boy Scouts completing the initial FT requirements of the PFMB. However, correlations between higher BMI and less favorable FT performance were detected.
IntroductionPhysical activity is important in the adolescent years to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and improve overall fitness -. A quadrupling of obesity rates over the past three decades emphasizes the need for interventions targeted toward thwarting this heath risk. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a national organization that promotes healthy lifestyle choices among adolescent boys. It offers a Personal Fitness Merit Badge (PFMB) in support of their oath which states that scouts are to keep themselves “physically strong”. Furthermore, this merit badge is a prerequisite for achieving the rank of Eagle , which is the highest youth rank within the BSA.Esmaeilzadeh et al. Examined differences in physical fitness and sedentary activity levels among 7- to 11-year-old boys with varied body mass index (BMI) categories.
The study found that as BMI increased, physical fitness activities decreased and sedentary activities increased. While studies specific to the physical fitness levels of Boy Scouts are limited, a study by Jago et al. examined physical activity interventions on scouts.
The authors reported that exercise sessions conducted during the weekly troop meetings did result in positive change toward increased physical activity and decreased sedentary activity; however, no significant change to BMI was observed. Furthermore, Kanehisa et al. examined the influence of age on the development of strength and muscle cross-sectional area in 7- to 18-year-old males and reported that boys in early stages of puberty had reduced development of strength production with increased muscle cross-sectional area. It provided evidence to support increase in muscle development among males between 13 and 18 years when compared to younger male age groups.Physical fitness is important during adolescence as it can be a predictor of future health status -. However, there is a paucity of evidence as to the fitness levels of Boy Scouts and the underlying health indicators that may contribute to more positive fitness test (FT) measures. A more thorough understanding of correlative relationships between a scout’s age or BMI and the various components of fitness may guide a scout’s successful completion of the PFMB.
Furthermore, this knowledge may be of benefit when scouts design the individualized 12-week exercise plan required for the PFMB to address their unique health and wellness needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe and correlate FT to age and BMI among adolescent Boy Scouts. Materials and methodsResearch designAfter securing the Oakland University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to assure that the rights of each participant were protected, a prospective analytical study design was initiated utilizing a sample of convenience.Sampling criteriaAn anticipated 100 Boy Scouts (33-36 per year of data collection) were invited to participate in one four-hour fitness event on the campus of Oakland University. An anticipated 100 participants would result in a test with.80 power, with a two-sided 0.05 adjusted alpha level, to detect an effect size of 0.74.
The event was conducted as a component of service learning in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) circularly required Health Promotion and Wellness in Physical Therapy course. The course enrolls between 33-36 students per year. To maintain a one-to-one scout to student ratio for data collection, a three-year recruitment time frame was anticipated.Registered Boy Scouts from the BSA Great Lakes Council servicing Southeast Michigan were invited to participate in one of three identical events offered in either November of 2014, 2015, or 2016. The authors acknowledge the one year span between each of the three data collection points.
However, the merit badge requirements and method of data collection remained constant at each of the three data collection encounters to reduce potential bias introduced by the time lapse. The Boy Scouts were informed of the opportunity through council advertising and flyers distributed by local troop scoutmasters.Scouts met inclusion criteria if they were of the male gender, a registered member of the BSA, and if parental or guardian permission was secured prior to the event date. Sit and reach flexibility end positionPush-upsA scout started in a prone position with palms placed flat on the floor under shoulders, feet in flexed position with ball of the foot and toes on the floor, and shoulders, hips, and legs in a straight line from the scout’s heels to the head (Figure ) as is the required measurement protocol of the PFMB. The scout pushed up by extending both arms, but avoiding full locked extension at elbows (Figure ) and then lowered his body to a guide placed approximately 2 inches from the floor and directly under the scout’s chest. Scouts were instructed to complete as many repetitions as possible in 60 seconds. Pull-up mid-test positionSit-upsThe test began in supine position, knees flexed, feet flat on the floor, and heels 12 to 18 inches away from the buttocks. The arms were crossed on the chest with hands on opposite shoulders and the feet were held by the investigator to assure that the feet remained flat on the floor (Figure ) as is the required measurement protocol of the PFMB. The scout then sat up by tucking the chin to the chest with arms remaining on the chest and curled up to sitting position until the elbows touched the thighs (Figure ).
The scout returned to the starting position with shoulder blades touching the floor and repeated the process as many times as possible in 60 seconds. Sit-up mid-test positionOne Mile Run TestThe 1MR was performed on an indoor track with a pre-established distance formula based on the lane used and number of laps required for covering a distance of one mile. Each scout was instructed to cover the distance as quickly as possible, but walking was permitted. The investigator used a stopwatch and lap counter to record the time to complete one mile in minutes and seconds.Non-merit badge required fitness testsGrip, Tip Pinch, and Key Pinch TestsPerformance of the grip, tip pinch, and key pinch tests used a previously established protocol. All measurements were obtained with the scout seated in a chair, shoulder adducted and neutrally rotated, elbow flexed to 90°, and the forearm and wrist in a neutral position.Grip strength was measured using the Baseline Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer (Fabrication Enterprises, Inc., White Plains, NY). The dynamometer was placed against the metacarpals while the phalanges wrap around the device. When cued by the recorder, the scout gripped the dynamometer as forcefully as able.
Two grips were allowed with the scout’s dominant hand and the recorder took the highest measurement overall.Tip pinch and key pinch were measured using the Jamar Hydraulic Pinch Gauge (Sammons Preston Rolyan, Bolingbrook, IL). For the tip pinch test, the measurement device was placed between the thumb and tip of the index finger in the dominant hand and the scout was instructed to pinch as forcefully as able with the index finger and thumb. For the key pinch test, the measurement device was placed between the thumb pad and lateral aspect of index finger in the dominant hand and the scout was instructed to pinch as forcefully as able.
For both the tip pinch and key pinch tests, two measurements were obtained on the dominant hand and the highest of the measurements was recorded.Illinois Agility T-testIllinois Agility T-testing methods utilized a previously established protocol. Scouts began the test at a starting line marked with a cone (Cone A) in a staggered stance. Three additional cones were placed at 10 yards (9.14 meters) in front of the starting line (Cone B) and two at 5 yards (4.57 meters) perpendicular to either side of Cone B (Cones C and D). Upon initiation of a timer, scouts sprinted to Cone B and touched it with right hand, shuffling right to Cone C and touched it with right hand, shuffled left to Cone D and touched with left hand, shuffled back to Cone B and touching with left hand and finally ran backwards to the start line (Cone A). This protocol is diagrammed in Figure. The time from leaving the starting line to return to the starting line was recorded in minutes and seconds. ResultsDemographicsA total of 100 scouts presented to the PFMB event. One declined to assent and so he was excluded.
This resulted in 99 Boy Scouts aged 11-17 (mean = 12.61 (SD=1.41)) meeting the study inclusion criteria. Thirty-three were enrolled in each of the three data collection years.Body mass indexThe mean height of participants was 63.43 inches (SD=4.3) or 161.11 cm (SD=11.0); whereas, the mean weight was 125.8 lbs. (SD=42.8) or 57.2 kg (SD=19.4). The mean BMI was 21.5 kg/m 2 (SD=5.4) with category frequencies as follows: underweight (n=8), normal weight (n=56), overweight (n=14), and obese (n= 21).Description of fitness testTable provides the results of both the PFMB and non-merit badge FTs. It is notable that the indoor track became unavailable during the data collection period. Therefore only 83 scouts completed the 1MR testing making the sample size for analysis smaller than expected.
VARIABLEnMean (SD)RangeMerit Badge Required Fitness TestsSit and Reach Flexibility Test (cm)9821.2 (10.5)(-2) - 40Push-ups9918.0 (10.6)0-53Pull-ups991.8 (2.7)0-10Sit-ups9928.9 (8.7)9-52One Mile Run (seconds)83616.6 (156.8)362-1091Non-Merit Badge Required Fitness TestsGrip Test (lbs.)9850.5 (17.4)24-105Tip Pinch Test (lbs.)9810.9 (3.2)5-20Key Pinch (lbs.)9715.7 (3.5)10-29Illinois Agility T-test (seconds)9814.8 (2.4)10-21.2Vertical Jump (cm)9433.5 (10.0)12-66cm = centimeters, lbs. Body mass index category comparison to fitness test performanceTable reports the FT comparisons across BMI categories and identified significance among the following FT: push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, 1MR, and tip pinch.
Table then reports the pairwise comparisons of the BMI category for the significant FT comparisons identified in Table. Statistically, lower performance was identified in the PFMB required FT when comparing overweight and obese categories to the normal weight category for push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and 1MR; whereas, the underweight category performed better than the obese category pull-ups and sit-ups.
Additionally, the overweight category performed better on the tip pinch test compared to both the normal and underweight categories. While the obese category outperformed the underweight category in the tip pinch, this finding did not meet a level of significance (p=0.05). Fitness test correlations to age and body mass indexTable reports the results of the correlation analysis of the PFMB and non-merit badge FT to age or BMI. While no correlations between advancing age and improved FT performance were identified in the PFMB required FT, correlations were observed for the grip, tip pinch, key pinch, vertical jump, and T-test. Furthermore, correlations between a higher BMI and lower FT performance were identified for the pull-up, sit-up, and 1MR; whereas, a higher BMI correlated to more positive test performance on the grip, key, and tip pinch tests.
VARIABLECorrelation with Age (R value)p-valueCorrelation with BMI (R-value)p-valueMerit Badge Required Fitness TestsSit and Reach Flexibility Test0.070.520.180.07Push-ups0.070.52-0.170.10Pull-ups0.020.87-0.260.01Sit-ups-0.030.80-0.360.001One Mile Run-0.140.220.390.001Non-Merit Badge Required Fitness TestsGrip Test0.500.0010.270.01Tip Pinch Test0.330.0010.320.002Key Pinch0.400.0010.410.001Illinois Agility T-test-0.310.0020.140.18Vertical Jump0.250.01-0.090.40BMI= Body Mass Index. DiscussionThe purpose of this study was to describe and correlate FT to age and BMI among adolescent Boy Scouts. Variation in a scout’s FT performance is evidenced in the large range of FT outcomes for the PFMB required FTs as well as the non-merit badge required FTs. Evidence for causation of the breadth of performance levels may be further explained by examining the age and BMI of the participating scouts.While prior evidence has established a relationship between fitness and age -, no significant relationships were observed between age and the five PFMB FTs. However, significantly improved performance differences were identified in older scouts in each of the non-merit badge required FTs.
This supports the continued inclusion of the current PFMB FTs as variability in the age of scouts (11-17 years) embarking on the PFMB requirements would not inherently bias a scout’s ability to have positive outcomes on the initial FT measures.A scout's BMI category provides significant causation for variation in FT outcomes. Specifically, this study identified that scouts in the normal BMI range outperformed their overweight and obese counterparts in all PFMB required FT with the exception of the SRF. It is unknown if weight control interventions were previously or retrospectively implemented for participating scouts at risk for becoming obese or meeting the obese criterion. However, it seems plausible that the physician conducting the PFMB required participation medical clearance or other healthcare providers, inclusive of physical therapists, could include strategies such as motivational interviewing or referrals to registered dietitians or health coaches into their care plans in an effort toward optimization of a scout’s BMI. It is notable that the tip pinch test, a non-merit badge FT, had more favorable outcomes among higher weight scouts, which may warrant further investigation.A prior study has reported that participation in the required activities of the PFMB demonstrated an improvement on cardiovascular endurance, specifically VO2, among 14 scouts. The authors of that study concluded that the PFMB is beneficial as a physical activity intervention. Therefore, the PFMB may prove to be another useful tool in addition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Youth Physical Activity Kit and the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.
Sample Fitness Program Activity Log Filled Out
Each may assist to guide adolescents toward recommended physical activity and fitness levels. Furthermore, the BSA PFMB could be considered as an adjunctive tool for use in non-scouting adolescents; however, further research is warranted to investigate this generalization.The current PFMB book does provide evidence-based recommendations for a scout’s optimal nutrition. However, expansion of the PFMB requirements to include a caloric intake/output self-assessment activity may be beneficial in offering scouts insight into their caloric consumption and expenditure related behaviors. This may be of greatest benefit to scouts in the overweight and obese categories to establish awareness of caloric imbalances of which a scout may not be cognizant.While the PFMB requires scouts to perform either a pull-up or push-up FT as a component of initial testing and re-testing, it may be beneficial for scouts to conduct both FTs. Different muscle groups are involved with each activity and the exercises correspond to different scouting activities, such as rock climbing and rappelling (pull-up) or pushing camping equipment or a canoe into the water (push-up). As 55 of the scouts were unable to perform even one pull-up, inclusion of an option for scouts unable to perform a standard pull-up, such as a modified pull-up is warranted. The modified pull up technique uses altered biomechanics with the main advantage for scouts unable to perform the standard technique being that their entire body weight is not being pulled against gravity.
NotesThe content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein.
All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus. The authors have declared financial relationships, which are detailed in the next section.Sara Arena declare(s) employment from Oakland University and Henry Ford Health System. Sara Arena is a current employee of both Oakland University and Henry Ford Health System and has been an employee during the 36 months prior to manuscript submission. Edward Peterson declare(s) employment from Henry Ford Health System. Edward Peterson is a current employee of Henry Ford Health System and has been an employee during the 36 months prior to manuscript submission.
I'll change my answer to 'it depends.' The requirements for Second and First Class are not specific on what to do to keep active. Just be active and track it for 30 days.
That by itself is not enough for satisfy the Personal Fitness requirements. However, if the scout is actively working on Personal Fitness merit badge, then recording his 12 week program might count toward the Second and First Class fitness requirements.I think Tenderfoot's specific requirements are unique enough that they would have to be separate from Personal Fitness. They do not have to officially start working on the Camping MB (get a signed blue card) in order for their nights of camping to count towards the MB (see section 7.0.0.2. But no harm in it, either!:)Some merit badge requirements will specify that they cannot also be used to satisfy a rank requirement (for example, Cooking MB and Hiking MB).Ultimately, it's up to their Scoutmaster and PF Merit Badge Counselors to decide if the requirements have the same basic intent and can count for both. If you look closely at the Personal Fitness Merit Badge and read Requirement 1 it says, 'Before completing requirements 2 through 9, have.' And requires the Scout to have a health exam, and explain 5 things to the Merit Badge Counselor.
And if you read requirement 7 you will see that it says, 'Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.' As a Personal Fitness Merit Badge Counselor, I would be perfectly happy to double count the requirements AS LONG AS they do what they are supposed to do and talk to me before they begin the badge and plan out their exercises as described in the merit badge as part of a comprehensive physical fitness program. And when you read the PF requirements, they are MUCH more comprehensive than the rank requirements. I am sure there are plenty of Scouts that could manage this (especially ones that are involved in multiple sports), but there are some that just could not.Sometimes I feel that we are so focused on checking off the boxes in a program that we miss the intent behind the requirements. BSA has clearly stated that they hope including a physical fitness program in the ranks will improve overall fitness of our Scouts. And every time I see a scout (or a leader for that matter) struggle to complete a five-mile hike or be unable to complete the Swimmer test because they are out of shape. I wonder how we can better serve our entire membership and accomplish the AIM of Scouting that includes Physical, Mental and Emotional Fitness.
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