Setting Up Your Goals and Fitness Plan

Thanks to everyone who participated in our kick-off meeting for the Personal Fitness Merit badge. Now that everyone has completed the initial fitness tests, it's time to set goals and make up your plan. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Review your results: Look at the results of your tests that were recorded on your fitness measurements tracking form, which will look like this. If you lost your sheet, please let me know via email, and I will email you the picture I took of it at our last session. Compare your results to the following:
• Percentile Norms for the 1 Mile Run
• Percentile Norms for Sit-ups
• Percentile Norms for Push-ups (honestly, I'm not sure how accurate this site is, but it's the only place I could find push-up norms for kids)
• Sit and Reach Norms (This is the same site)
• CDC Growth Charts (for BMI)
• BMI Calculator (This is what I used to calculate BMI.)
2. Set your goals: Think about where you would like to be with your physical fitness and talk to your parents about what your goals should be. Set reasonable goals for yourself. Don't try to do too much in the 12 weeks, but also don't sell yourself short. Fill in the last column of the fitness measurement tracking form with all of your goals.
3. Create your fitness plan: Use the sample fitness plan that I handed out to everyone at our last practice as a guide to creating your own fitness plan. Show it to your parents when you are done and make sure they approve the plan.  Remember that if you play a sport, you can incorporate elements of your sport's practice into your plan. Your plan should include the following elements:
• A Warm-Up
• An Aerobic Routine (2-3 times a week alternating with your Strength Routine)
• A Strength Routine (2-3 times a week alternating with your Aerobic Routine)
• A Flexibility Routine (5 times a week)
• A Cool Down
4. Email me your goals and plan: Send me your goals and your plan via email and make sure you cc a parent. Parents please email me as well to let me know that you approve your son's plan. Please send me this no later than 8/31.

I will review your goals and plans and email you and your parents back with suggestions (if I have any). My hope is that all the plans will be approved by me by Friday, 9/2, and you can all start practicing your plans on Monday, 9/5.