@fgarridogalvan Yeah, the training would be run a lap around the gym before class and then they expected us to run a mile under 10 minutes.
School Fitness/Testing in your country
- Thread starter heartofberries
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- female fitness
@fgarridogalvan Man I wish my school had let me do that. Doing the pacer test gave me awful stabbing pains in my chest and throat, but there were no allowances for asthma.
fgarridogalvan
New member
@wallflower1104 Right? A pull-up is not something most people can “just do.” They’re a tad easier for kids because they weigh less than adults, but they’re an advanced fitness move regardless and shouldn’t be a barometer for how fit an average kid is unless they work on pull-ups regularly in PE. Which maybe some schools do, but at mine we only ever played kickball and dodgeball and then we’re suddenly expected to be able to do pull-ups and sit-ups. I was a competitive gymnast as a kid so I was able to do them, but only because I was already practicing them every day. And I feel you on the mile bc endurance running isn’t really a thing for gymnastics, so I would ace everything and then walk the mile 
@wallflower1104 100% about learning to run properly! I HATED running in school and carried that hatred well into adulthood, convinced that I just “wasn’t a runner”.
Well turns out that’s because the only way I knew how to run was at max until I felt like dying because we weren’t taught anything. It seemed like the kids that did well at running just “got it” and there wasn’t much instruction other than go run!
Well turns out that’s because the only way I knew how to run was at max until I felt like dying because we weren’t taught anything. It seemed like the kids that did well at running just “got it” and there wasn’t much instruction other than go run!
@wallflower1104 My P.E. classes didn’t explain damn near anything rules, technique, or otherwise until high school. I finally learned the rules to baseball/softball at 16 because of Wii Sports and having to take written tests on sports rules in high school. In elementary school/junior high it was always assumed we just knew how to play.
Soooo many years getting yelled at for doing something wrong and not having anything ever explained.
Soooo many years getting yelled at for doing something wrong and not having anything ever explained.
@jeanvh I feel this in my soul. I changed schools in late elementary. My school up to that point had never actually played organized games in PE, only done random sort of ball-toss/parachute type activities. I transferred to a school that had already taught the rules (apparently) and had all the kids playing organized games in PE. I came from a family that never played/watched any kind of sports. TO THIS DAY, I don't know the rules to a lot of these games. I didn't understand why I was being yelled at for trying to hit the volleyball when it was possibly going to be out, I still don't know why we did something where you passed a basketball back and forth over the line on the side?
It definitely was something that made me shrink into myself and just try to stay out of the way and avoid any meaningful participation in the game rather than jump in and try to play.
It definitely was something that made me shrink into myself and just try to stay out of the way and avoid any meaningful participation in the game rather than jump in and try to play.
scbcpastor
New member
@wallflower1104 I was just having this conversation about never learning how to run! A lot of kids just picked it up, but I wasn’t one of those. What sparked the convo was my physical therapist, who is teaching me, at age 40, how to do “basic” exercises like squats and lunges. And the huge missed opportunity of PE in school.
@wallflower1104 Same! I love my cardio before my weight lifting now, but I used to hate running as a kid because it was made to be a competition because of that damn test.
Although I feel like it was the national part that was the problem (or at least a breakdown between national and local philosophy). Since it is the “National” fitness test they needed generic criteria that would be suited for all kids in the US across grade levels. However, on a local level they went back to the idea of “oh just let them have fun as long as they are active” and that meant certain kids were into cardio based sports while other kids were into weight based sports, or agility based, etc.
I literally used to see fat kids passing parts of the test that the athletes were failing, and it had everything to do with the types of activity they were doing daily outside of that test.
Although I feel like it was the national part that was the problem (or at least a breakdown between national and local philosophy). Since it is the “National” fitness test they needed generic criteria that would be suited for all kids in the US across grade levels. However, on a local level they went back to the idea of “oh just let them have fun as long as they are active” and that meant certain kids were into cardio based sports while other kids were into weight based sports, or agility based, etc.
I literally used to see fat kids passing parts of the test that the athletes were failing, and it had everything to do with the types of activity they were doing daily outside of that test.
heartofberries
New member
@wallflower1104 Yeah the podcast was interesting because they said that the very original council for kid's fitness came out with a report that basically said - Kids should be able to play in any way that makes them happy and active, teachers should focus on helping the kids who struggle on developing skills rather than kids who are already active, and to make sure girls get as many opportunities as boys.
And then that was almost IMMEDIATELY squashed by outside voices and we ended up with the Fitness Test instead.
And then that was almost IMMEDIATELY squashed by outside voices and we ended up with the Fitness Test instead.
believer2010
New member
@heartofberries What was the podcast? I'd love to listen to it!
My UK fitness experience was being shit at everything, being put into groups and being extremely self-conscious as I was overweight and felt I was "letting the team down". I tried to skip PE as much as possible in high school. Now I really like going to the gym and classes, and even running but I wish I had been taught PE in a different way so that I learned exercise can be fun, not demoralising
My UK fitness experience was being shit at everything, being put into groups and being extremely self-conscious as I was overweight and felt I was "letting the team down". I tried to skip PE as much as possible in high school. Now I really like going to the gym and classes, and even running but I wish I had been taught PE in a different way so that I learned exercise can be fun, not demoralising
@believer2010 Not OP, but I'm going to guess it was Sawbones!
Episode from 2017, "The Presidential Fitness Test"
I love this podcast!
Episode from 2017, "The Presidential Fitness Test"
I love this podcast!
heartofberries
New member
alistair_wonderland
New member
@selah09 I think it's actually You're Wrong About. I also really love Sawbones and did not know they did an episode too!
@heartofberries Sweden here. I can not remember any standardized fitness tests from school. And sports where focused on sports, can't remember many situps