Personal Fitness Merit Badge

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Personal Fitness Merit Badge
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How do I start?

• If you are here, you MUST have a Blue Card
  signed by your Scoutmaster and filled out by you!
• You must have a copy of the CURRENT requirements
  for Personal Fitness.
• You must be prepared to take this seriously!

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What is Personal Fitness

• Personal Fitness is not the same as Physical
  Fitness.
• What does it mean to be Fit?
• To be healthy and in a state of readiness.
• Fitness then, is achieving the best quality of
  life.
• Personal Fitness must then be YOUR effort to
  reach a desired quality of life.

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Personal Fitness Total Fitness

• Personal fitness can be thought of as total or
  complete fitness with 5 components or elements
• Social Fitness
• Mental and emotional Fitness
• Spiritual Fitness
• Physical Health
• Physical Fitness

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Is everyone the same?

• Personal fitness is different for everyone.
• Your level of Personal Fitness (highest quality
  of life) is determined by your level of all 5
  components.
• All 5 components interact so neglecting one,
  affects the others.
• High levels of one component will likewise affect
  the others. (eg. Bridge)

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Measuring these Components

• Can we measure all 5 components of Personal
  Fitness?
• Yes but its not easy.
• For our purposes, we will only be measuring
  Physical Fitness, but will talk about the others.

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Balance is good!

• If you know your weaknesses, you can begin to
  strengthen them.
• The Scout who eats the right things but does not
  exercise will do poorly in physical activities.
• You may be tall and strong, but not a good
  leaderrecognize that and work on it.

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More reasons for Balance

• If you exercise a lot but dont eat properly, you
  may cramp or be to tired or even get sick.
• A scout who works and plays hard all day during
  camp, but does not eat or sleep well, will be
  weak the next day.
• If youre fit, then you know you are making the
  best use of your physical talents.

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How do the 5 components relate to the Scout Oath
and Law?

• What is the Scout Oath, Law, slogan and Motto?
• Being personally fit allows you to be cheerful,
  strong, mentally awake, helpful and prepared. It
  also helps you to remember to do a good turn
  daily.

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The Physical Examination

• Most doctors offices have you or your parents
  fill out a personal and medical questionnaire.
• It asks about diseases you or your family members
  have had about allergic reactions and about any
  medicines you take.

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Whats included in the physical?

• Measurements of
• Height and weight.
• Heart rate, blood pressure
• Heart and lung sounds
• Examination of EENT
• Testing of your reflexes

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What will they ask you?

• The health care worker (Dr, Nurse or physicians
  assistant), may ask about
• Your psychological (mental and social) traits.
• Your nutritional habits
• Your physical activity
• Your family circumstances

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Why is a physical exam important?

• At each exam, your Doctor may identify symptoms
  or conditions that need to be treated.
• You may not have given these symptoms a second
  thought.

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Why do we need them?

• Regular exams help your doctor keep track of your
  health.
• He/She monitors your health and records the
  changes.
• This is important later in life when your
  complete medical history is needed.
• Regular visits and exams help to maintain your
  physical health!
• Many diseases are preventable!

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Disease Prevention

• What things make you susceptible to disease?
• Daily habitsinteracting with others.
• Poor eating habits weaken your body.
• Weak muscles make you more vulnerable to
  injuries.
• Not dressing warmly in wet and cold weather.

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Primary Prevention

• What does that mean?
• Practicing good health habits
• Preventing bad habits from forming
• Identifying and eliminating Risk Factors help to
  prevent disease.

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What are Risk Factors?

• A risk factor is something that increases the
  chance, (risk), of getting the disease.
• Some risk factors cant be changed
• Age, Gender or Race.
• Some risk factors can be changed.
• Dietary habits, Sun Exposure, exercise, smoking.

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What are the Youth Risk Factors that affect
Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood?

• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Gender
• Exercise
• Family history

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Why preventive habits help

• When you are young, you are usually in good
  health. You exercise, dont smoke etc.
• As you get older, you develop bad habits, or
  dont care.
• These bad habits can lead to serious health
  problems later. (Heart, Lungs etc.)
• Preventive habits help you live better and longer.

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What are some Preventable diseases?

• Those prevented by Vaccination
• Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Meningitis,
  Polio, mumps, measles.
• Those prevented by good health habits
• Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• Rheumatic Fever
• Colds

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What are the Seven Danger signs of Cancer?

• Appearance of any unusual lump.
• Any unusual bleeding or discharge.
• Any change in a wart or mole.
• Chronic indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
• Persistent cough or hoarseness.
• A sore that will not heal.

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What is Social Fitness?

• Social Fitness is a component of Personal
  Fitness.
• Social Fitness is living the Scout Law, the
  motto, slogan and the Oath.
• Trying to live these Scout virtues makes you
  Socially Fitthink about it!
• The Scout who is recognized as a Scout by his
  actions rather than by a uniform has truly live
  the Scout Law.

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What Social Skills help to be Socially Fit?

• Friendshipeveryone needs someone to talk to and
  share feelings with.
• Communicationthis means being a good listener as
  well as a good talker.
• Accepting others and accepting someone without
  judging them.
• Spending time with friends helps strengthen
  friendships and builds understanding, trust and
  respect.

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What is Peer Pressure?

• You cant stop Peer pressurebut DONT allow
  people to tease you or push you to take part in
  activities that make you uncomfortable!
• You can always walk away or just ignore others
  who make you feel uncomfortable.
• The key to peer pressure is whether or not YOU
  allow it to guide your actions.
• Dont be afraid to talk about uncomfortable
  situations with someone, (friend or adult), whom
  you trust!

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What is Mental and Emotional Fitness?

• It is being free of excessive anxiety and worry
  that interfere with school, family, friendships
  and a healthy social life.
• Anxiety and worry are normal parts of life. When
  it becomes excessive though, it is not healthy.
• Dont be afraid to talk to someone about it that
  you trust, (friend or adult).

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What is Spiritual Fitness?

• Every Scout has a Duty to Godwe say it in our
  Oath and Law.
• You are expected to recognize your duty to God
  and the religious principles you learn.

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Nutrition

• If your body does not get the nutrients it needs,
  it will not function at its best.
• Poor nutrition can lead to fatigue, lack of
  energy, slow healing of injuries, dehydration,
  weight loss, fat build up.

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Nutrients

• Six basic nutrients come from the foods we eat
• Protein essential for cell growth and repair
  also helps make antibodies.
• Fat part of cell walls.
• Carbohydrates main source of energy for your
  muscles and nervous system.
• Water essential to your life. (60)
• Vitamins help with bodily chemical reactions
• Minerals also help with chemical reactions

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Food Groups

• They are
• Grains (Bread, Crackers, Cereal, Rice,etc.)
• Vegetable/Fruits
• Meats/legumes (main provider of protein)
• Dairy

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Prioritize Foods

• Rank the food groups when preparing meals or
  snacks.
• 1. Vegetables
• 2. Grains
• 3. Fruits
• 4. Dairy Products
• 5. Meats and Legumes

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Components of a Weight Control Program

• Exercise builds stronger muscles and muscular
  endurance.
• Good Nutrition eating properly balances your
  calories and shrinks excess body fat.
• Behavior Modification changing your behavior.
  One change might be to exercise everyday.

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Physical Fitness

• This is one of the original elements of PERSONAL
  Fitness.
• What is Physical Fitness
• Being able to do vigorous physical work without
  getting to tired and still having energy to do
  normal daily things.

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Four Elements of Physical Fitness

• Cardiovascular Endurance
• Muscular strength and endurance
• Flexibility
• Body Composition

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Why is it important to have balance among these
elements?

• Exercise and good health are related to each
  other.
• You will live longer
• The four elements rely on each other.

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Cardiovascular Endurance

• The ability to maintain activity that is Aerobic.
  (exercises that involve muscles, are continuous
  and rhythmic)
• Examples include
• Running, walking and bicycling.
• Swimming

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Guidelines to improve Cardiovascular Fitness

• Warm Up First
• 5 to 10 minutes of low intensity movements
  followed by several minutes of stretching.
• Warm up will help decrease chances of injury and
  will get your bodys muscles, heart and
  metabolism ready to exercise.
• Exercise using aerobic activities
• Exercise 3 to 5 times each week.
• Exercise 20 to 60 minutes each time.
• Exercise at 60 to 85 percent of your maximum
  heart rate.

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Muscular Strength and Endurance

• Muscular strength is the ability of your muscles
  to contract and exert force against an opposing
  force. (lifting a certain amount of weight.)
• Muscular endurance is the ability of your
  muscles to contract repeatedly or hold a
  contraction against an opposing force. (hiking up
  a mountain or carrying supplies to camp.)

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Flexibility

• Defined as a joints range of motion.
• For the most part, the lower back and the legs
  need the most attention.
• Stretching is an important part of the warm up.
• Stretch during warm up and again at the end of
  your exercises. (15 to 30 seconds sustained each
  stretch)

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Sit and Reach

• Easiest way to measure the flexibility of your
  lower back and the back of the thighs.
• Can do this with a chair or other household item.

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Body Composition

• Defines as the proportion of your body that is
  fat or muscle.
• Can calculate it, or actually measure it.
• Aerobic exercise helps control your weight and
  therefore your body composition.
• When exercising to lose weight, low-intensity
  exercise for long periods of time is best. (lap
  swimming or jogging)

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Sample Program
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Keeping Track

• Outline a 12 week physical fitness program for
  yourself using the results of your fitness tests.
• Be sure to include endurance, intensity and warm
  up guidelines.
• Get the program approved before starting.

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Aerobic, Muscular and Fitness Tests.

• Repeat these tests that you did initially. Do it
  every 2 weeks.
• Watch as these things change over the 12 weeks.
• Well meet again in 12 weeks for the final
  requirement.

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Questions about what we discussed ?