PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC

MEASUREMENTS
CHAPTER 2.1
tachychadia- greater the 100 bpm

INTRODUCTION
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

Anthropometry is the study of body features of a person professionals particularly in the medical field
assess the muscle tone, bone dimensions, and fat levels of an individual. It is clinically important that these
aspects are checked and evaluated because of the fact that it will serve as the basis whether or not an
individual is experiencing abnormalities and other health related concerns.
The word “anthropometry” is derived from the Greek word “antropo” which translates to “human” and
the Greek word “metron” which means measure. At this chapter you’ll will be conducting a series of body
measurements: stature, arm span and muscle girth to mention few.
People nowadays, engage in different physical activities to ensure that they remain healthy which will
ultimately pave the way for a stable and prime health status. Physical fitness is the condition where a person
can do task without feeling exhausted and still be energetic enough to perform other activities.
It is good to be physically fit. It is to be strong, show endurance, flexibility, agility and balance. Speed,
power and coordination are also physical fitness components.

OBJECTIVES
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

At the end of this module the learner should be able to:

1. Define what is physical fitness
2. Determine the benefits of physical fitness
3. Understand the different systems of the human body
4. Determine the aspects of the body that should be improved

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

1. The leaners should be able to complete tests and open-ended questions regarding the systems of the
human body.
2. Differentiate the function of each system.
3. The learners should be able to understand and apply the procedures that should be accomplished to
gain a physically fit body.

PRE-TEST
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC
MEASUREMENTS

True or False. Directions: Write T if the statement is true, F if the statement is false.
________________1. Amphiarthrodial joints are joints that are composed of cartilaginous parts which means
that stability is sacrificed for limited movement
_______________2. Diarthrodial joints permit no movement, these are extremely stable joint
_______________3. A bone is composed of several tissues working together.
_______________4. Circulatory system brings oxygen through the body via inhalation of the air in the
environment.
_______________5. The body has three main axis: X, Y and Z and there are three main planes present:
coronal horizontal/transverse and sagittal planes
_______________6. Respiratory system carries the oxygen and nutrients all throughout the body.

_______________7. The musculature is essential to movement. It is a must to know how they function and
provide movement, give form to the body and make breathing circulation possible.
_______________8.Heart pumps the blood all throughout the body, the heart is composed smooth muscles
_______________9. The skeleton is made up of joints that make movements challenging.
_______________10. The study of bone structure and the treatment of bone disorder is called osteology.

LET’S READ
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC
MEASUREMENTS
Physical fitness defined
This is the capability of the body system to carry-out day to day activities and yet have the sustained
energy to do leisurely activities or other unforeseen activities.
Components of Physical Fitness
These capabilities are manifestation of physical fitness.
● Balance- neuromuscular control of body positions
● Coordination- Integrated movements of body part using smooth, efficient and purposeful efforts.
● Flexibility- maximum movements of joints of the body.
● Strength- maximum force of muscles to exert maximum movements in a single move
● Agility- rapid change of direction of position of the body and its parts
● Speed- Successive movements done rapidly
● Endurance- Sustained or continued effort even after strenuous work.
● Organic vigor-

Benefit of Physical Fitness

Why be physically fit? One benefit is vitality. When physically fit, a person uses less energy when
doing some task. One also improves posture and is assured of better postural alignment. Moreover, physical
activities may relieve low back pain as these strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Importantly, when one is
physically fit, these is smooth, efficient coordination of muscular system because of the activities which improve
the muscular system coordination.
 Other benefits are feelings of relaxation, improvement of personality and social skills, development of
mental fitness and general good health. It can be said that physical fitness ensures holistic personality
development of an individual.

The Human Body

Physical education students
Should know the human body as this is
used in training and exercises. It is
important that they know the implications of
the parts of the body to physical education.
The Skeletal System. A bone is
composed of several tissues working
together: bone or osseous tissue, cartilage,
dense connective tissue, epithelium,
adipose tissue and nervous tissue. For this
reason, each individual bone in the human
body is considered as an organ. Bone
tissue, a complex and dynamic living tissue,
continually engages in a process called
remodeling- the construction of new bone
and breaking down of old bone tissue. The
entire framework of bones and their
cartilages, along with ligaments and
tendons constitutes the skeletal system.
The study of bone structure and the treatment of bone disorder is called osteology. (Principles of Anatomy and
Physiology p. 169)
 The skeletal system is the framework of the body
that protect various bodily systems. There are different
type of bone- classifieds by size and location (e.g. short
and long bones, flat and irregular). Each type carries out
specific purpose. One example is the bone on your arm
known as the humerus- serves as origin and insertion of
muscles that flexes, extends, internally rotates and
laterally rotates the arm/ forearm. Having said the purpose
of this bone having a stress fracture or any injury at this
area would affect the efficiency of the person. Luckily, the
human body is able to make repairs in an event of injury.
This ensures a higher survival rate; however, it would take
some time (at minimum of 6-12 month) before full
healing/recovery.

The skeleton is made up of joints that make

movements possible. There are three joints that make
movements possible. There are three general
classification of joints: 1) Synarthrosis- fibrous in nature
which makes these joints extremely stable however,
mobility is sacrificed therefore there are very slight
movements in these structure (e.g. sutures of the skull). 2) Amphiarthrosis- generally composed of cartilaginous
structure which enables limited movement and partial stability (e.g. fist sternocoastal joint) 3) diarthrosis- joints
that are made for mobility and are characterized by synovial membranes (lubricates the joint) (e.g. humeroulnar
joint or elbow joint).

Physical education teachers are more concerned on the diarthrotic joints like the ball and socket joint
and hinge joint. As these joints are important to body movements.

Some of the more important body movements are flexion (bending fingers), extension ( movement as
in in straightening the fingers in opening the hand; adduction ( movement of a limb towards the midline of the
body); abduction ( movement of a limb/extremity away from the midline of the body)

Musculature. The musculature is essential to movement. It is a must to know how they function and
provide movement, give form to the body and make breathing circulation possible.

Two principles are important: muscle

tonus- the elasticity of the muscles. This is
essential to good posture and efficient
functioning of the organic system. On the other
hand, reciprocal innervation where muscles play
coordinated movements. This is when muscles
contract to perform a movement, another part
relaxes resulting to smooth movements.
Circulatory system. This system carries
food and oxygen to different parts of the body, it
also removes waste at the same time. This is
made possible by blood, all impurities are then
delivered (via transport proteins) pass through
ventricular wall (depending on the composition of
the compound, smaller elements generally has
higher permeability). The blood keeps flowing as
a result of heart action, breathing muscle
contractions. The heart is the center of the
circulatory system. It is a delicate piece of
machinery and should be protected against diseases and injuries that may impair its used. It is a muscle (soft
muscle) and like all muscles it becomes stronger with use.
The circulatory system depends of the quality of hearth to make it function smoothly and efficiently.
With proper physical education activities, the circulatory system and the heart may help an individual to become
heathier.
Respiratory system. This system is consists of are tubes leading to billions of air sacs in the lungs. The
respiratory system has two main function: inspiration- inhalation of oxygen rich air and expiration- exhaling
waste materials (carbon dioxide). The chest cavity in which the heart and lungs are located is protected by
breast bone (sternum). In breathing during expiration, the diaphragm becomes more inferior (goes down) and
superior (goes up) during inspiration. For physical education, the respiratory system is beneficial to the human
mechanism. Breathing exercises help people to regulate the intake of oxygen which presently is advised as a
therapy for asthmatic individuals.
Students should be taught how to breathe properly ad to see to it that they do not expose that they do
not expose themselves to places and situations where their system may take polluted elements.

Anthropometric Measurements
Body Mass (Weight)
 This kind of measurement of body mass (weight) on combination with stature (height) is used to
determine the body mass index. This will determine whether one has normal weight, is overweight or obese.
Equipment: A bathroom scale accurate to 0.5 kilograms placed on an even and firm surface. The scale
should be calibrated regularly.

Procedure:
1. The scale is adjusted to zero.
2. Students stand barefoot and wear light clothing; a t-shirt and shorts.
3. Students stand erect and still with weight evenly distributed on the center of the scale
Scoring: record the students’ body mass to the nearest 0.5 kilograms.

Stature (height)
Stature or standing height is the distance between the floor to the vertex (top) of the head where height
is measured.
Equipment:
1. Tape measurer that is placed straight against the wall
2. Spirit level (you can use a ruler or any suitable flat object)
Procedure:
1. Stand erect on bare feet with heel, buttocks and shoulders pressed against the tape measure.
2. Place heels together gently with the arms hanging freely by the side with palms facing the thighs
3. Check that the body is fully stretched and the head is not tilted backwards
4. Look straight forward take a deep breath and stand tall as possible
5. Have heels of the students flat not raised
6. Put the spirit level against the wall with the base on the top of the head
7. Use the spirit level as the indicator of the height
Scoring: Record the standing height of the student to the nearest 0.1 centimeter

Sitting height
Sitting height is the vertical distance from the sitting surface to the vertex (top) of the head. It is the
total of the trunk, head, and neck length. The ratio of sitting height to the standing height is relevant to
performance in a number of sports. For example, in jumping events, it is better it is better for this ratio to be
lower, that is the legs are long relative to the trunk.
Equipment:
1. Tape and spirit level
2. Flat and even surface
Procedure:
1. Attach the tape to the wall so that it is zero (0) point with the bench
2. Sit on the bench with knees forward and bent, and hands resting on the thighs which are parallel to the
floor
 3. Have buttocks and shoulders rest lightly against the tape positioned vertically on the middle behind the
student
4. Have the body lifted not backwards
5. Look straight ahead, take a deep breath and sit erect as possible
6. Place the spirit level on top of the head to measure the sitting height
Scoring: Record the to nearest 0.1 centimeter

Arm Span
Equipment: two tape measures at least three (3) meters in length and accurate to 0.1 centimeter mounted
horizontally on the wall, each tape parallel to each other with the lower tape approximately 1 meter above and
the upper tape at least 1.5 meters above the floor. A corner of a wall is used as the zero point
Procedure:
1. Stand erect with the back against the wall, feet and heels together, buttocks and shoulder touching the
wall.
2. Extend arms laterally at shoulder level horizontally with the palms facing forward and the tip of the
middle finger of one hand pressed against the wall at zero point.
3. If the student is tall or short the extended arm is below/above the tape measure. The arms are held in
the horizontal plane. Use a tri square or ruler held vertically to the line at the end of the finger tip with
the tape measure
4. Measure the distance from zero to the point of the tape where the tip of the middle finger is pointed.
Scoring: record the given measurement to the nearest 0.1 centimeters

Right angle push-up.

Procedure:
1. Have a face down on the floor with the hands and thumbs in line with the hands on the floor and
the thumbs in line with the shoulder.
2. Legs slightly apart and knees straight
3. Keep legs and back straight, student pushes of the floor and assumes the starting position
4. Bend elbow and lower one’s self until arms are at right angle
5. Repeat the movements for a maximum of 50 for males, 30 for females
6. Stop when you commit two breaks or failed to follow the proper procedure.
Scoring: record the total amount of push-ups accomplished.

Sit and Reach

Equipment: A tape accurate to 0.1 centimeters, firmly attached to the floor, marked distinctively at the 50-
centimeter point, a card board or plywood by 20 centimeters.
Procedure:
1. Sit down on the floor with the tape between the legs; partner place the tip of his shoes exactly at
the 50-centimeter point
2. Brace extent the right leg against the shoes of the partner and bend the left le pulling the heels
possible to the buttocks, soles flat on the floor
 3. Keep the extended knee straight, hands on top of the other with fingers fully extended, slowly
forward and back two times.
4. Stretch full forward the third time and hold the position for the second one so that the score is
recorded.
Scoring: Record the distance reached with bent left and right leg.

Standing long jump

Equipment: A tape accurate to 01 centimeter at least three (3) meters long and placed firmly on the floor; tri-
square.
Procedure:
1. Stand behind the take off line about six (6) to the left of the tape, making sure that the tip of the shoes
does not go beyond the take-off line.
2. Swing arms backward and jump forward on the floor on the floor continue to move forward without
stopping forward momentum.
3. The end of the shoes will serve as the indicator of the covered distance.
4. Take at least 3 attempts
Scoring: record the score in meters and the nearest 10 centimeters.

Basketball Pass
Equipment: size 7 basketball and accurately measured throwing area at least 15 meters long.
Procedure:
1. Sit on the floor with buttocks, back and heads resting against the wall; the legs are stretched
horizontally in front of the body.
2. Use a two-handed chest pass to push the ball horizontal direction (45-degree angle) as far as possible.
A one arm pass is not allowed.
Scoring: Record the farther distance of the trials to the nearest five (05) centimeters
15- Minute Run
Equipment: Stopwatch
Procedure:
1. Stand behind the starting line. The starter and timer at the finish line.
2. Timer raises hand holding the stopwatch; shout out the signal; “Ready, Go”! and with the command
“Go” simultaneously lowers the raised hand and start stopwatch; student runs around the running area.
A spotter counts the number of laps the student finishes.
Scoring: distance in meters covered by running or jogging in fifteen minutes.

THINK AND PONDER

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC
MEASUREMENTS
Direction: Answer the following questions briefly, write your answer on the space provided below.
 1. Why do we need to determine the components of Physical fitness? Is there a need to reinforce each
component in an individual?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
2. Knowing that our body is composed of different systems, is it detrimental if one system fails to function
effectively? Why or why not?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
3. How can we improve the state of our body? Give examples of physical activities that may help you
achieve an “ideal” body?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
4. What are the basic rules/ principles that one should know in taking good care of one’s body? (cite
basic guidelines that would help maintain a physically fit stature)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
5. Do you consider yourself as someone that is physically fit? If yes, how can you improve your body
even more; if no, what are the steps that you should take to be able to change your current situation?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.

Activity: What do the numbers say?

Direction: Give the following data need per each activity below. Write your answers on the space provided

Selected Test Results

Sit and Reach __________________
Standing long jump __________________
15- minute run/ jog-in-place __________________

Go the Extra Mile!

How would you describe the test? Did you find a hard time accomplishing it?
________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.

What was the most challenging activity for you? Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.

What body system/s you should reinforce to be able to accomplish the task more effectively?
________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.

UNDERSTAND AND REFLECT

PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC
MEASUREMENTS

Direction: Complete the following statements; write your answer on the space provided. This part will enable
you to determine the concepts that you understand well and those that puzzles you. Good luck!

The things that I find Steps that I’m willing At the end of the day
difficult to understand to make to enhance I expect that…
are… my knowledge about
the topic are…

Activity: My System
Direction: Describe the basic functions of the following systems and give examples of activities that will
help these systems to be at their optimal state. Write you answers on the box provided

Skeletal Circulatory Respiratory

(Description) (Description) (Description)
 DIGITAL REFFERENCES
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology

Snell’s Clinical Anatomy by Region

ANSWER KEY
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

PRE-TEST
1.T
2. F
3.T
4. F
5.T
6. F
7. T
8. T
9. F
10. T