Related Literature and Studies

The Arm forces of the Philippine (AFP) now considered cyber space
as new battle ground area that also requires an utmost attention in order
to maintain peace and territory security aside from securing the land,
water, and air space.
Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is one of the most essential
requirements when you under the military service. PFT is conducted
for three reasons: for regular semi-annual check-up; for training
or schooling; for promotion.
Physical fitness and its effects on the military promote good
health practices and physical activities to try and enhance an
individual’s ability to achieve success in both peacetime and war.
The availability of health and fitness information in the military
community today has provided a solid baseline for assistance in
developing sound programs to achieve the level of fitness in the
Service members to accomplish missions. It is imperative for
leadership to continue to test and develop better fitness programs
to insure a fair assessment based on all the variables in order
to be success in all the missions conducted throughout the Armed
Forces. (Brown, 2005).
Military physical fitness involves your ability to physically
handle all aspects of a demanding mission, while remaining healthy
and uninjured. This type of training not only improves your
performance on the job, it improves psychological wellness. Year-
round exercise can help you build and maintain your psychological
health and resilience, and some studies have shown that it may
improve your mood and attitude. These are the psychological
benefits of physical fitness. Exercise has been shown to help your
body handle stress better, and physically active people may have
lower rates of anxiety and depression than generally inactive
people. Some research points to changes in brain chemistry as the
reason. Other research focuses on changes in body temperature and
cardiorespiratory function during exercise. Physical activity
can: Improve your mood; Help keep your thinking, learning and
judgment skills sharp as you age; Reduce symptoms or risk of
depression and protect psychological health; Help you get better
quality of sleep so you feel awake and refreshed throughout the
day. Physical activity helps your body and overall health in many
other ways, such as: Controlling your weight; Reduce your risk of
heart disease; Reduce your risk for type2 diabetes and metabolic
syndrome; Reduce your risk to some cancers; Strengthen your bones,
muscles and joints; Increasing your chances of living longer. The
latest military fitness guidance emphasizes the need to focus on
“mission and job task-oriented fitness.” This involves having a
well-rounded approach to your fitness routine that reflects the
various types of tasks that you might experience. Well-rounded
training should address the following health and performance-
related components of physical fitness health-related: Endurance
- the body’s ability to sustain activity ranging from high
intensity activity of short duration (anaerobic) and lower
activity of longer duration (aerobic) without fatigue; Flexibility
- the range of motion of a joint or series of joints; Strength -
the ability of the muscle to exert force. Performance-related:
Mobility - the ability to coordinate movement readily with power,
speed, balance and agility; Power - the ability or rate at which
one can perform work. Many fitness tests focus on strength and
endurance, but mission tasks often require mobility or other
aspects of fitness that may not get emphasized in current
testing. Keep in mind these tips as part of your physical fitness
efforts: Exercise regularly. The health benefits noted above are
gained through a mix of aerobic (e.g., brisk walking) and muscle-
strengthening (e.g. resistance training) activities at a minimum
of 30 to 60 minutes, three to five times a week. Start slowly.
When you become much more active than usual, the risk of
experiencing a cardiac event and getting injured does go up. If
you’re just getting into high-intensity aerobic exercises like
sprinting or spinning, it's important to pace yourself and not
overdo it. Also, if you have a chronic health condition like
diabetes or heart disease, talk with your doctor about any limits
to physical activities and a fitness program that complements your
abilities. Add variety. With consistent training the body will
adapt to a particular exercise program, which is why it is
important to vary the routine. This will also help you stay
motivated. Consider cross-training, adding new activities and
exercises, or just doing something physical for fun. Always fuel
up to optimize your health and performance. What you eat and drink
is just as important as when and how much you eat and drink.
Eating more calories than you burn will increase body weight, but
consuming too few calories will likely cause you to feel tired
and perform poorly. Staying hydrated relies on drinking enough
water/fluids before, during and after exercising. While experts
generally recommend drinking about 64 ounces (8 cups) of water
throughout the day, drink about 16 ounces (2 cups) of water 2
hours before a workout. Replenish your fluids while you are
engaged in any physical activity -- about 1/2 to 1 cup of fluid
every 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to drink enough fluids so that
you don’t feel thirsty; clear urine is a good sign that you’re
fully rehydrated. Taking Steps to Prevent Injuries. Injuries can
occur during fitness training, but there are steps you can take
to lower your risk of getting hurt. By following a few simple
guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine, injuries
such as muscle strains, tendonitis and overuse injuries can be
reduced. Listen to Your Body. Overtraining can occur from a
training schedule that is suddenly increased to high volume and/or
intensity, lasts for sustained periods and lacks sufficient
recovery. Listen to the warning signs that your body gives you.
If your body is tired or too sore from the previous workout, take
a day off, cross-train or work out at a much lower intensity. Warm
Up. Every workout should begin with a warm up, which is necessary
to prepare the body for exercise by increasing heart rate and
blood flow to working muscles. Cool Down. Every workout should end
with a cool down. Time spent performing five to 10 minutes of low-
intensity cardiovascular activity followed by stretching
immediately after the workout will decrease muscle soreness and
aid in recovery, both helping to prepare the body for the next
workout. Stretch. Once the muscles are warm, they become more
elastic and are ready to be stretched. Flexibility prepares the
muscles, tendons and joints for work by allowing them to move
freely through a full active range of motion. The more prepared
the body is, the less likely it is to get injured. What Line
Leaders Can Do. It is important for line leaders to encourage
smart physical fitness. Be sure to: Encourage ongoing and well-
rounded exercise; Give unit members opportunities to be active
during down time, especially in ways that keep them socially
connected; and Remind warriors about the steps they can take to
help prevent training injuries, especially when it comes to
hydration. A physically fit warrior is a healthier, more
resilient, and more productive warrior. This, in turn, supports
the effectiveness and productivity of the whole force.(
https://www.realwarriors.net)

Physical Fitness Test Standards for Each Branch. Usually

after writing about military physical fitness tests (PFT), I
receive several emails about the specific standards of each age
group in a particular branch of service for a male or female. I
have located several reference links for more information on what
exercises, standards for sex and age, and recommended scores to
receive the highest scores. The physical fitness tests of all
branches of the military and other special units have differing
exercises, standards, and distances in runs and swims. This article
is a one-stop location for answers to the many different PFTs in
our Department of Defense. Army Physical Fitness Test The basic
Army physical fitness test consists of a two-mile run, sit-ups and
push-ups. See the "Army Fitness Workout Plan" article on how to
ace the APFT and for guidance on getting in shape to score an
outstanding score of 300. The Army Rangers require their candidates
to score the following prior to attending Ranger School.

Ranger PFT Minimum Scores Recommended Scores

Push-ups in 2:00 49 in 2:00 80
Sit-ups in 2:00 59 80
Pull-ups 6 12
Two-mile run 15:12 Sub 13:00
5 Mile run 40:00 35:00
16-mile hike w/65lb pack 5 hours 20 minutes 4-5 hours
15-meter swim with gear P/F P/F

For better ideas on how to prepare for such difficult training,

see the link below of the Military.com Fitness eBook store. For
the month of August anyone who purchases an Army Ranger or SF eBook
will receive the Phase II version (weeks 7-12) for free via email.
For Army Special Forces assessment and Selection Course (SFAS), it
is recommended to score a minimum of 260 on the Army PFT for 17-
21 year-old male. This three-week course requires you to be able
to fast march many miles a day using land navigation skills, climb
obstacle courses. If you can do the recommended scores for Army
Ranger, you should be well prepared for SFAS. Also see the Army\'s
Special Forces Guidelines PDF for more information on Special
Forces Training. Navy Physical Fitness Test. Navy Physical
readiness tests, with associated height/weight/body fat
measurements, are conducted twice each fiscal year. The test is
designed to measure flexibility, muscular endurance and aerobic
capacity. The Navy physical fitness test consists of a 1.5-mile
run, sit-ups and push-ups. Also swimming 500m for time is an option
for the 1.5-mile run. This is a standard PT test used by other
braches and many law enforcement agencies across the United States.
The Navy SEALs, Navy SWCC, Divers, and SAR swimmers naturally have
more water-based fitness tests and training. See the following
links on the standards and information about the schools: Air Force
Physical Fitness Test. During initial entry processing, both men
and women are required to pass a Physical Fitness test that
measures cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance
and mobility. The test consists of the two-mile run, push-ups and
sit-ups. In addition to initial entry physical fitness
requirements, the Air Force has an annual fitness test requiring
a passing score in a 1.5-mile run, push-ups and sit-ups. See the
Navy PFT link for ideas on scoring well on the AF PFT since it is
the same test. This link will give you an idea of minimum scores
for the different sex/age groups. The Air Force Special Forces
units - PJs or para-rescue forces have a Navy SEAL-type fitness
test and standards. See the "Air Force Para Rescue" article to
learn more about USAF Special Operations. Marine Corps Physical
Fitness Test. The Physical Fitness Test is administered every six
months. All Marines are provided time to train and are expected to
maintain an adequate degree of physical fitness. The standard
physical fitness test consists of three events that measure
cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, endurance, and
mobility. Male Marines will perform "dead-hang" pull-ups,
abdominal crunches, and a three-mile run. Female Marines will
complete the "flexed-arm" hang, abdominal crunches, and a three-
mile run with a pull-up option. USMC RECON has a challenging course
of instruction and more information can be found by reading
the "USMC RECON Fitness Training" article. Coast Guard Physical
Fitness Test. Physical fitness requirements in the Coast Guard are
directly linked to On the Job requirements. Coast Guard men and
women who are rescue swimmers, small boat crew members, etc., must
comply with the specific physical standards set forth by their
position, but here are the standards for the "Navy PFT" plus 12
minute swim.

SPECIFIC PFT REQUIREMENTS

ARE:
MALE PUSH-UPS SIT-UPS
<30 29 38
30-39 24 35
40-49 18 29
FEMALE
>30 23 32
30-39 19 25
40-49 13 20
SPECIFIC PFT REQUIREMENTS
ARE:
MALE SIT&REACH 1.5 MILE RUN 12 MIN SWIM
<30 16.5" 12:51 500 yds
30-39 15.5" 13:36 450 yds
40-49 14.25" 14:29 400 yds
FEMALE
>30 19.25" 15:26 400 yds
30-39 18.25" 15:57 350 yds
40-49 17.25" 16:58 300 yds

This article should help you find the standards you should reach
prior to joining the military. It is always recommended to never
strive for the minimum physical standards when seeking a profession
that requires a fit body to perhaps save your life or the lives of
your comrades. If you are seeking to get back into shape and want
to be as fit as one of the above military members, check with your
doctor before starting any fitness
program. (https://www.military.com/military-fitness)

Soldiers are the modern version of historical ninja and

samurai. They have to be fit for physically-demanding tasks and
warfare. That is why every army has fitness requirements for both
potential recruits and active-duty soldiers. Many army fitness
tests include three standard components: pushups; situps (or
crunches); run. These exercises evaluate arm strength, core
strength and endurance (or aerobic fitness). The countries that
use these three exercises as test components are USA, Singapore,
Philippines, Australia, China, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South
Korea, Taiwan and Sweden. There are, of course, more components
than these three exercises. Another common component in several
countries is the beep test or shuttle run. These are meant to test
progressive endurance, reaction time and coordination. Out of all
the countries, India and Switzerland test soldiers for their sense
of balance. The Swiss balance component is especially intriguing.
Finally, several European countries (especially Nordic ones)
include Ergometer test as a test component. This test assesses a
soldier’s oxygen uptake capacity. How hard is the army fitness
test? Some nations use a pass-or-fail standard that only requires
you to perform a bare minimum number of exercise reps. These are
generally easier to pass. Other nations divide passes into
different grades. Needless to say, getting an excellent grade is
tougher. Even though – for ego’s sake – it’s tempting to compare
armies based on their fitness requirements, it paints a really
flawed comparison. For instance, the Italian Army’s recruitment
standards are easy to meet. But there is no doubt that once a
recruit becomes a soldier, his/her fitness level would rise
exponentially. (https://www.wayofninja.com/army-fitness-tests-
worldwide)

In health domain, the implementation of comprehensive

information systems has many more failure stories to tell than
there are success stories—and the more comprehensive the
technology, or the wider the span of the implementation, the more
difficult it appears to achieve success. The main reason is from
the organization and the technology. The organization is affected
by the coming of the new technology, but the technology is in its
turn inevitably affected by the specific organizational dynamics
of which it becomes a part. However, for the computer supported
systems or tools have been emerged increasingly in the mobile
platform and web-based applications. Most of them have targeted to
school kids and youth such as the following system and application:
Tempetch Sookhanaphibarn and Worawat Choensawat / Procedia
Manufacturing 3 ( 2015 ) 1527 – 1534 1529 "StepSteam" is a
computer-supported system for improving the attitudes of students
about fitness and increasing their sense of social support for
fitness. The system was deployed in US middle school for four weeks
to 42 students. During the experiment, students wore wireless
pedometers daily, accessed the system’s website from home and at
school, and met weekly at the school to use the website and
socialize with each other. The system showed that the least active
students also increased their daily activity. The strategy of the
system shows the potential for social computing systems to
positively influence offline health behaviors in real-world
settings. "Fitness Tour" is one of the mobile applications in
healthcare domain which aims at promoting physical activities. Its
goal is to encourage children and college students to adopt more
active lifestyles and hence combat the obesity problem. The
application is based on Android operating system and its features
are: (a) randomly generated exercise tours, (b) secure
verification of any completed tour, and (c) social network
interface that allows participating users to invite friends to
view their records or participate in self-organized group
competitions. This grouping feature allows users to exert social
pressure on one another to adopt healthier lifestyle via outdoor
physical activities. (https://ac.els-cdn.com/S2351978915004126)

Radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based autoscoring

system for the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run
(PACER) and 6-min walk tests, which are two popular aerobic fitness
tests. RFID is a commonly used technology for tracking and tracing,
and is replacing the barcode in various industries. However, its
measurement advantages have not yet been taken up in the field of
physical fitness testing, in which human errors often occur due to
the difficulty in tracking and scoring test takers simultaneously.
An RFID-based automatic scoring system can eliminate errors by
automatic tracking and scoring. A preliminary system was developed
for the PACER and 6-min walk test scoring, and it was evaluated
during pilot testing. The RFID-based system is a successful example
of the application of RFID technology to the field of physical
fitness testing, showing great potential in physical fitness and
activity tracking and scoring. The proposed system enables the
mass testing of many students or examinees accurately, and it could
significantly reduce the burden of test administers. This system
also has great potential to extend into the physical activity
monitoring and promotion area.
(https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6734706)

Over the years, there has been considerable interest both in

job performance and standards for physical fitness, especially
within the Armed Services. Unlike most of the learned scholars who
have contributed to this compendium, my association and interest
in performance/fitness standards are more recent. However, as my
exposure to this field progressed, I became more and more
intrigued, both with the supporting science, as well as the
practical implementation of the fitness standards process itself.
This interest and quest for more information ultimately led to the
evolution of this present State-of-the-Art Report (SOAR). Most of
us have a general acceptance regarding a level of required mental
performance for entry or advancement in the formal education
process. And as pointed out early in this book, various
organizations have sought to establish both mental and physical
standards for job candidate assignment and worker retention, in
order to ensure job performance and safety. The processes, however,
are hardly as straightforward or black-and-white as most might
envision. In fact, it has been recommended that perhaps both good
science and good judgment are required in equal measure. Of course,
the incorporation of standards for acceptable performance on tests
of physical capacity should be scientifically (and legally)
defensible, which is sometimes a lofty goal! However, the "rigors
of revied' may sometimes be relaxed in the military environment.
For example, performance on current military fitness tests often
does not correlate well with task-specific job requirements,
especially those involving muscular strength, i.e., heavy lifting
or carrying. Yet relatively few steps have been implemented by the
services to update and improve their approach to the fitness
standards process, particularly with regard to occupational and
health considerations. Therefore, an underlying theme in this text
is that the scientific process to establish defensible standards
can be complex, and subject to interpretation and challenge. More
specifically, it may not always be possible to achieve the desired
degree of test validity. For example, cost-benefit concerns and
resource considerations may be overly constraining to the expected
outcomes. So in practice, the process is often varied or
abbreviated and may at times, involve rather arbitrary decisions.
Requirements or standards for physical fitness within the Armed
Services have received considerable attention and focus in recent
years. Reasons for this include advancement in the physiology and
medicine underlying physical fitness, expanded research on the
development and practice of fitness, expanded numbers of women in
the military, and the shift in the role that physical fitness plays
in military occupations and missions. Despite this enhanced focus
on military physical fitness, relatively few steps have been
implemented by the services to update and expand fitness standards,
particularly in regard to occupational and health needs. The
reluctance of the training and personnel policy communities to
expand fitness requirements for military occupations may in part
be due to the lack of an organized and published base of knowledge
concerning the primary issues of standards development as they
would apply to the military services. This landmark report finally
responds to this important need by presenting authoritative
chapters on the key topics of physical standards development. Each
chapter, written by foremost military and industry experts in their
specialties, presents an in-depth analysis of each major aspect
that challenges both military and industrial developers of fitness
requirements. Each topic, from job analysis to legal issues,
provides both a theoretical basis as well as a practical guide to
developers and policy makers of physical fitness requirements,
both military and industry. This report, by bringing together under
one cover all critical topics regarding the setting of standards,
will make a significant contribution to implementing the proper
role of physical fitness to occupational classification and
utilization and is recommended reading to all those working in the
various disciplines of physical fitness development.
(https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a495349.pdf)
 This lesson is for System Administrators or users responsible
for review state data extracts. The PFT Data Extract page is used
to generate the file that you will need for your California
Physical Fitness Test. (https://support.illuminateed.com)

The current recording system use by the Philippine Army to track

and generate report on Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is manually
done. Statistical reports when requested are commonly completed
within a day or more because of the consolidation and validation
processes as expected when using a manual system, especially
when the reports needed will require a one year old record or
even older. This is one of the flaws that will be considered
under the proposed project.