Parents often wonder if their children are happy and healthy. While most children will let you know if they are happy or not, determining a child’s health may require some more investigative work. A child’s innate athleticism, or lack thereof, may make a child appear more or less fit than they actually are. Here are some fitness standards pulled from standardized gross motor tests, the Presidential FitnessGram, and endurance norms for 6-12 year old children.
Fitness Standards for Children:
6 Year Old
- Completes 5 sit-ups Independently
- Completes 8 push-ups with good form, given 1 demonstration
- Skips forward 10 feet
- Completes half mile run in 6 minutes
8 Year Old
- Completes 6 sit-ups Independently
- Completes 8 push-ups with good form
- Completes 4 pull-ups
- Rides a bike 20 feet independently
- Completes half mile run in 6 minutes
10 Year Old
- Completes 12 sit-ups Independently
- Completes 10 push-ups with good form
- Completes 4 pull-ups
- Completes mile run in 12 minutes
12 Year Old
- Completes 18 sit-ups Independently
- Completes 10 push-ups with good form
- Completes 4 pull-ups
- Completes mile run in 9 minutes for boys and 11 minutes for girls
If you feel your child isn’t meeting the above fitness goals, please see the pediatric experts at North Shore Pediatric Therapy for a free physical therapy screening.
