You’ve made it to Part 2 of the Personal Fitness merit badge! If Part 1 taught you why fitness matters and how your body works, this is where you put that knowledge into action. You’ll learn about nutrition, take your baseline fitness tests, build a 12-week exercise program, and explore careers in personal fitness.
If you’re new to ScoutSmarts, you should first check out Part 1 for the answers to requirements 1-4. If you’ve come over from Part 1, congratulations! You’re halfway done. Once you finish this badge, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge needed to keep your body strong and healthy, for life. Give yourself a big pat on the back. 🙂
If you have other Eagle-required merit badges to earn, I’d recommend checking out my Difficulty Ranking Guide to Every Eagle-required Badge. There, you’ll also find the links to my other merit badge guides, as well as a description and summary of each badge’s requirements. I’m certain this resource will be helpful to Scouts on their road to Eagle!
It’s time to get back into it! Take a minute to closely review and think through requirements 5-9 of the Personal Fitness merit badge:
Personal Fitness Merit Badge Answers: Requirements 5-9 (Part 2)
- Explain the following:
- 5a. The importance of good nutrition
5b. What good nutrition means to you
5c. How good nutrition is related to the other components of personal fitness
5d. How to maintain a healthy weight
- 5a. The importance of good nutrition
- Before doing requirements 7 and 8, do the following:
- 6a. Complete the aerobic fitness, flexibility, and muscular strength tests, as described in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Record your results and identify those areas where you feel you need to improve.
6b. Keep track of what you eat and drink for three days. Identify three healthy eating goals you want to work on.
- 6a. Complete the aerobic fitness, flexibility, and muscular strength tests, as described in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Record your results and identify those areas where you feel you need to improve.
- Outline a comprehensive 12-week physical fitness program using the results of your fitness tests. Be sure your program incorporates the endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines discussed in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.
- Complete the physical fitness program you outlined in requirement 7. Keep a log of your fitness program activity (how long you exercised; how far you ran, swam, or biked; how many exercise repetitions you completed; your exercise heart rate; etc.). Keep a log of your weekly healthy eating goals. Repeat the aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility tests every four weeks and record your results. After the 12th week, repeat all of the required activities in each of the three test categories, record your results, and show improvement in each one. Discuss how well you met your healthy eating goals over these 12 weeks. Discuss the meaning and benefit of your experience, and describe your long-term plans regarding your personal fitness.
- Find out about three career opportunities in personal fitness. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.
Nutrition and Healthy Eating
5) Explain the following:
5a) The importance of good nutrition
Practicing good nutrition is a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle. By thoughtfully choosing the foods you put into your body, you’ll look better, think more clearly, and have more energy. You’ll also avoid health problems caused by poor eating habits:
| Health Problem | Caused By |
|---|---|
| Obesity | Eating more calories than you burn, especially from processed foods |
| Low energy | Not getting enough vitamins, minerals, or complex carbohydrates |
| Brain fog | Dehydration, sugar crashes, and lack of healthy fats |
| High blood pressure | Excess sodium and lack of potassium-rich foods |
| Increased acne | High sugar and dairy intake, plus not enough water |
| Poor physical fitness | Insufficient protein for muscle recovery and growth |
5b) What good nutrition means to you
What good nutrition means can differ from person to person. Depending on your age and height, you may need more or less food than the general recommendation. However, almost all Scouts, aged 12 to 18, should be eating at least 4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
The MyPlate Dietary guidelines provide a great model for understanding the varieties and quantities of foods you should be consuming each day. By making balanced dietary choices, you’ll have more energy, become more fit, and encounter fewer health issues as you age.
Having good nutrition is just as important as regularly exercising. Here are a few quick nutrition tips that will apply to almost every Scout:
- Drink at least 2 liters of water per day (about 8 cups). This should also help to reduce acne and lead to clearer skin!
- Avoid sodas and other sugary beverages.
- Don’t eat sugary cereals. Instead, pick oats, greek yogurt, or fruits for breakfast.
- Nuts are great snacks that you can substitute for processed junk food.
- Try to consume 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables per day.
- If you’re trying to reduce your body fat percentage, drink a cup of water before each meal. You’ll eat less and burn more calories.
For a quick overview of the types of foods that make up a nutritious meal, check out this video (3:02):
5c) How good nutrition is related to the other components of personal fitness
Proper nutrition is the foundation of personal fitness. Even if you exercise daily, if you’re not eating the right things, it’ll be difficult to stay healthy. That’s why the most important fitness decision you can make is to say ‘no’ to eating the wrong foods!
For example, an hour of running will typically burn around 200 to 300 calories. If you visit McDonald’s for a snack, it’ll take 2 to 3 hours of running to burn off the calories from one burger!
My #1 tip for good nutrition is to stock healthy food in your house. It seems obvious, but many American households only store candy and junk food as snacks. This can lead to problems like obesity, which can often last a lifetime. Make the right choices in the grocery store, and you won’t need to worry about your health later on!
5d) How to maintain a healthy weight
Scientifically, you can maintain your weight by consuming the same amount of calories that you burn each day. For most people, this number is around 2000. To lose weight, eat fewer calories. To gain weight, eat more. However, what’s more important are the nutrients in the foods you’re consuming.
Follow MyPlate guidelines, eat foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and avoid processed foods. Try to make sure that the calories you’re consuming come from more than just fats and sugars.
If you’re interested in eating a nutritious diet and maintaining a healthy weight, you could also check out my Cooking merit badge guide. In it, I go into more detail on the best nutrition habits for teens.
Fitness Testing and Your 12-Week Plan
6) Before doing requirements 7 and 8, do the following:
6a) Complete the aerobic fitness, flexibility, and muscular strength tests, as described in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Record your results and identify those areas where you feel you need to improve.
6b) Keep track of what you eat and drink for three days. Identify three healthy eating goals you want to work on.
In requirements 6-8, you’ll need to push past your limits to complete tests in aerobic fitness, flexibility, and muscular strength. This is how you improve your 5 main areas of physical fitness!
The first time I did these tests, I made the mistake of going all out right from the start. What happened? 30 seconds later I ran out of energy. Stay within your limits and remember, endurance is key!
Now that you know you’ll need to pace yourself, you should be ready to take your baseline fitness test. Keep in mind that you’ll be trying to top these scores later, so don’t go overboard and injure yourself. 🙂
The Physical Fitness Tests from the merit badge pamphlet for requirements 6 through 8 are as follows:
| Test Category | What You Do | How It’s Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic Fitness | Run/walk as far as you can in 9 minutes, OR run/walk 1 mile as fast as you can | Distance covered (9 min) or time to complete (1 mile) |
| Flexibility | Sit-and-reach box: make 4 repetitions, hold the 4th reach for 15 seconds | Distance reached in cm (keep knees down!) |
| Muscular Strength: Sit-ups | Do as many correct sit-ups as possible in 60 seconds | Total number completed with proper form |
| Muscular Strength: Pull-ups | Do as many correct pull-ups as possible in 60 seconds | Total number completed with proper form |
| Muscular Strength: Push-ups | Do as many correct push-ups as possible in 60 seconds | Total number completed with proper form |
You must complete the sit-ups test plus at least one other strength test (push-ups or pull-ups). You may do all three for extra experience.
Click here to see the test procedures presented in the merit badge pamphlet.
Click here to see instructions for building the Sit and Reach Box.
To recap the 5 areas of fitness and the different skill components you should work to improve, check out this quick video (3:19):
After taking these tests, record your results. Consider the fitness areas where you exceeded your own expectations, as well as areas in which you could improve in the future.
Then, to complete requirement 6b, you’ll also need to record your diet over the next 3 days. Your phone should be the best tool for recording your habits, as you’re probably carrying it around most of the time!
Use your notes app to assess your food and water intake. After tracking your foods and drinks for 3 days, ask yourself, “Are my meals following the MyPlate guidelines?”
7) Outline a comprehensive 12-week physical fitness program using the results of your fitness tests. Be sure your program incorporates the endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines discussed in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.
8) Complete the physical fitness program you outlined in requirement 7. Keep a log of your fitness program activity (how long you exercised; how far you ran, swam, or biked; how many exercise repetitions you completed; your exercise heart rate; etc.). Keep a log of your weekly healthy eating goals. Repeat the aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility tests every four weeks and record your results. After the 12th week, repeat all of the required activities in each of the three test categories, record your results, and show improvement in each one. Discuss how well you met your healthy eating goals over these 12 weeks. Discuss the meaning and benefit of your experience, and describe your long-term plans regarding your personal fitness.
To complete requirements 7 and 8, you’ll need to take everything you’ve been learning in the Personal Fitness merit badge and begin applying it in your own life. It’s time to get fit!
Here’s a framework for building your 12-week fitness plan:
| Plan Element | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 5-10 minutes of light cardio (jogging, jumping jacks) and dynamic stretching before every workout |
| Aerobic Training | 3-4 days per week. Start with what’s comfortable and gradually increase distance or time by 10% each week. |
| Strength Training | 2-3 days per week. Focus on push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, and other bodyweight exercises. Increase reps gradually. |
| Flexibility | Stretch after every workout. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds. Consider adding a yoga session once per week. |
| Rest Days | At least 1-2 rest days per week. Your muscles need time to recover and grow stronger. |
| Healthy Eating Goals | Track 3 weekly goals (e.g., drink 8 cups of water daily, eat 2 fruits per day, no soda). |
| Testing | Repeat all fitness tests at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Record results and track improvement. |
This TED-Ed video does a great job explaining how exercise actually makes your muscles grow:
Because there isn’t enough space to leave it in this guide, Click here to check out my in-depth exercise program for requirements 7 and 8. In it, you’ll learn how to create your own 12-week personal fitness program and reach your athletic goals. I’ve also included a printable personal fitness plan that you can use to track your progress while working on this requirement!
Scout Tip: The key to a successful 12-week program is consistency, not intensity. It’s better to exercise moderately 4 times per week than to go all-out once and then skip the rest of the week. Start slow, build gradually, and celebrate small improvements along the way. I’d recommend bookmarking my exercise program article so you can reference it throughout your 12 weeks.
Enjoy completing requirements 7 and 8. This is your opportunity to push past your limits and become strong!
Personal Fitness Careers
9) Find out about three career opportunities in personal fitness. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.
Here are three career opportunities in the personal fitness field:
1. Personal Trainer:
Personal trainers help to increase their clients’ overall levels of fitness. They’re tasked with prescribing exercise plans, motivating clients, and providing feedback. To become a personal trainer you’ll need to be accredited, meaning that you’ll need to receive a certification (like ACE or NASM) that proves your competency.
Before being accredited, most personal trainers also earn a bachelor’s degree in a field like physiology or kinesiology. Working as a personal trainer will allow you to meet different clients and help people one-on-one. Once you’ve gained experience, you can move into an area of expertise and help people with specific fitness problems. Doing so will differentiate your services, allowing you to charge more per client!
2. Physical Education Teacher:
I’m sure you’ve taken a PE class at school! A physical education teacher must create a curriculum to teach their students about health and fitness. They’re also tasked with supervising activities and making sure that no one gets hurt.
To be hired for the position, most PE teachers need at least a bachelor’s degree in either education or a fitness-related field, plus a state teaching license. They should also have a strong knowledge of teaching methods, and a desire to work with young people.
3. Registered Dietitian:
A dietitian is an expert in human nutrition and diet. These individuals provide consultations and often work with medical clinics, community wellness programs, or food-service groups. Unlike nutritionists, dietitians require a degree and healthcare license to operate.
To become a dietitian you’ll need to attend a university to study health and nutrition. You’ll also need to complete internships with a registered health organization. Afterward, students must pass an examination to become a registered dietitian.
Here’s a quick comparison table to help with your research:
| Career | Education Needed | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Trainer | Certification (ACE, NASM, etc.) plus bachelor’s in physiology or kinesiology | ~$46,000/year |
| Physical Education Teacher | Bachelor’s in education or fitness field, plus state teaching license | ~$62,000/year |
| Registered Dietitian | Bachelor’s in nutrition, supervised internship, RD exam | ~$69,000/year |
Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Once you’ve picked a career that interests you, research the following and discuss with your counselor:
- Education: What degree, certification, or training is needed?
- Experience: What entry-level positions lead to this career?
- Skills: What fitness and communication skills are most important?
- Why it interests you: How does this career connect to your strengths or hobbies?
Congrats on Earning the Personal Fitness Merit Badge!
Congratulations on making it this far! Tracking your personal fitness for 3 months isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. By adopting healthy habits when you’re young, you’ll have more energy, build confidence, and be happier all throughout your life.
If you missed any requirements from Part 1, click here to go back to Part 1 (Requirements 1-4).
If you found this post helpful, I’ve also written guides to many of the other Eagle-required merit badges. I’d definitely recommend checking out my comprehensive difficulty rankings for every Eagle-required merit badge if you haven’t seen it already.
Hope to catch you back at ScoutSmarts soon because I’m constantly uploading new content to help Scouts like yourself. Until next time, best of luck on your Scouting journey! 🙂