EXERCISE BEHAVIOR AND PHYSICAL FITNESS OF WORKING GRADUATE STUDENTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Most working students have to balance their time for their family, work, and studies. The aim of this paper is to determine the exercise behavior and physical fitness of working graduate students. The objective is to be able to relate their exercise behavior with their physical fitness. Forty (40) students of a college in Metro Manila were purposely selected for this study. Students belong to two (2) MBA classes. All were working students at the time of the tests. Exercise behavior was limited to frequency, duration and intensity of the exercises. Medical physical fitness tests and standards from the Department of Education (DepEd) were used to gauge the fitness of the students. Medical fitness tests identified by DepEd are: body mass index (BMI), Flexibility Tests: Zipper and Sit-and-Reach, Cardio vascular 3-minutes step test, and strength test, push-up and curl-up tests. Quantitative descriptive research was used. Mean was used to determine the percentage of the exercise behaviors and the physical fitness of the students. Chi-square was used to test the relationship between the exercise behavior and results of the physical fitness tests of the students. Under behavior, results show that majority of the students (75%) exercise once to 3 times a week from 75 to 300 minutes. The intensity of their exercises is moderate. Physical fitness tests show that 42.5% of the students have normal body mass index. Majority passed their flexibility, cardiovascular and strength tests, Chi-square results show that: There is significant relationship between exercise duration and the physical fitness curl-up test. There is significant relationship between the intensity of the exercises and the physical fitness curl-up test. All other physical fitness tests show no significant relationship to frequency, duration and intensity of the exercises. School Management are encouraged to conduct physical fitness tests every year to track students’ physical fitness. Results will help in initiating plans to improve students’ exercise behaviors.