If you’re preparing to earn the Eagle-required Personal Fitness merit badge, you’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll be providing you with all of the answers that you’ll need to complete your merit badge worksheet and build a lifelong understanding of personal health and fitness.
You’ve reached part 2 of my ultimate guide to the Personal Fitness merit badge! If you’re new to ScoutSmarts, you should first check out part 1 for the answers to requirements 1-4 of the Personal Fitness merit badge.
If you’ve come over from part one, 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. 🙂 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:
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 such as:
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.
For a quick overview of the types of foods that make up a nutritious meal, watch the following video (3:02):
I’d recommend bookmarking the above article so that you can come back to it while you improve your personal fitness over the next 12 weeks. Enjoy completing requirements 7 and 8. This is your opportunity to push past your limits and become strong!
Personal Trainers
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 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 as a personal trainer, 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!
Physical Education Teachers
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. They should also have a strong knowledge of teaching methods, and a desire to work with young people.
Dietitians
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 complete an examination to become a registered dietitian.
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 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! 🙂
I'm constantly writing new content because I believe in Scouts like you! Thanks so much for reading, and for making our world a better place. Until next time, I'm wishing you all the best on your journey to Eagle and beyond!
Being a BSA Scout isn't just an extracurricular activity; it's a incredible journey that transforms young people into leaders, adventurers, and compassionate citizens. For some, Scouting is a.
If you're a Scout with a lot of school smarts (or would like to become one ;) ), Scholarship is the perfect badge for you to earn next! The Scholarship merit badge not only teaches you how to.
Hey there, reader! I'm Cole, the guy behind ScoutSmarts. I earned my Eagle back in 2014, and along the way, learned how to be a dependable leader. Although I didn't realize it at the time, Scouting helped shape my life! While I can't tell my past self what I know now, I can teach you all the smart Scouting knowledge that I wish I'd known when just starting out. Start reading! Hopefully, you'll learn a few things along the way and make the best of your time in Scouting. :)
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