INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Physical fitness is a general state of health and well-being or

specifically achieved through correct nutrition exercise hygiene and

rest. The benefits of regular exercise can help prevent excess weight

gain or help maintain weight loss it combats health conditions and

diseases improves mood boosts energy and a lot more. Whatever a

person’s age physical activity plays an important part in one’s health

and well-being. Some people think it is only sportsmen and women who

need to build physical activity into their lives. However everyone needs

to keep their bodies working well in order to be healthy. Physical activity

is necessary to stimulate the body’s own natural maintenance and repair

system. The bones joints and muscles-especially the heart – will

actually stay younger if one kept them busy. Physically inactive persons

increase in health risks in many ways.

Exercise often implies that vigorous conditioning routines are

needed to achieve fitness and health benefits. More recent public health

recommendations depart from this idea and advance the notion that

previously inactive adult will not follow vigorous conditioning routines

but are more apt to seek the safety of lower-intensity activity that is less

structure. Current physical activity models advance the idea that a

person does not need to exercise as strenuously for at least 20 minutes

as advocated in (1990) by the American College of Sports Medicine

(ACSM) to reduce the risk of chronic disease. More recent

recommendations support both moderate and vigorous intense activity

for 30 minutes daily or longer and the total amount of activity can also

be accumulated with intermittent boats for at least 10 minutes

throughout each day.

The health related fitness components are cardio respiratory

endurance body composition muscular endurance muscular strength

and flexibility. Coronary heart disease strokes high blood pressure

breathlessness flabby body little energy stiff joints osteoporosis poor

posture and overweight.

Risk to one’s family:

● Lack of energy for sexual relationship

● Lack of energy for your children and ground children

● A poor role model

The three main components of being physically fit are stamina

strength and suppleness is an important preventive and diagnostic tool

our primary care physicians recommend that our patient come in once a

year for a medical check-up to ensure their health is on tract. This

annual medical examination gives us an opportunity to closely monitor

your health and assist with the prevention of disease and illness.

Getting a routine medical check-up is important for everyone

particularly those with chronic health problems a complicated health

history or genetic predisposition to certain conditions. Regardless of

one’s age gender or medical history it’s a great idea to get a routine

physical examination once a year. Getting a regular medical includes

peace of mind and more comprehensive health history that can help a

person make informed health decisions throughout one’s life time. This

includes:

● Health Review - This begins with an age appropriate discussion

of your overall health. Your medical history and any risk factors

based on family history or pre-existing conditions.

● Immunization check - Will review your immunization records to

ensure you aren’t due for any vaccinations such as tetanus

influenza pneumonia or hepatitis A/B.

● Routine blood work - Do blood test to rule out anaemic factors

or certain diseases such as liver disease.

● Vital signs – Helps to identify a number of potential health

problems example blood pressure heart rate respiration and

temperature.

● Skin check - Routine review of your skin including moles

birthmarks or freckles can help identify any areas that be cause for

concern or reduce risk for developing skin cancer.

Statement of the Problem

In our society the issue of physical exercise and medical check-up

have become a serious problem especially among the working class

people who has always engaged themselves in one activity or the other

neglecting the aspect of assessment of their health resulting to some

major health challenges in our society – such as High Blood Pressure

Stroke Coronary heart disease breathlessness overweight little energy

osteoporosis poor posture and flabby body. Thereby affecting their

family role model lack of energy for their children and grandchildren. In

spite of all the awareness created through media and other forums like

seminars workshop and so on the researcher wants to assess the level

of physical exercise and medical check-up towards health and fitness

among staff of Education Technical Department Kaduna Polytechnic by

asking the following questions:

● What is the level of knowledge of staff towards exercise and

medical check-up?

● What is the extent to which the staff are engaged in exercise and

medical check-up?

● What are the factors hindering the staff from not having physical

exercise and fitness?

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are the followings:

1. To determine the level of knowledge of staff towards exercise and

medical-checkup towards their health.

2. To determine the extent to which the staff are engaged in

improving their health status.

3. Identify factors hindering the staff from having physical exercise

and fitness.

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study are the following:

● The staff in Educational Technical Department will benefit from this

research work by embracing on issues pertaining their health and

fitness.

● To moderate the attitude of staff of Education Technical towards

assessing their health level by exercise and routine medical

check-up.

● Publication of this work will help the Institution to campaign on

needs for physical fitness and assist in reducing the factors

responsible for their non-compliance.

Research Questions

This study intends to answer the following research questions in line

with the objectives of the study.

● What is the level of knowledge of staff towards exercise and

medical check-up?

● What is the extent to which the staff are engaged in exercise and

medical check-up?

● What are the factors hindering the staff from not having physical

exercise and fitness?

Scope of the Study

The study is limited to the staff of Education Technical of Kaduna Federal

Polytechnic in Kaduna who are randomly taken for this study.