In 1975, a joint committee on physical fitness, composed of the Measurement and Evaluation, Physical Fitness, and Research Councils of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) studied its Youth Fitness Test to determine the need for revision. Study results called for: (1) alteration in traditional physical fitness concepts to distinguish health related and performance related fitness; (2) revision of the AAHPER Fitness Test to place increased emphasis on evaluation of health related physical fitness; and (3) use of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced standards for test-score interpretation. A task force was appointed, and a test battery, the Health Related Fitness Test (HRFT), the purpose of which was to evaluate physical fitness components associated with prevention of disease and with the promotion of physical health, was designed. Areas presently identified as important for functional health were cardiorespiratory function, body composition, and abdominal and low back musculoskeletal function. The HRFT battery includes: distance runs to measure cardiorespiratory function; skinfolds to measure body fat and estimate body composition; modified sit-ups to evaluate abdominal muscular strength and endurance; and sit-and-reach tests to evaluate flexibility of the lower back region. Test results can be used in diagnosis, exercise prescription, program evaluation, or educational elements. (JMK)