Excel Project

     The Excel Project that I completed consisted of a scenario about the job I have at a large fitness center, and the research my boss is collecting on the effectiveness of a particular workout. The data I have contains the age, sex, and heart rate measurements of 500 test subjects through a 15 minute workout and 5 minute cool down. This assignment uses many different aspects of Excel, including some that I am not familiar with, even after taking an Excel class back in community college.

One of the skills used in this project included formatting some of the raw data:

•                Freeze panes: The locking of certain rows or columns so they are always displayed no matter where you scroll on the worksheet.

•                Formulas: Using formulas to calculate the Maximum Heart Rate, the Target Heart Rate, the Highest Heart Rate Achieved, whether or not the Target Heart Rate was achieved, and the Percentage Increase in the Heart Rate.

•                Page Layout Formatting: Changing the print setup to display all columns across a single page, printing certain rows at the top of every page, and headers and footers.

Another skill used in this project was data analysis of some of the raw data:

•                Pivot Tables: Pivot tables are a feature in Excel that I have not had the ability to work with yet. However, they are a feature I will use as often as possible! A pivot table is an excellent way to summarize data from a multitude of subjects. They manipulate the data into any form wanted in order to compare any number of characteristics against each one another. For example, here is the screenschot of my AvgIncrease Pivot Table:

     The Pivot Table compare the Average of the Percent Increase of Heart Rate in three decades of subject ages to whether they were male or female. This table shows that 89.3% of males and females age 20-29 increased their heart rate. This is much more easily calculated using a Pivot Table rather than computing by hand or by a single formula.

     Having used Excel for a few years now, I have discovered it to be one of my favorite programs. I love how I am still able to find new feature after all this time! This project really helped to refresh my skills and learn new ones.