Why is it important to test your physical fitness before engaging in activities?

Testing is an important part of the screening process as it gives one an accurate picture of fitness, an indication of appropriate starting intensities, a baseline for goal setting and assistance in group fitness recommendations. As the instructor for an older adult client, you need to be able to identify and select the appropriate health and fitness tests for your client.

Testing is an important part of the screening process as it gives one an accurate picture of fitness, an indication of appropriate starting intensities, a baseline for goal setting and assistance in group fitness recommendations. As the instructor for an older adult client, you need to be able to identify and select the appropriate health and fitness tests for your client.

Testing needs to be:

• Valid (test should measure what it claims to measure)
• Reliable (obtain the same result on two or more separate trials/occasions (quality control).

When choosing a method for testing, the main priority is the safety of the client. You will need to consider:

• Injuries or medical conditions e.g. is it safe to ask the client to do an overhead exercise? The goal of the client e.g. if the goal is muscular endurance you will need to select a muscular endurance test
• The current health state of the client e.g. mobility. – is it appropriate for the client to get onto the floor to complete a sit-up test?
• Current cardiovascular fitness level e.g. will the beep test be too hard? Will the step test be too easy?
• Experience, coordination, and balance e.g. are the tests too complicated for the client?
• Self-esteem e.g. Is it necessary to tell the client their BMI result?

Fitness Testing – General Guidelines

• Refrain from ingesting food, alcohol, caffeine or tobacco within 4 hours of testing
• Ideally, the test should be carried out at the same time or day under similar circumstances e.g. similar activity and food eaten prior to testing
• Clients should be rested for the assessment
• Appropriate clothing and footwear
• Clients made aware that the test may be fatiguing
• Note that temperature and humidity on the day can also affect results
• Clients should continue with any medications
• Bring a list of medications and detail – the dosage, frequency of dose & last dose taken
• 24 hours prior to testing, drink ample fluids to ensure hydration.

Health Tests

• Blood pressure
• Height
• Weight
• Girths
• Body Fat %.

Fitness Tests

Consider the components of Fitness

• Cardiorespiratory endurance
• Muscular strength
• Muscular endurance
• Flexibility
• Body composition.

Choosing Appropriate Fitness Tests:

• Available equipment to the instructor
• Client health and medical clearance
• Time available
• Client comfort
• Client goals
• Client experience
• Contraindication – where the risk of exercise testing outweighs the benefits to the client.

Why Testing is Important

• What is the test called?
• Why are you doing the test?
• What does the test tell us?
• How will you do the test?
• Explain the process
• What is the result?

Casual Blood Pressure (CBP)

• Seated quietly 5 minutes with both feet flat on the floor
• No smoking or caffeine 30 minutes prior
• Systolic (the top reading) – is the pressure exerted on artery walls as heart contracts
• Diastolic (the bottom reading) – is the pressure remaining in arteries when the heart relaxes
• At least two measures taken (average).

A fitness test, also known as a fitness assessment, is comprised of a series of exercises that help evaluate your overall health and physical status. There is wide of range of standardized tests used for these exams, some of which are intended for medical purposes and others of which establish whether you are qualified to participate (such as with the Army combat readiness test).

For general health and fitness purposes, the tests are considered the starting point for designing an appropriate exercise program. They are meant to ensure you won't be at risk of harm and provide the trainer with the insights needed to establish clear and effective fitness goals.

Before starting a fitness program, it is important to share your medical history with your trainer and to get the necessary approvals from your doctor to proceed.

Most fitness specialists will use one or more screening tools to help determine your baseline health. This may include obtaining vital sign measurements such as your height, weight, resting heart rate (RHR), and resting blood pressure (RBP).

Many trainers will also use a physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) comprised of seven or more questions related to your general health. Among the questions, you may​ be asked about the types of medications you take, any problems you have with dizziness or pain, or any medical condition that may impair your ability to exercise.

Body composition describes the different components that make up your total body weight, including your muscles, bones, and fat. The most common methods for estimating body composition include:

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a dated, biased measure that doesn’t account for several factors, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, gender, and age. 

Despite being a flawed measure, BMI is widely used today in the medical community because it is an inexpensive and quick method for analyzing potential health status and outcomes.

Cardiovascular endurance testing, also known as stress testing, measures how efficiently your heart and lungs work to supply oxygen and energy to your body during physical activity.

Among the three most common tests used:

• 12-minute run tests: Performed on a treadmill and compare your pre-exercise heart and respiration rates with your post-exercise heart and respiration rates
• Exercise stress: Testing is also performed on a treadmill or stationary bike and involves the use of a heart monitor and blood pressure cuff to measure your vital signs during exercise
• VO2 max testing: Performed on a treadmill or stationary bike and uses a breathing device to measure your maximum rate of oxygen consumption during an activity

Some trainers will incorporate exercises such as sit-ups or push-ups to get a qualitative measurement of how you respond to specific exercises. These baseline results can be used at a later date to see if your health and fitness levels have improved.

Strength testing measures the maximal amount of force a muscle group can exert at one time. Muscle endurance testing, by comparison, measures the length of time a muscle group can contract and release before it fatigues.

The exercises used include the push-up test and core strength and stability test. In some cases, a trainer will use a metronome to see how long can you keep up with the rhythm. The results are then compared to people of the same age group and sex to establish your baseline levels.

Strength and endurance tests are valuable as they help the trainer pinpoint which muscle groups are stronger and which are vulnerable and in need of focused attention.

Measuring the flexibility of your joints is vital in determining whether you have postural imbalances, foot instability, or limitations in your range of motion.

There are a variety of tests used to measure flexibility including:

• Shoulder flexibility testing: Sometimes called the zipper test, shoulder flexibility testing evaluates the flexibility and mobility of your shoulder joint. Use one hand to reach behind your neck, between your shoulders, while reaching behind your back, toward your shoulders, with the other. Measure how many far apart your hands are.
• Sit-and-reach testing: This is used to measure tightness in your lower back and hamstring muscles. The test is performed while sitting on the floor with your legs fully extended. Flexibility is measured by the number of inches your hands are from your feet when reaching forward.
• Trunk lift testing: This is used to measure tightness in your lower back. It is performed while lying face-down on the floor. With your arms at your side, you would be asked to lift your upper body with just your back muscles. Flexibility is measured by how many inches you are able to lift yourself off the ground.

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