Health and fitness assessments are a series of practical physical tests that can be used to assess and monitor the client throughout their training lifecycle.
Health and fitness assessments are commonly completed in addition to the initial client orientation and health screening process as part of the client’s induction to a physical activity program.
They are also performed at various check points to reassess the client and to monitor their progressions, and should always be considered in conjunction with the client’s goals and after establishing the client’s health status with a health screen questionnaire.
Health and fitness assessments will provide you with a bench mark of quantitative data that can be used for future comparisons. This is great to identify risk factors associated with commencing an exercise program.
All assessments conducted as part of the physical fitness assessment need to be practical, valuable, reliable, cost effective and time efficient.
What Health Assessments should be taken?
- Resting heart rate
- Resting blood pressure
- Anthropometric measurements
- Cardio respiratory fitness
- Flexibility
- Strength
Health Assessment Considerations
There are a number of considerations that you should consider when administering a health and/or fitness test. These include:
- Intrusive nature of the assessment
- Physiological effects: increased HR, BP
- Psychological stress associated with the tests
- Dehumanising nature of assessment
- Intimidating environment
- Whether appropriate to assess every fitness
- component
- Time factor involved in assessment
- Privacy
- Cultural /religious beliefs
- Contra-indications for testing
Health assessment procedure
In order to best administer a health assessment, it’s important to follow the subsequent process:
- Introduce the test by name
- Give a physiological explanation of the test in a way the client can understand
- Explain why the test is being conducted (in relation to health risk indicators, healthy ranges or personal health goals)
- Briefly describe the procedure involved in the test
- Ask the client’s consent to perform the test
- Perform the test
- Record the result in the client’s file with as much details as possible
- State and discuss the results of the test with the client (in relation to health risk indicators, healthy ranges or personal health goals)
As well as following the above, make sure that you explain to the client why you are doing these assessments, explain before the assessment how you are conducting each one, and what their results indicate. Don’t leave them wondering if there is something wrong with them.
If you’d like to learn more about these assessments and more about health and fitness in general, or become a Personal Trainer yourself to help your clients meet their goals, then study with us to get your Certificate III and IV in Fitness! Become a personal trainer and start your journey towards a new and exciting career.
