If you are starting a new fitness program with a gym or personal trainer chances are the first stop is an assessment of your current status. While qualified fitness instructors are well trained at assessing your fitness levels, you may want to consider taking a combined fitness and health evaluation under medical supervision, before you embark on your latest fitness phase. Let’s take a look at what will be put to the test, if it’s been a while since you body has been through the paces. Why are evaluations important? The most important reason is to check that your body is in sufficient shape to safely participate in regular physical activity. Particular focus should be on your cardiovascular risk factors and how your heart performs under exercise stress. However, an assessment will also provide valuable information to help plan your fitness program, such as target areas to concentrate on (abs!!) and any areas to watch out for like spinal or knee problems. When is a medically supervised assessment needed? The main difference between types of evaluations is whether or not they are medically supervised. If you undertake a test at a sports medicine facility you would expect a far greater emphasis on your medical history and the use of sophisticated equipment to measure certain parameters. These types of tests are recommended if you’re over 40 years, are overweight, have a particular medical condition e.g. high blood pressure or diabetes, have a sports or other injury or are getting started after a long time of being a lounge lizard. They’re also a great way for the “fit” to help find that edge to improve performance. What’s involved in a medically supervised assessment? The medically supervised assessment may involve:
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