Now that winter is over, have you found that your spring attire has shrunk a bit? I’m guessing some of those well intended New Year’s resolutions never quite got off the ground. Starting up an exercise routine is not easy unless you have a good understanding of what you need to do in a safe and efficient way. It parallels learning the game of golf. You listen to different golfers who have great intentions of making you a better golfer with a boatload of advice. But after your handicap goes up five strokes you quickly realize you should have gotten a few lessons from the club pro.

There is good reason why personal training is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Every day someone stops in my office or calls wanting to improve their fitness level without knowing how to get started. I believe the proper way is by having a fitness assessment. There is a saying in the fitness industry, “If you do not assess, then you will have to guess.”

A fitness assessment enables health and fitness professionals to decide the appropriate selection of flexibility, cardiovascular, core, balance, power and strength training exercises. But it’s important to remember a fitness assessment is not designed to diagnose any conditions nor is it intended to replace a medical examination.

Here are some examples to help you understand the parameters of a fitness assessment. Remember, this is just the first step prior to designing a fitness program, and all fitness assessments are considered a private matter.

Client 1: Sue

Age: 34

Occupation: Administrative assistant. She spends a lot of time sitting at her desk at the computer and on the phone. She is required to wear business attire.

Lifestyle: Has two small children. Enjoys walking around the lake, gardening and playing with her children.

Medical history: Has had lower back pain in the past and experiences tension in her neck while at the computer. She had a C-section with her second child. She is in good overall health and is not taking any medications.

Goals: Decrease body fat and “tone up.” Become less “tense” and to become overall healthy.

Recommended objective assessments for Sue:

Body fat measurement

Circumference measurement

Heart rate (resting and active)

Blood pressure (resting and active)

Step test or Rockport walk test

Movement assessment

Overhead squat

Single-leg squat or single leg balance

Pushing assessment

Pulling assessment

Client 2: Joe

Age: 72

Occupation: Retired businessman

Lifestyle: Enjoys traveling, walks with his wife, golfing, carpentry, and playing with his grandkids.

Medical history: Had triple bypass surgery eight years ago. Takes medication for high cholesterol. Has lower back pain and shoulder pain after he plays golf.

Goals: Joe weighs 170 pounds and is not concerned with changing his body composition. He wants to be healthier. Increase overall strength, decrease shoulder and back pain after playing golf and playing with his grandkids.

Recommended objective assessments for Joe:

Obtain a medical release from Joe’s physician

Heart rate (resting and active)

Blood pressure (resting and active)

Three-minute step test or Rockport walk test

Movement assessment

Overhead squat

Assisted single leg squat or single leg balance

Pushing assessment

Pulling assessment

Client 3: Brittni

Age: 21

Occupation: college soccer player

Lifestyle: Travels often, competing in various soccer games and tournaments. She likes to weight train three or four times per week and plays an organized game twice a week.

Medical history: Had surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee three years ago and has sprained her left ankle twice since the surgery. She went through physical therapy six months ago for her last ankle sprain. No trouble with it except for occasional soreness after games or practices. She has recently gone through a physical to begin playing again and her physician has given her a clean bill of health.

Goals: She wants to increase her overall performance by enhancing her flexibility, speed, cardiorespiratory efficiency and leg strength. She also wants to decrease her risk of incurring injuries. She would also like to decrease her percentage of body fat.

Recommended objective assessments of Brittni:

Body fat measurement

Three-minute step test or Rockport walk test

Movement assessment

Overhead squat

Single-leg squat

Performance assessments

Davies test

Shark skill test

Leg press strength assessment

The information gathered during the assessment gives health and fitness professionals essential information for the next step; designing a program that meets the clients’ specific goals and needs. If you have any questions please stop by. Giving folks the information they need to improve their quality of life is important to me.

Bill Villarreal is the sports/fitness director at the Albert Lea Family Y. He is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and holds several other certifications in the health and fitness profession.