These measures have a good balance between feasibility and validity, making them attractive for a number of research and evaluation applications. Criterion measures include the DLW method, indirect calorimetry, and direct observation.
These measures provide criterion estimates of energy expenditure and movement and are typically used for validation studies, smaller applications, or in lab-based study designs where precise indicators are needed. The above assessments apply to efforts aimed at measuring energy expenditure from physical activity.
This is likely to be important for many health studies because of the links between level of energy expenditure and diverse health and energy balance-related benefits of physical activity. More work is needed to better categorize measures as focusing on one or more of these three aspects of physical activity: behavior, activity, and motion.
In any case, a critical step in measures selection is careful thinking about which aspect of physical activity needs to be measured. As previously described in Section 3 and Section 4 , measures obtained from participants are often raw movement or raw reports of behaviors performed. Thus, a key goal of calibration is to minimize error in the estimates of more feasible measures and to make physical activity values more interpretable. The most precise estimate of energy expenditure is known to be DLW.
However, this is a very expensive method and not practical for calibration applications. Therefore, researchers have more commonly used other measures of energy expenditure such as indirect calorimetry. Monitor-based measures, for example, are commonly calibrated against indirect calorimetry systems to establish the relationship between movement and energy expenditure or exercise intensity. This process typically involves having individuals perform a series of different activities while being simultaneously assessed with both a monitor-based measure and indirect calorimetry criterion measure.
Direct observation is not as commonly used for calibration, but it is often used for validation purposes to test the classification of observed behaviors. Although most work has focused on calibration of activity monitors, estimates obtained from self-report measures also need to be calibrated. Most, if not all, report-based measures are designed to capture free-living activity. Therefore, calibration of these measures requires a criterion measure that is also designed to capture activity in a variety of contexts.
Indirect calorimetry is not well-suited to calibrate these measures, so monitor-based measures are typically the best option for calibrating report-based measures. The criterion measure in this case still has considerable error, so calibration of report-based measures will only be as accurate as the underlying criterion measure to which it was related. New methods and approaches offer promise for improving calibration methods and these are briefly introduced in Section 8.
The description of each tool will be presented in relation to its role in calibration and with reference to the inherent balance between feasibility and validity. The criterion measures will be introduced first, followed by monitor-based measures and report-based measures. The following sections describe the major types of assessment tools used to measure individual physical activity. These tools also can be defined as subjective measures because they rely on the person's ability to interpret and recall physical activity and are generally categorized by mode of administration: self-administered or interview most are self-administered.
Recall-based self-reports may prompt users to recall time periods ranging from 1 day to 3 months. The time needed to complete the questionnaires may range from 1 to 20 minutes, with most of the self-report measures requiring less than 10 minutes to be completed.
Diaries have very different properties and characteristics because they generally require that a person records the activity performed throughout the day or right after it occurs. The level of detail varies with the instrument and a number of logging tools are now available for real time tracking with cell phone applications see Section 8. Regardless of form, the information collected from self-reports and diaries is often used to convert to measures of energy expenditure e.
The frequency and duration of the activities reported can be useful in determining compliance with physical activity guidelines and in computing volume of physical activity performed during a pre-defined time window.
Four major categories of self-report assessments are records or logs, h recall questionnaire, quantitative history, i and global self-report. A major limitation of recall questionnaires is the level of subjectivity involved in the estimates provided and challenges imposed on participants as a result of the recall process this is particularly true in youth, as described in Section 3.
Another challenge is the limited utility of questionnaires for directly estimating time in physical activity or in computing total daily energy expenditure values other than referring to standardized estimates of activities energy cost. Therefore, individual error tends to be very high. Individual error also often compromises the ability of a self-report to capture changes in physical activity that might occur over time or as a result of treatment effect. However, with calibration, it is possible to model the error from these tools and produce group estimates of physical activity that mirror estimates obtained from more accurate measures, such as activity monitors.
Recall questionnaires are easy to administer and inexpensive and are the only field measure that can capture both the type and the context of physical activity. These particular attributes can offset the limitations described above. More detail on self-reports is available elsewhere.
Activity monitors: Activity monitors provide a good balance between accuracy and feasibility and therefore are widely used in contemporary physical activity research applications. They have historically been worn on the waist but recent trends have shifted to wrist-worn monitors.
Activity counts have been calibrated to output meaningful outcomes such as energy expenditure and METs. These calibration equations in addition to activity counts typically use information, such as body weight, age, and sex, to predict energy expenditure and these estimates are often categorized into sedentary, light-, or moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity to determine the time spent in the different activities e. Popular activity monitors include the Actigraph and the GENEactiv, but a number of devices are available and each has different features and capabilities.
A few limitations to consider other than the high cost include the burden placed on participants, who often have to use the monitor for long periods of time e.
Additionally, monitors can place some burden on researchers and practitioners when extracting or processing the data. Another key limitation is that waist-worn monitors are not well-suited for capturing cycling, non-ambulatory movements, weight-bearing activities, or upper body activities wrist-worn monitors can overcome some of these limitations.
Despite these limitations, the objective nature of monitoring devices offers many advantages for field-based research, including the ability to detect the magnitude and temporal characteristics of the movement.
Monitor-based tools continue to evolve along with methods for processing and calibrating the data from these devices. However, it is important to note that advances in technology and methods often come at the expense of feasibility.
There are many reasons why fitness assessments are important. They do not take a lot of time to complete but can provide a wealth of information and help you get to know your clients better. Here are a few reasons why fitness assessments are important:. There are some basic measurements that provide good baseline measurements and enable trainers and clients to track progress.
These measurements require minimal and inexpensive equipment, are quick to administer, and are easily interpreted.
These anthropometric measures include height, weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, waist circumference, and hip circumference. Minimal equipment is needed and these can be completed quickly. Resting heart rate can then be used to calculate the target heart rate range for clients as they are exercising.
There are different methods for doing so, like the age-predicted HRmax equation, the Karvonen method, or the Tanaka method. BMI has some advantages as well as some disadvantages. BMI is only based on height and weight so it does not consider muscle or lean body tissue vs. While BMI is not as accurate as other measures, it is a good screening tool and can provide a baseline measurement.
Follow the procedures for collecting the skinfold measurements and use the calculations for that procedure.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis BIA is another method that uses additional equipment. BIA tends to have some inaccuracy but can serve as a comparison from baseline to a future assessment. These tend to be more accurate than BMI, but less accurate than some more specialized and expensive measures. The equipment is affordable, requires minimal or some training, quick, and easy to use. DEXA dual x-ray absorptiometry , BodPod, and underwater weighing are more accurate but require expensive and specialized equipment, plus trained professionals to administer and may not be an option for many trainers.
Muscular strength is defined as the amount of force that can be produced by the muscles usually against resistance or weight a single time or one repetition.
One repetition maximum 1RM or 1 rep max is a common assessment of muscular strength. A 1RM assessment measures the heaviest amount of weight you can lift with correct form for one repetition of that exercise. A 1RM test for the bench press exercise is commonly completed. Make sure the client is warmed up prior to completing a 1RM assessment. ACE Fitness has some helpful instructions and information about completing 1RM muscular strength assessments on their website. If you do not feel comfortable completing a 1RM test with a client, you can also estimate their 1RM based on the number of repetitions that they can complete to failure.
Muscular endurance differs from muscular strength in that it tests the endurance, or being able to complete a number of repetitions of an exercise rather than just one repetition. Muscular strength and muscular endurance are sometimes combined to describe muscular fitness. The push-up test is used to test the endurance of the upper body, primarily the upper arm triceps , chest pectoralis , and shoulders deltoid.
Men complete the test with their toes on the ground and women complete the test modified with their knees on the ground. The client completes as many repetitions as possible without stopping. The test ends when the client is fatigued or has poor form. The score is the number of push-ups completed and is used to compare with others of similar age and gender. The ACSM curl-up test is used to assess the endurance of the abdominal muscles, primarily the rectus abdominis.
The only equipment needed is tape for the floor and a ruler or measuring tape. Here is a video giving instructions and the position for the ACSM curl-up test. There are specialized tests usually completed in a laboratory, such as treadmill or cycle ergometer tests to measure VO2max.
VO2max requires expensive and specialized equipment, a trained professional, and can be uncomfortable for many clients. If a trainer has the resources available for these VO2 max tests, they are very accurate and informative. If not, other tests can be done quickly to estimate VO2 max with little to no equipment.
The minute run assessment was developed by the Cooper Institute and has been used for 50 years. After a brief warm-up, the client runs as far as they can in 12 minutes. If you are using a track, you can convert the laps to distance covered using a chart. The completed distance is then used to estimate VO2 max. The Rockport Walk Test is also commonly used with clients of all ages. After a brief warm-up, the client walks a mile as fast as possible.
The time to complete the mile in minutes and seconds is recorded. The time, heart rate, sex, and age are used to estimate VO2 max and compare to other exercisers of the same age and sex. The YMCA three-minute step test is another commonly used assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness. Others though may be starting from the very beginning, and may feel slightly intimidated entering the gym for the very first time. In any case, a fitness assessment is a great way to measure where a new member is on their fitness journey.
People like to see numbers and it gives them a clear idea of where they are at and, more importantly, where they need to go. A really worthwhile assessment goes beyond blanket tests and guesses. The best gyms and studios around use data-driven, in-depth and highly personalized assessments to determine what exactly the member needs to achieve.
Ed Haynes, a Hong Kong based studio owner, explained on an episode of our podcast the importance of running an assessment for new members. His Fundamentals Program assesses and prepares new members for the types of workout programs he runs. Listen to the episode after reading this article for some great advice on this topic and more. In this article, we will take a look at what exactly a fitness assessment is, the factors to consider before creating one, and 5 elements every fitness assessment needs.
Skip ahead to: What is a Fitness Assessment? A fitness assessment evaluates your overall health and physical fitness levels through a series of tests. There could be several purposes for fitness testing, such as:. For this article, we will mainly focus on an assessment that you can use as a fitness business owner. The goal of these types of assessments is to come up with the right exercise program for your members.
There a couple of key things to consider before creating your assessment which we will go through next. There are a few things to consider when you first sit down to plan out your fitness assessment. You need to factor in their age, injury history, and what their ultimate goals are.
All of these need to be carefully considered so you the best results possible for the member. As well as that you need to remember that the assessments need to be highly individualized so members have the best springboard possible to get the results they want. When administering a fitness assessment, consider a closer look at the age of the individual in question. This will help create a more individualized plan, which in turn increases the likelihood that the client will stick it through.
Exercise will always be at a certain intensity so there is always a risk someone could aggravate an old injury or pick up a new one. This way you can tailor the assessment and the following program to ensure they get the right results — without exposing them to injury. A person joins a gym for one thing — results. Again using a questionnaire, either during the sales process or when the person joins, is a fantastic way of gathering key information such as goals. When you know what the person wants to achieve, be it weight loss, muscle gain or conditioning for a sport, you can then create a suitable and accurate baseline for them to begin their journey.
Using the factors we have discussed, you would then create a fitness assessment using the following five elements: health evaluation, body composition tests, cardiovascular endurance tests, body strength tests, and joint flexibility tests. These tests are made up of a series of exercises to measure your overall health, current fitness levels, or progress after following through with a fitness plan. A great fitness assessment begins with a health evaluation.
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