Senior Fitness Evaluation
Protocols
Table of Contents
Senior Fitness Evaluation Description 2
Senior Fitness Evaluation Appointment Description 3
Informed Consent 4
Informed Consent Script 5
Senior Fitness Evaluation Tracking Form 7
Order of Procedures 8
Procedures for Assessment of Resting Heart Rate 9
Procedures for Assessment of Resting Blood Pressure 10
Procedures for Measurement of Height and Weight 11
Procedures for Body Fat Analysis 12
Procedures for Body Weight Calculations 13
Rating of Perceived Exertion Chart 14
Senior Fitness Test
Chair Stand Test Protocol 15
Arm Curl Test Protocol 16
2-Minute Step Test Protocol 17
Chair Sit-Reach Test Protocol 18
Back Scratch Test Protocol 19
Balance and Mobility Protocols 20
Fullerton Balance Test
Balance Stance 21
Forward Object Reach 22
360 Turns Left & Right 23
Bench Step Over 24
Tandem Walk 25
Single Leg Stance 26
Foam Stance 27
Two-footed Jump 28
Walk with Head Turns 29
Reactive Postural Control 30
Senior Fitness Evaluation:
Description
Description:
A Senior Fitness Evaluation (SFE) is a comprehensive assessment of your balance and mobility as well as the physical fitness components of: aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. The evaluation serves two main purposes. The first is to aid in the design of your individualized exercise program. The second is to monitor your progress through comparison of results with future evaluations. The following is a brief description of the components of fitness and the tests included in a SFE.
Aerobic Fitness refers to the ability of the respiratory, circulatory and musculoskeletal systems to work efficiently over extended amounts of time. In other words, it is to determine how fit you are cardiovascularly. The two-minute step test is used to evaluate your aerobic fitness level.
Muscular Endurance refers to the ability of a muscle group to exert a submaximal force numerous times. The chair stand test and seated arm curl test are used to measure muscular endurance.
Flexibility refers to the range of motion in and around a joint or joints. Low back pain and disability are common ailments and are often associated with poor flexibility in the back of the legs (hamstrings), the hips and the lumbar regions. A chair sit and reach test is used to measure your flexibility in these regions. Additionally, limited range of motion and disability are common ailments often associated with poor flexibility in the arms and shoulders. A back scratch test is used to measure your flexibility in these regions.
Body Composition refers to the relative amounts of fat and fat free weight in the body. To estimate the percentage of body weight that is attributed to fat, a body fat analyzer is used to calculate your body fat percentage as well as provide your body mass index.
Balance and Mobility refers to an individual’s functional ability to safely move about their environment. A series of dynamic tests will assess the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive components involved in balance and mobility.
Preparation:
1. Avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours prior to the test. Try to avoid even moderate exercise for 2 - 4 hours prior to testing.
2. Please refrain from alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine at least 4 - 6 hours prior to testing.
3. Avoid a large meal within two hours of testing.
Senior Fitness Evaluation:
Appointment Description
Name: ______Appointment Date and Time: ______
You will receive a confirmation call the day before your SFE. If for any reason you will be unable to make the appointment, please notify the staff as soon as possible at .
Preparation
1. The SFE requires 1 hour to complete. This time does not include your personal time for getting dressed before and after the appointment.
2. Please be dressed and ready to go at the designated appointment time.
3. Wear comfortable clothing: Loose, breathable fabrics and rubber-soled exercise shoes.
4. Avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours prior to the test. Try to avoid even moderate exercise for two to four hours prior to testing.
5. Please refrain from alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine at least four to six hours prior to testing.
6. Avoid a large meal within two hours of testing.
Description
A Senior Fitness Evaluation (SFE) is a comprehensive assessment of your balance and mobility as well as the primary components of physical fitness: Aerobic Fitness, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition. The evaluation serves two main purposes. The first is to aid in the design of your individualized exercise program. The second is to monitor your progress through comparison of results with future evaluations. Following is a brief description of the components of fitness and the tests included in a SFE.
Aerobic Fitness refers to the ability of the respiratory, circulatory and musculoskeletal systems to work efficiently over extended amounts of time. In other words, it is to determine how fit you are cardiovascularly. The two-minute step test is used to evaluate your aerobic fitness.
Muscular Endurance refers to the ability of a muscle group to exert a submaximal force numerous times. The chair stand test and seated arm curl test are used to measure muscular endurance of the lower and upper body.
Flexibility refers to the range of motion in and around a joint or joints. Low back pain and disability are common ailments and are often associated with poor flexibility in the back of the legs (hamstrings), the hips and the lumbar regions. A chair sit and reach test is used to measure your flexibility in these regions. Additionally, limited range of motion and disability are common ailments often associated with poor flexibility in the arms and shoulders. A back scratch test is used to measure your flexibility in these regions.
Body Composition refers to the relative amounts of fat and fat free weight in the body. To estimate the percentage of body weight that is fat weight, a body fat analyzer is used to calculate your body fat percentage as well as provide your body mass index.
Balance and Mobility refers to an individual’s functional ability to safely move about their environment. A series of dynamic tests will assess the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive components involved in balance and mobility.
Senior Fitness Evaluation: Informed Consent
You have chosen to participate in an evaluation of your physical fitness. Your participation is entirely voluntary. During the assessment, you will be asked to perform a series of tests designed to evaluate your upper- and lower-body endurance, aerobic endurance, flexibility, agility and balance, as well as body composition. These assessments involve activities such as walking, standing, lifting, stepping, and stretching. The risk of engaging in these activities is similar to the risk of engaging in moderate exercise and may possibly result in muscular fatigue and soreness, sprains and soft tissue injury, skeletal injury, dizziness, and fainting. There is also risk of cardiac arrest, stroke, and even death.
If any of the following apply, you should not participate in this evaluation without written permission of your physician.
1. Your doctor has advised you not to exercise because of your medical condition(s).
2. You have experienced congestive heart failure.
3. You are currently experiencing joint pain, chest pain, dizziness, or have exertional angina (chest tightness, pressure, pain, heaviness) during exercise.
4. You have uncontrolled high blood pressure (160/100 or above).
During the evaluation you will be asked to perform within your physical “comfort zone” and never push to the point of overexertion or beyond what you feel is safe. You will be instructed to notify the person monitoring your evaluation if you feel any discomfort or experience any unusual physical symptoms such as unusual shortness of breath, dizziness, tightness or pain in the chest, irregular heartbeats, numbness, loss of balance, nausea, or blurred vision. You understand that all precautions have been taken to avoid these risks and should they arise the Fitness Center Staff is prepared for emergencies. Despite these risks, you are still willing to undergo the SFE. Feel free to inquire about any part of the Senior Fitness Evaluation (SFE) prior to testing. Please read the Informed Consent, ask any questions you might have, and sign below. You may discontinue participation in the evaluation whenever you wish by asking to do so. By signing this form, you acknowledge the following:
1. I have read and understand the full content of this document. I have been informed of the purpose of the evaluation and of the physical risks that I may encounter.
2. I agree to monitor my own physical condition during testing and agree to stop my participation and inform the person administering the evaluation if I feel uncomfortable or experience any unusual symptoms.
3. I assume full responsibility for all risk of bodily injury and death as a result of participating in the evaluation. Should I suffer an injury or become ill during testing, I understand that I must seek treatment from my own physician and that I or my insurance company will have to pay for this treatment.
The following information is confidential and will be handled with care. Personal test results may be shared with your health care providers and/or with staff at (Facility Name) as needed. I have read the Informed Consent thoroughly or have had it read to me if unable to do so. I give my consent for procedures involved in the Senior Fitness Evaluation.
Participant Signature Date
Witness Signature Date
Senior Fitness Evaluation:
Informed Consent Script
Purpose:
The purpose of the informed consent is to ensure that all attempts have been made to explain the inherent risks and discomforts, confidentiality of test information, and the voluntary nature of the testing procedures. The informed consent also ensures the participant understands the reasons to omit or discontinue portions of the test due to personal health issues. The participant should be made aware that the staff is willing to answer any questions that he/she has concerning the exercise test or other procedures prior to the Informed Consent being signed. The participant must sign in ink on the designated line. The technician must sign as the witness and ensure that all appropriate spaces are completed.
Informed Consent Script:
There are two main reasons for doing a fitness evaluation:
· The results will help in designing an exercise prescription specific to your needs.
· This evaluation will provide a baseline of your current fitness level to compare with results the next time you are tested.
The next time we meet, I will have a packet of information that shows your results and how they compare to normative values. In addition, the packet will provide explanations for the components of fitness and how to improve them.
During the SFE I will measure your cardiovascular endurance, muscular fitness, body composition, and flexibility. To measure your cardiovascular endurance, you will perform a two-minute step test. You will march in place at a pace that is comfortable for you for two minutes. I will also test your muscular fitness with a chair stand and seated arm curl test. I will use a chair sit and reach test and a back scratch test to measure your flexibility. I can also assess your body composition using a BIA and body mass index calculations. We will also evaluate your balance and mobility through a series of tests challenging your vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems. If you have any physical limitations that will restrict you from performing these tests, please let me know. All portions of this test are optional.
Information you possess about your health status or previous experiences of unusual feelings with exercise are very important to the safety and value of the test. During the fitness evaluation, you have the responsibility to let me know if you feel anything unusual. It is very important that you report to me any feelings of lightheadedness, dizziness, trouble with your balance, pressure/pain/tightness in your chest, difficulty breathing, or discomfort in any of your joints. These are not normal responses to exercise, so I want to know right away if you experience any of those symptoms. If I see anything unusual, I will stop the test, but remember, you are free to stop any of the tests at any time. If you don’t like a particular test, just let me know and we will stop. If your shoe comes off during the stepping test, you don’t need to wait for me, go ahead and stop.
There is the risk of injury during the fitness evaluation, just like there is any time you exercise, whether you are shoveling snow, hunting, walking in your neighborhood, or exercising at home. Anything from a strain, to a sprain or a broken bone is possible. In cases of an underlying disease condition, there is the possibility that an abnormal heart rate or blood pressure response, a heart attack, a stroke or even death could occur. The exercise will not cause that to happen in a healthy person, but the combination of a disease and exercise can be dangerous. We cannot see these diseases from the outside, which is why we recommend that anyone at high risk for disease or anyone with any doubt about their own safety during exercise consult with his/her doctor prior to beginning an exercise program. Do you have any concerns about your safety for exercise?