Health Wellness and Fitness Assessment

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Health, Wellness, & Fitness Assessments

Willie Fears
American Military University
SPHE420
Dr. Rachel Lindsey
October 23, 2022

Health, Wellness, & Fitness Assessments
Health, wellness, and fitness assessments should be integral before participating in any physical exercise program. Ideally, this is because it enables the health and fitness trainers to design an effective and safe training program for the client. Thus, in designing the exercise program for a client, the trainer should ensure its intended benefits outweigh its possible risks. The health, wellness, and fitness assessments are conducted by obtaining two types of information subjective and objective. In this case, the focus of this paper is to underscore the application of subjective information in conducting health, wellness, and fitness assessments.
Background on Your Client
I am a thirty-three-year-old Marine Corp Veteran. Growing up, I was not an exercise person and only started to train seriously after I became interested in joining the Marines. I had to change because military jobs are physically demanding and require a physically fit individual to perform well. My interest in the military job marked my journey to physical fitness. I began with slight push-ups, sit-ups, and runs. I achieved excellent results because I could do 40 push-ups and 42 sit-ups and run two miles in 20 minutes or less. I also gained my dream body, which motivated me to maintain high fitness levels. I maintained high fitness levels throughout my military career for personal and job-related reasons and to pass Marine Corps semi-annual fitness tests. However, frequent injuries cut short my military career and affected my fitness regime. I have suffered a dislocated shoulder, shin splits, calf muscle injury, and various minor injuries. I was also involved in an accident that escalated my lower back injury. These injuries affected my training and lowered my fitness levels. In addition, parental responsibilities, education, and job commitments have left me minimal time to exercise.

Subjective Information
An inclusive fitness assessment comprises two types of information subjective and objective information. Such information enables the trainer to determine the clients fitness level. Generally, subjective information can be considered the personal feelings or opinions a person provides concerning a particular subject. Regarding fitness assessment, it is the information obtained from the clients perspective to confer the health and fitness trainer with information concerning personal history such as medical, lifestyle, and occupational background. Gathering such information is crucial for a trainer to make informed decisions when developing an exercise program for a client. For instance, it helps the trainer assess the client’s risk factors for chronic diseases. The primary responsibility of the health and fitness trainer is to provide the clients with effective and safe exercise instruction and guidance to enable them to achieve their personal fitness goals. In this case, subjective information is crucial because it allows the trainer to assess whether the client’s health status and physical abilities align with their wellness goals. For instance, in reference to lifestyle, it is evident that clients with a physically active lifestyle will not be at the same workout level as those with a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, objective information enhances the trainer to provide the client with an enjoyable, effective, and safe exercise experience.
2020 Par-Q+
The physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), such as the 2020 PAR-Q+, is one of the pre-participation health screening tests that trainers must conduct on new clients before permitting them to partake in any physical exercise. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (2013), the test assists trainers in identifying clients needing medical clearance or advice before participating in physical exercises. Equally, the test aids in identifying clients who should not engage in straining physical exercises. Ideally, apart from helping to identify if a client is fit to engage in physical exercises, the test also protects the trainer legally.
My 2020 PAR-Q+ results are illustrated by the visual representation below. As per the results:
My doctor has never said I have a heart condition or high blood pressure
I do not feel pain in my chest while resting, in my daily activities, or when executing a physical activity
I do not lose balance because of dizziness or lost consciousness in the last 12 months
I have never been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition
Presently, I am not taking prescribed medication for a chronic medical condition
Currently, and (within the last 12 months) I do not have a bone, joint, or tissue problem that can be made worse by becoming more physically active.
My doctor has never said that I should only do medically supervised physical activity.
I will use the information from the 2020 PAR-Q+ results to assess my medical history. Ideally, this will enable me to determine if I have a health condition that can restrict or limit my engagement in physical exercise. As per my results, I do not have a chronic medical condition that can hinder my ability to participate in any physical exercise.

My 2020 PAR-Q+ Results

Lifestyle and Health Questionnaire
The lifestyle and health history questionnaire is conducted to understand the clients lifestyle behaviors and medical history. Ideally, the questionnaires results enable the trainer to recommend and design an exercise program that suits the clients needs. As notable from my lifestyle and health history questionnaire, the exercise I engage in is weightlifting. Per week, I exercise (moderate-intensity) on this for at least 60 minutes five times. My main goals for this exercise are to gain muscle and health improvement. In terms of diet, I observe a healthy diet and refrain from consuming junk food. I have also adopted a healthy lifestyle as I get enough sleep, do not smoke, and manage stress through weightlifting.
About my occupation, I am a student. As a student, there are no extended durations of sitting, and there are repetitive movements. Although I do not engage in any physical recreation activity, I do fish once a month as a hobby. According to my medical history, I have sustained the following injuries: calf muscle injury, shin splits, dislocated shoulder, and various minor injuries.
I will use the lifestyle and health questionnaire results to decide on the most suitable exercise program that aligns with my health status and lifestyle behaviors. In this case, the results will help my trainer and me to plan an integrated exercise program that meets my weightlifting exercise goals. Primarily, this will be achieved by considering my past injuries, which predispose me to future injuries if the training is not well designed.
Health Risk Classification
Based on the results from the two preparticipation health screening questionnaires, I fall under the low-risk classification. Ideally, this category is for persons who do not depict any symptoms or signs of cardiovascular, metabolic, or pulmonary disease. However, individuals with a risk factor of one cardiovascular disease also fall under this classification (Nasm, 2017).According to Nasm (2017), the risk factors for cardiovascular include a sedentary lifestyle, dyslipidemia, obesity, cigarette smoking, and impaired fasting glucose. Notably, as per my 2020 PAR-Q+ results, I have never been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition, including cardiovascular and pulmonary (high blood pressure). Also, per the lifestyle and health history questionnaire, I do not live a sedentary lifestyle and never smoke the predisposing factor for cardiovascular disease. Understanding this classification is crucial because it enables the trainer to understand the safety of new clients before they participate in physical exercise.
Conclusion
Succinctly, the paper demonstrates the application of subjective information in conducting the fitness assessment. Notably, this is the information a health and fitness trainer obtains from the client’s perspective. It confers the trainer with information concerning personal histories, such as medical, lifestyle, and occupational background. Such information can be acquired by conducting physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), such as the 2020 PAR-Q+, and taking the lifestyle and health history questionnaire. The results of these questionnaires enable the trainer to design and recommend the best exercise program for the client. Ideally, the trainer’s primary responsibility is to provide the clients with effective and safe exercise instruction and guidance to achieve their personal fitness goals.

References
American College of Sports Medicine. (2013).ACSM’s resources for the health fitness specialist. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Nasm. (2017).NASM essentials of personal fitness training. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.