A Physical Fitness Assessment lays the groundwork for a Personal Training program. It allows you (and me) to get a baseline of your body. By establishing the baseline, your personal training exercise program will be neither too hard nor too easy. It avoids the goldilocks challenge – we get to the just right – right away!
Many clients feel they need stretching exercises not realizing that they actually have above average flexibility. They might fell unsteady while hiking or walking downstairs and not realize that their balance has diminished over the years.
Unless you have a solid understanding of the different areas of your physical wellbeing, it is hard to decide what exercises would be best for you to do – that becomes my job.
Your Personal Car Inspection
A Fitness Assessment is like having your car inspected. You might be feeling like your car is not running like it used to or you are preparing for a long trip and want to make sure nothing goes wrong along the way so you bring it is for a general inspection.
Components of a Physical Fitness Assessment
Your Physical Fitness Assessment includes:
- Body Alignment – How you distribute your weight through your feet, how you carry yourself, your body mechanics of sitting, going up and down stairs, getting up and down from the floor to more complex movement patterns.
- Flexibility – The range of movement in your muscles and your joints.
- Balance – Your ability to integrate your visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems to maintain your balance through progressively challenging testing.
- Core Strength – Your ability to activate or recruit your deep abdominal musculature or transverses abdominus. This is key in performance and injury prevention.
- Breathing Pattern – Your ability to breath with your diaphragm, which allows for maximum relaxation as well as maximum oxygenation to working muscles. Many individuals do not realize the importance of breathing as it relates to sleep, digestion, and general wellbeing. We cover these in detail during your assessment.
- Strength – An individuals’ strength varies not only from lower to upper body but within muscles groups as well. Having balanced strength allows joints to be well supported and the body to be well aligned. Most individuals do exercises they like and avoid the ones they really need. The product of a proper assessment is to address the weaker areas with exercises that you will enjoy – and do.
You might be taking better care of your vehicle compared to your body. You can always trade in your car but you’ll be in your body for life!
Maybe it is time to consider a physical assessment and an exercise program to get your body moving.
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