Assessments to determine a person’s level of fitness. Fitness testing may begin with recording basic information such as age, height, weight, blood pressure, and medical history. A body composition test may be performed to determine the body’s ratio of fat to lean tissue. The person being tested may be requested to perform a number of activities or exercises that measure his or her aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
Fitness testing consists of a set of exercises aimed at assessing an individual’s fitness level, with a focus on cardiovascular fitness and muscle performance. It is commonly conducted before a person begins an exercise program to gauge its safety and suitability or to track progress over time.
Typically, a physical examination is conducted, which involves measuring body fat, height, and weight. Blood and urine tests may also be performed, including an assessment of blood cholesterol levels. To gauge heart performance, the pulse is measured before, during, and after aerobic activities like step climbing, stationary cycling, or treadmill running. The efficiency of the heart is indicated by how slowly it works during exercise and how quickly it returns to its normal rate afterward.
An additional assessment includes evaluating an individual’s overall performance in a standardized exercise. This method is particularly useful for tracking progress during an exercise program and establishing goals. The test can be based on either measuring the distance covered within a set time or determining the time taken to cover a fixed distance.