We conducted a fitness self-assessment to assess your overall health and fitness. Areas tested included cardiovascular, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition, agility, balance and coordination. Once I completed these assessments, I chose an area I was missing to form a goal. Height measurement is done by easily marking the top of a person's head against a wall and measuring up to it. When taking height measurements, the person must remove their shoes before recording and their feet, calves, back and head must all be in contact with the wall. To measure weight you can use a scale. A reliable measurement is made by first asking the person to remove any objects from their pockets and to remove any heavy clothing. It is necessary to note the person's hydration status and recent food consumption so that subsequent tests can be performed under identical conditions ("Taking Height, Weight, and 'BMI' Measurements", 2018). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Circumference measurements are typically used to determine fat gain or loss. The mid-waist and hips are common measurement areas as fat tends to accumulate here. Waist measurement is taken at the narrowest level of the client's waist, while hip circumference is taken at the level of maximum protrusion of the gluteal muscles. The chest is another common area of ​​measurement and is taken by placing the tape measure around the upper torso and under the armpits (“Taking Girth Measurements,” 2018). Anthropometry involves the collection of statistics and measurements about the human body. I learned that when we record our height and weight we can use them to evaluate our body mass index (BMI). This is a common way to gauge whether a person's body weight to fat ratio is healthy for their size. However, BMI measurements are not as accurate for healthy, muscular people. They may be perceived as obese since muscle weighs more than fat, and this is not really differentiated on the BMI scale (“Taking Height, Weight, and 'BMI' Measurements,” 2018). According to my measurements, my BMI is calculated to be 20.9, which is said to be normal. Circumference measurements were another form of body size assessment. Usually, if girth measurements increase, this is shown as an increase in body fat. This suggests an increased risk of developing heart disease if fat accumulates around the waist. These assumptions are said to be reliable only when assumed on populations that have average to above average body fat. For men, a general guideline for measurements that show an increased risk of heart disease is a waist circumference greater than 102 cm and a waist-to-hip ratio greater than 0.95 (“Taking Girth Measurements,” 2018). Based on personally collected data, my waist circumference is 77cm and my waist-to-hip ratio is 0.84. I am quite below these guidelines and try to maintain my size so as not to increase my risk of heart disease. Heart rate is the number of heartbeats counted in a 60-second period. This can be measured both at rest and during exercise. Heart rate allows us to evaluate a person's cardiovascular fitness, as a decrease inresting heart rate over time due to training indicates an increase in cardiovascular fitness level. Measuring a person's heart rate can be done by taking the radial pulse. This can be found on the thumb side of the wrist with the palm facing up. You count the number of times you feel a pulse in a 60-second time period. An alternative is to count the number of pulses at 15 seconds and then multiply that number by 4 to count the full 60 seconds ("Taking Heart Rate Measurements," 2018). Blood pressure measurements are important to evaluate when your systolic pressure or diastolic pressures have increased beyond normal limits, thus having high blood pressure. The tools needed for this evaluation are a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer. To measure blood pressure, your arm must be supported on a table or chair. The inflatable cuff is wrapped around the upper arm and a stethoscope is placed over the person's brachial artery. As the cuff inflates with air, you can feel your arterial pulse as the air escapes from the cuff. Systolic blood pressure is measured at the first audible pulse of the brachial artery. The sound then gets louder, then muffled until it is no longer there. The moment you can't feel the pulse is the diastolic blood pressure ("Taking Blood Pressure Measurements", 2018). Heart rate and blood pressure are common measurements when evaluating a person's vital signs. I've learned that a low resting heart rate is a sign of high fitness levels. Based on my heart rate measurements of 79 bpm, I am below average for men as it falls in the range of 74 bpm to 81 bpm (“Taking Heart Rate Measurements,” 2018). I wasn't that surprised by these results since I know my cardiovascular health could be better. It is also important to note that heart rate can be unstable and can be affected by factors such as stress, nutrition or caffeine. As for blood pressure, normal systolic blood pressure is less than 120 and normal diastolic blood pressure is less than 80 ("Taking Blood Pressure Measurements", 2018). My readings were recorded as 119/78, which is normal. I know my family has a history of hypertension, especially on my father's side, so I have to try to maintain my current blood pressure to avoid risking cardiovascular health problems. Skinfold measurement is a common method of measuring a person's body fat percentage. This is a measurement of the thickness of the skinfold in specific parts of the body. The tester pinches the skin at the site and pulls the skin fold away from the body so that only the skin and fatty tissue are retained. Special skinfold calipers are then used to measure the thickness of the skinfold in millimeters. A common 3-site measurement for men includes the pectoral, abdominal, and quadriceps regions to measure fat. This data is then entered into a body composition calculator to reveal your body fat percentage (Quinn, 2018). After the skinfold measurement, I entered my measurements into a body fat calculator and I have 18.2% body fat which is average ("Body Composition", 2018). Now I know how to perform this skill on the areas I had measured. I also realized how uncomfortable this test can be since the calipers pinch the skin quite tightly. The sit-and-reach test is used to measure a person's flexibility, especially the lower back and muscleshamstrings. All you need is a 30cm high box and one metre. To perform this test, the client must sit with his legs straight and bare feet against the box, and his head and back against the wall. The client is asked to stretch his arms towards the box without his head and back losing contact with the wall. The ruler is placed at the end where the fingertips reach in order to establish a zero point. The client can now lean forward as far as possible along the length of the ruler a total of three times (“Sit and Reach Test,” 2018). Flexibility has always been a weak point of mine. After running the test, I managed to reach 18cm. For males, this is lower than the average, which ranges from 26.5 to 17 cm ("Sit and Reach Test", 2018). Whenever I tried to stretch my hamstrings trying to reach my toes, I could never get very far and my legs would feel so tight and burn if I tried to stretch. Years ago I took yoga classes and my flexibility was much greater than it is now. From this assessment, I learned that I should try to implement a few minutes of stretching each day into my morning routine. The Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA) helps analyze the health of the client's kinetic chain. An overhead squat uses all the muscles from head to toe when successfully completed, so it is a good movement to help assess musculoskeletal function. Honest results are achieved when minimal instructions are given to the client. Coaching beyond basic protocols could distort the natural path the client's body wants to take during the squat. The client should hold hands straight up and squat as low as possible for approximately 15 repetitions. The trainer should then evaluate clients from an anterior, lateral and posterior view to identify any form of deviation. Few compensations worth noting include turning the foot out, moving the knee inward/outward, stepping forward, arches/turns of the lower back, arms falling forward, head in forward, shoulder elevation, foot flattening, heel lift, and asymmetric weight shift ("The Overhead Squat Assessment", 2015). The OHSA is a very comprehensive assessment that can identify obscurities in own kinetic chain. While taking my assessment, a classmate noticed that I had some arch in my lower back when viewed from the lateral direction and that my knees moved slightly inward when viewed from the anterior position. According to “The Overhead Squat Assessment” (2015), low back arch may be due to an overactive spinal erector hip flexor complex. It could also be due to an underactive gluteal muscle, hamstrings, or intrinsic core muscles. Some strengthening exercises I could implement in my day are ball squats and floor bridges. An inward movement of the knee is said to be due to the overactive adductor complex, tensor fasciae latae, or vastus lateralis. Underactive muscles such as the vastus medialis and medial hamstrings can contribute to the inward movement of the knee during a squat. Some helpful strengthening exercises include a ball squat with abduction and a ball bridge with adduction. The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is used to evaluate static postural stability, usually in populations with concussion, mild traumatic brain injury, and vestibular disorders. . This test requires a foam pad, a stopwatch, an assistant to helpthe supervisor and a BESS score card. Six conditions are required for this test and it should take only ten minutes to administer. The patient should assume a double-leg position with the feet together, a single-leg position on the nondominant foot, and a tandem position with the nondominant foot in the back. All of these conditions are tested barefoot with the patient's eyes closed for 20 seconds each and on both a solid surface and a foam surface. These trials are scored by counting errors during these 20 seconds, with a maximum number of errors in a single condition of 10. Errors include moving the hands away from the iliac crest, taking a step, stumbling or falling, opening the eyes, abduction or flexion of the hip beyond 30 degrees, lifting the forefoot or heel off the testing surface and remaining out of the correct testing position for more than 5 seconds. The number of errors in each trial is added for a total score of 60. A lower score indicates better balance and fewer errors (“Balance Error Scoring System,” 2017). The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is used to evaluate dynamic stability which helps differentiate patients with lower extremity pathologies such as chronic ankle instability, patellofemoral pain, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. It is also used as a screening tool for sports participation and as a post-rehabilitation test to ensure dynamic functional symmetry. This test requires tape, a tape measure, test administrators, and a performance recording sheet. The setup includes two 4-foot ribbons on the floor, intersecting in the center, with two additional ribbons positioned at 45-degree angles to form an 8-pointed star. The athlete must take off his shoes and stand in the center of the star. Your hands should be placed firmly on your hips and, starting with your right foot for balance, reach your left leg as far as possible to lightly touch the watch band in all directions. counterclockwise. The administrator should mark the point where the athlete touched the line with his toe. This test should then be repeated for the same leg a total of three times and then performed again with the opposite leg. Averages should then be calculated for each direction, providing a total of 16 scores (“Star Excursion Balance Test,” 2018). The Balance Error Scoring System and the Star Excursion Balance Test are both reliable assessments for measuring static postural stability and dynamic stability. Since I don't actually have any vestibular issues, these balance tests weren't that difficult. Aside from what these tests measure, I have now learned how to administer them. This is useful for my future practice as a physical therapist when carrying out assessments. The vertical jump test is used to evaluate lower extremity power by measuring how high a client is able to jump. All you need for this test is a tape measure or marked wall and chalk to mark the wall. The client first positions himself next to a wall and extends his arm closer to the wall. The tip of the fingertip is scored and this is called standing carry. The person then puts chalk on their finger to mark the height of the jump. They then move away from the wall to jump vertically as high as possible, while using both arms to push the body upwards. The client should try to touch the wall at the highest point of the jump, and the score is the distance between the height of the standing reach and the height of the jump. The best of the three is then recorded.