1. Assessments

2. Why Assessment Gain information about people in your program
Screen for potential problems (Medical History)
Use information for goal setting and comparison with norms
Determine ability or health/fitness status

3. Why Assessment Provide motivational challenges
Provide relevant and timely feedback
Evaluate program effectiveness
Basis for future instructional program

4. Suggested Assessments
Pre-participation health screening
Screening questionnaires
Efficacy scales
Performance/Ability tests

5. Screening Questionnaires
PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness-Questionnaire )
Health/Fitness Facility Pre-participation (AHA/ACSM)
Medical History and Risk Factor (Best-Martini and Botenhagen-DiGenova)

6. Efficacy Scales
Falls
Gait

7. Selected Activity Tests
Senior Fitness Test (Rikli & Jones, 1999 and 2001)
Multidirectional Reach Test
(Rose, 2003)

8. Senior Fitness Test (Rikli & Jones)
30 Second Chair Stand
lower body strength
Bicep Curl
upper body strength
Chair Sit & Reach
lower body flexibility
Back Scratch
upper body flexibility
8 Ft. Up & Go
dynamic balance, motor ability
2 Minute Step
aerobic endurance

9. Senior Fitness Test Items
30 SECOND
CHAIR STAND
(Number of stands)
LOWER BODY
STRENGTH
Sit in chair, arms remain across chest, stand up. Count complete “ups’ in 30 seconds

10. Scoring Your Test Results CHAIR STAND (number of stands) Age Women Age Men

11. Senior Fitness Test Items
ARM CURL
5# (women) & 8# (men)
(number of repetitions)
UPPER BODY
STRENGTH
Holding weight with arm down at side bring it up with elbow rotation.
Testers hand limits range.
Return arm to beginning position with control.
Count “ups” in 30 seconds.

12. Scoring Your Test Results ARM CURL (number of repetitions) Age Women Age Men

13. Senior Fitness Test Items
CHAIR SIT & REACH
(inches)
Not for those with Osteoporosis
Don’t bounce
Don’t stretch to point of pain
LOWER BODY
FLEXIBILITY
One leg straight, other foot flat on floor. Reach forward with one hand on top of the other. Try to touch toes, holding reach for 2 seconds. Knee remains straight.
+ ve score is past toes
0 = touching toes
-- ve score is short of toes

14. Scoring Your Test Results CHAIR SIT AND REACH (inches) Age Women -.5/5 -.5/ / / / / /1 Age Men /4 –3/ / / / / /.5

15. Senior Fitness Test Items
BACK SCRATCH
(inches)
UPPER BODY
FLEXIBILITY
With back straight, try to touch two middle fingers behind your back. Measure distance between two middle fingers
+ ve score is overlap
0 = touching
-- ve short of touching

16. Scoring Your Test Results BACK SCRATCH (inches) Age Women -3/ / / / / / /-1 Age Men / / / / / / /.5

17. Senior Fitness Test Items
8-FOOT UP-&-GO
(Seconds)
DYNAMIC BALANCE, MOTOR ABILITY
On ‘”go” push off from chair, walk as quickly as possible around a cone 8 feet away and return to sit down again
Time yourself
to the nearest
1/10th of a second

18. Scoring Your Test Results 8-ft UP & GO (seconds) Age Women Age Men

19. 8 Ft. Up & Go Prediction
8.5 seconds to complete the test predicted 82% of fallers in a community program

20. Senior Fitness Test Items
2 minute step
(number of steps)
AEROBIC
ENDURANCE
(heart and lung capacity)
On “go” begin stepping in place, as many times as you can in 2 minutes.
Raising your knees up to a height that is midway between your kneecap and hip bone.

21. Scoring Your Test Results 2 MINUTE STEP (no
Scoring Your Test Results 2 MINUTE STEP (no. of steps) Age Women Age Men

22. Multidirectional Reach Test
See how far you can reach in the forward, backward and sideways direction
Ruler on the wall at shoulder height
One practice, 3 trials
Arm raised, feet shoulder width apart

23. Multidirectional Reach Test Scoring
Average Above Average
Forward ” ”+
Backward ” ”
Right ” ”
Left ”
Less than 10” on forward lean associated
with fall risk.

24. USE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF YOUR PROGRAM!