The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire

Introduction to Health and Wellness – HWE200

My score

I have been physically active consistently for most of my life and easily passed the PAR Q assessment. I tested the 1.5 mile run on the treadmill, since it is snowing in Salt Lake City, UT. My time was 13:31, for my age that falls in the excellent category.

Discuss why it is important to complete a PAR Q readiness assessment prior to starting an exercise program

A PAR-Q is used to evaluate a person’s readiness to begin and engage in a fitness program if they are 15 through 69 years of age and are not used to physical activity (Powers & Dodd, 2017). According to Elizabeth Quinn, “It is typically used by fitness trainers or coaches to determine the safety or possible risk of exercising for an individual based on their health history, and current symptoms and risk factors.” (2017, p2). Overall it is used to uncover any health risks that could be caused by exercising, such as cardiac issues.

Explain the importance of assessing your beginning fitness level

Exercise is recommended and safe for most people but there is a small percentage that should check with a doctor prior to increasing or beginning physical activity (Quinn, 2017). It is better to be safe than sorry so the physical activity readiness questionnaire should be completed first.

Expound on your results. Provide details such as duration and beginning and ending heart rate.

I warmed up with a brisk walk followed by a slow job which took me about five to six minutes. My heart rate after my warm up but prior to my 1.5-mile run was about 140 bpm (according to my Fitbit) and my heart rate directly after the run was 163 bpm (according to my Fitbit). I began my run at 6.0 mph pace but bumped it up to 6.5 at around minute six and completed the remaining run at the pace. The entire 1.5-mile treadmill run to me 13 minutes and 31 seconds.

Analyze how your results compare to other individuals within your age range based on the chart in the textbook

My results are above average for women between age 40 and 49. My time was 13:31 and the Excellent category is < 13:34 and the good category is 13:24:13:53 (Powers & Dodd, 2017). I was pleasantly surprised with my results.

Explain whether you were happy with your results. Why or Why Not?

I was extremely happy with my results because I do not enjoy running or feel like I am a strong runner. I did not expect to have an excellent score, although I knew I would have a decent score due to that fact that I have very active most of my life and have pretty good endurance especially compared to other women my age.

Whether you were happy with your results or not, identify two ways you could improve your results

I know I could improve my running and I probably should. Currently the only time a run is if it’s built into the WOD or if I am out of town and have to use the hotel gym. In the warmer months I occasionally do a post WOD 800m to 1 mile run with some gym mates. Two ways to improve my results would be to do intervals, this can help with cardiovascular endurance and one of my coaches recently recommended running at a pace that keeps my heart rate below 150, if it exceeds that rate, slow down or walk until it lowers then begin running again.

Explain how the lifestyle factor of physical fitness affects overall health and wellness

Physical wellness is a very important part to a person’s overall health and wellness. All eight dimensions can affect the other but physical wellness can impact all the others drastically. Without good physical health a person is more likely to be depressed which in turn could lead to the lack of a social life. Poor physical wellness can increase the likelihood of illness and diseases which can affect financial wellness, emotional wellness and even occupational wellness. So many dimensions of wellness are tied to physical wellness.

Discuss how these results relate back to your physical wellness results from Week 1

My physical wellness score from week 1 was 63 out of 76 which falls into the excellent category. My 1.5-mile test results were also excellent which helped my physical wellness results to be so good. The fit test and my physical wellness score complement each other.

Express which other dimensions of wellness are affected by physical wellness and how

Other dimensions of wellness that are affect by physical wellness are emotional and social. Emotional wellness is affected by physical wellness because exercise releases a lot of feel good hormones such as endorphins. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body and are the bodies way to reducing pain. Exercise is known to improve self-esteem and decrease depression (WebMD, n.d.). For me social wellness is affected by my physical wellness because I engage in group exercise and have a gym buddy. Besides work and the occasional meet up with friends, the gym is my social outlet.

Conclusion

Physical wellness is extremely important and should be performed by most people but a self-assessment evaluation should be performed prior to ensure a doctor’s recommendation or monitoring is not needed. It is never too late to focus on physical wellness; it could extend a person’s life or the quality of life.

References

Powers, S. K., & Dodd, S. L. (2017). Total fitness & wellness, the Mastering Health edition (7th ed.). Retrieved from https://redshelf.com

Quinn, E., (2017). PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) for Safe Exercise. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfit.com/physical-activity-readiness-questionnaire- 3120277

WebMD, (n.d.). Exercise and Depression. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression#1