The importance of Fitness Assessments for our Aging Population

Staying active and maintaining physical health is very important as people age.  Individuals tend to wait until they get a health scare diagnosis before they are motivated to jump on the wellness path.  Many will then try to do what they did in their younger years, which can lead to injury as they never truly understand where their fitness level is at.  A fitness assessment is a simple yet powerful tool that provides a complete picture of the individuals physical capabilities. This is more than just a routine checkup.  It is a roadmap and first steps to take charge of an individual’s wellbeing.  Whether an individual is just starting a fitness journey or looking to maintain the active lifestyle they have always enjoyed, understanding where the body is today is the first step towards a healthier and stronger tomorrow.

Here at Westhills Village we focus on 4 components of exercise: Balance, Flexibility, Cardiovascular and Strength.  We offer many exercise classes that focus on functional fitness to help people live their best life for as long as possible.  To help people monitor their personal fitness we offer fitness assessments every six months.  These tests come from the Senior Fitness Test by Rikli and Jones and are specifically designed for those who are between the ages of 60-94 years old. Many individuals find it very useful to monitor where they are among others of the same age range nationwide.  A fitness assessment also gives a person a baseline to be able to monitor how things might be changing from year to year to help foster a more preventative care plan with their medical provider.