The Health Appraisal Process

The key elements in the health appraisal process are reviewing the patients medical history, doing a risk factor assessment, finding out any medications taken, determining level of physical activity, getting physician consent if needed, having patient complete necessary fitness tests and evaluating the results, setting up their exercise routine and follow-up with them with further tests. It is important to follow these steps to promote individual wellness and to prevent injury. Each of these steps determines what kind of fitness routine an individual can do successfully, without failure and without injury.

Lifestyle behaviors can be identified by evaluating the patient with tests and questions in the beginning of the health appraisal process. This way you will learn their normal fitness routine, if they have one, and things about their personal lives; like if they are a smoker. Lifestyle behaviors can be impacted by teaching the patient the healthy way to live and explaining to them risk factors of any bad habits they may have. Show them effects of their negative ways.

The health appraisal process for children is different than that for adults, because children's bodies are very different than adults, they are not just miniature grown-ups. According to the 'Fitness Professionals' Handbook (Howley, Franks, 2007) the two major physical tests that are used for children and teens are the Fitnessgram and the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. According to the reading these two tests assess" cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and endurance and flexibility" (Howley, Franks, 2007). It includes a run, stretching and a series of push up and sit ups.

The motivational strategies and techniques that can be used with youth are making it fun, by integrating sports into their fitness they will see fitness as something fun that makes them feel good rather than something more like a chore. With new things out like the Wii, it makes it easier to sneak fitness into a child's life without them really feeling like it is a chore. Also, leading by example and giving them rewards for performance can help motivate them greatly. If they see how much energy the adults in their lives are and how much happier they are because of proper fitness they too will want to stay in shape!

Source

Howley, E. & Franks, B.D. (2007). Fitness Professionals' Handbook. Human Kinetics. Champaign, IL.