Dynamic Fitness

3) Aerobic Fitness Assessment:

• Aerobic fitness is a very key component to ones healthy lifestyle. The “Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (mCAFT) will be used at Dynamic Fitness to help assess aerobic fitness levels. Before the mCAFT is initiated, each participant must determine their resting heart rate as well as their ceiling heart rate. Resting heart rate refers to a participant’s heart rate at rest before any exercise has been done whereas ceiling heart refers to 85% of predicted heart rate maximum (Barker, 1999). Once these numbers are acquired, the individual has to determine their starting stage which is based on their gender and age.  Additionally, participants are instructed to lift their body weight up and down a set of double steps at a designated rate. Once the participants reach their ceiling heart rate, they have completed the test. At this point, the stage that the participant got to is measured and recorded. An active cool down is to be completed post-test, which means movement is still occurring using low-intensity activity (Margain, 2004).  The mCAFT measures aerobic fitness. Aerobic activity refers to exercise that increases the need for oxygen (Berry, 1994). Through the mCAFT, a “health benefit zone” is calculated which notifies the participant of whether they are benefiting from the effects of aerobic exercise. Benefits of aerobic exercise include prevention of health problems, strengthening of the heart, reduction of body fat and more (Berry, 1994).

We have attached a sample of what a aerobic fitness assessment looks like for clients at Dynamic Fitness!

This is subject 1, who had a resting HR of 60, and their 85% of predicted HR max was 170, resting BP was 130/90, with body mass of 98 kg.

Subject 2 has their data displayed below. Their resting HR was 60, their 85% of predicted HR max was 168, resting BP was 125/78, and their body mass was 89 kg.