Fitness Assessment Center

Fitness Testing for SUNY Employees and Surrounding Communities— Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

SUNY Upstate Medical University has historically displayed a commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles for its own employees and surrounding communities. Recently, the commitment to creating a smoke free campus and supplying the necessary support for employees to make this lifestyle choice possible has thrust the campus to the forefront in wellness promotion.

Mission

Our primary goal is to provide a low cost physical fitness assessment service which will serve as a potential springboard for the adoption of a more physically active lifestyle for those who participate. 

About the Center

Are you interested in assessing your fitness level? Are you thinking about resuming or starting an exercise program? Maybe you want to know whether you should loose a few pounds or gain muscle strength. If so, the Fitness Testing Center at Silverman Hall is the place for you. Staffed by faculty from the Department of Physical Therapy Education in the College of Health Professions at SUNY Upstate Medical University, licensed physical therapists and doctoral trained exercise physiologists, the center can offer participants a personalized fitness assessment enabling them to effectively reach their fitness goals.

Personnel

The Fitness Testing Center is staffed by doctoral physical therapy students closely supervised by faculty, licensed physical therapists and/or doctoral trained exercise physiologists

Cost

Hours

• Contact Physical Therapy Education Department for hours at 315-464-6881.

Currently Offered Services

• Assessment of basic components of fitness
• Vital signs
• Body composition
• Aerobic fitness testing (using treadmill or stationary bike)
• Strength test

Fitness Assessment Instructions (pdf) Please read and respond to the par Q at bottom of form.

To schedule an appointment call Physical Therapy Education at 315-464-6881.

To assess your overall basic fitness level, the following measurements will be taken:

1. Blood pressure: Your blood pressure (mm Hg) will be measured while quietly seated using a standard blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.
2. Heart rate: Your resting heart rate will be determined while you are quietly seated by a pulse count at your wrist.
3. Height and weight: Your height and weight will be measured on a standard clinical type scale.  Body mass index (BMI = weight in kilograms/ height in m2) which is used to assess weight relative to height can then be computed.
4. Waist circumference: Waist circumference can be used as an indicator of health risk because of its relationship to abdominal obesity.  Measurements (cm) will be taken with an anthropometric tape just above your hip bones.
5. Hips circumference: Waist-to-hip ratio (which is the circumference of the waist divided by circumference of the hips) can be also used as an indicator of body fat distribution.  Measurements (cm) will be taken with an anthropometric tape at the maximal circumference of the hips.
6. Handgrip strength: Handgrip strength, which correlates well to overall muscle strength, will be measured with device called a handgrip dynomometer.  The dynomometer will be adjusted to your hand size.  You will then be asked to squeeze the device as hard as possible for 2 to 3 seconds.  You will be given three trials using your dominant hand.
7. Body composition: The percent of your total body weight that is fat versus lean will be measured using bioelectrical impedance (BIA).  To prepare for the measurement you will lie on your back and an area on the back of your right hand and foot will be cleaned with an alcohol wipe.  Two small pieces of electrode tape will be placed on your hand and foot.  BIA involves passing a small undetectable amount of current between the two pairs of electrodes.  The opposition to current flow or impedance is directly proportional to % body fat since adipose tissue is a poor conductor of electricity.
8. Cardiovascular fitness: Your ability to support sustained muscular activity will be determined using a standard treadmill test.  This test requires that you walk at a constant rate of 3 mph which is a comfortable walking speed for most individuals.  The treadmill grade is initially set at 0% and is increased 2.5% every two minutes.  This submaximal test will be terminated when you reach 80% of your predicted maximal heart rate (220 – age).  We will monitor your heart rate via a chest strap device that transmits to a watch.  Your heart rate response to the exercise protocol can than be used to predict your maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) which is widely believed to be the best single indicator of cardiovascular fitness.

All measured variables will be compared to age/gender adjusted normative values.