Fitness Assessment in more detail

Medical tests included in Fitness AssessmentShow all

Fitness

Fitness score (VO₂ max) Hide

VO2 max or maximal oxygen uptake is widely regarded as the most accurate measure of cardio respiratory fitness and aerobic endurance and is also important for assessing health status. It shows how efficient the body is at taking in, delivering and using oxygen to produce energy in response to maximal exercise. By using a specialised mouth piece and state of the art equipment, detailed gas analysis can be performed to calculate an accurate, predicted VO2 max score.

The test involves cycling on an electronically braked bicycle or treadmill ergometer so that the workload can be carefully controlled. Every two minutes the workload is increased. The average length is about 8 minutes. We aim to get the heart rate up to 85% of maximum predicted heart rate.

Body metabolism during exercise – what fuels you burn Hide

The body normally uses a combination of fat and carbohydrate to create energy within the muscle. Inefficient muscles will tend to use the more easily metabolised carbohydrate to create energy. More efficient muscles will use the energy rich fat stored to create energy. Utilising fat will help to improve exercise endurance and maintain healthy body fat levels.

By closely monitoring respiratory responses throughout the exercise test using a specially designed mouthpiece, the health adviser can monitor which fuel is being utilised and give advice on ideal training intensities based on your individual exercise performance.

Advice on the best exercise for you Hide

Based upon the results of the cardio respiratory fitness analysis, your medical questionnaire and medical test results, your health adviser will discuss the most appropriate exercise regime for you to meet your personal health and fitness goals tailored specifically for you.

The outcomes of your discussion will help create your lifestyle action plan and key health objectives that will be stated within your final report.

Strength assessment Hide

Strength is a core element of fitness. A grip dynamometer test provides an indication of overall strength. Grip strength is correlated to overall upper body strength, lean muscle mass and a lower risk of frailty in later life.

Flexibility test Hide

This test provides an opportunity to evaluate one of the key components of physical fitness and compare your result to population averages and monitor your flexibility over time (at repeat visits).

Greater flexibility may mitigate against joint aches and pains. A trunk flexion assessment provides an indication of total body flexibility.

Body composition

Body fat percentage Hide

This test works out how much of your body is made up of fat and how much is lean tissue, such as muscle and bone. A healthy proportion of body fat depends on your age and gender.

Combined with a BMI measurement this can indicate what the best healthy weight for you is. Excess body fat can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.

Height and weight measurement Hide

Your height will be measured and you will be weighed. These measurements are useful when combined and compared with other tests and are important when measuring fitness levels.

Waist to height ratio measurement Hide

This is a measure of the degree to which fat is stored around the middle. It is calculated by dividing your waist measurement by your height.

The way the body fat is distributed is important. People who have body fat stored mainly around the abdomen have a higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than people with the same amount of body fat stored mainly around the hips and thighs

 

Body mass index (BMI) calculation Hide

Your body mass index (BMI) is one way to find out if you are a healthy weight. It is calculated using an accepted medical formula which involves calculating a ratio of your height to weight and comparing this to an accepted health range.

Carrying too much fat is the most common cause of a high BMI. Being overweight is related to health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. People with a BMI over 25 are at a higher than average risk of these conditions.

Heart and lungs

Resting blood pressure and pulse rate Hide

Blood pressure tends to rise with age and when high, rarely causes any symptoms. This is why it is important for adults to check it regularly.

A higher than normal blood pressure means that the heart has to work harder to push blood along. Over the long term, hypertension (high blood pressure) is associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

Read more about high blood pressure on our health information site.

ECG (electrocardiogram) Hide

An electrocardiogram measures the "electrical signature" of each heart beat while you are at rest. An abnormal ECG can identify coronary artery disease, an enlarged heart and disturbances in the electrical control of the heart (arrhythmia). The ECG is monitored both at rest and during exercise.

Detailed lung function test including flow volume loop Hide

A test measuring the size of your lungs and how efficiently they move air in and out. Some results can indicate early signs of lung disease and certain conditions such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma. The full flow volume loop measures both lung volume and lung flow as you breathe in and out maximally. This test is performed prior to exercise to ensure that no underlying respiratory issues are present before performing the test.

Measurement of heart efficiency during exercise Hide

As the body works harder, the heart beats faster and more strongly to meet the increased oxygen demand of the muscles. An efficient heart response is an important element of good cardiovascular fitness. Throughout the exercise test the health adviser will closely monitor your heart rate and oxygen uptake. The results will be explained to you by the health adviser during the consultation.

Measurement of lung efficiency during exercise Hide

As the body works harder the oxygen demand of the muscles increases. Your lungs are essential in absorbing oxygen in to the blood stream and removing carbon dioxide produced from metabolism during exercise. An efficient lung response is important in achieving high levels of cardiovascular fitness. Equally, inefficient lungs, as caused by poor fitness, smoking and respiratory disease can lead to reduced cardio respiratory efficiency, and therefore can impact fitness levels.

Quality assuranceShow all

Central booking facility Hide

Our call centre staff have access to appointments at all of our centres throughout the country. They will be therefore able to help identify suitable appointments at a number of centres.

Stringent standards to ensure high quality Hide

Clinical governance

Clinical governance is defined as "a framework through which the organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence of clinical care will flourish".

It requires that as an organisation we have:

• quality improvement activity eg audit
• a process for monitoring
• internal and external reviews
• clear policies to manage risk
• clinical incidents reporting
• a clear complaints handling policy
• management and reporting of poor performance

We are registered with the Healthcare Commission

This organisation requires that all our procedures and policies place the client as the most important stakeholder, and that we ensure client safety at all times through clear policies and procedures.

Bupa Centres are regulated and audited by the Healthcare Commission. A copy of the latest inspection reports is available from:

Healthcare Commission PVH
Finsbury Towers
103-105 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8TG

Our doctors and health advisers

We choose our doctors carefully; normally they will have been qualified for at least five years and have a broad background of medical experience. Most will have a higher degree – MRCGP, MRCP or equivalent. All will have undergone a training programme to familiarise them with the concept of health assessment and Bupa protocols. All are subject to an initial three-month appraisal and then annual appraisals thereafter, with regular notes audits and report checks.

Our health advisers are either qualified nurses or exercise physiologists, both of whom have undergone a two-week full time training programme in performing health assessments. This includes training on the impact of nutrition and diet, alcohol consumption, exercise programming and the benefits of exercise, and the effects of smoking on health. They too are subject to ongoing performance appraisals.

We have a robust complaints policy

We are always pleased to hear about aspects of our service that you have particularly appreciated. We also want to hear about any problems you have experienced, so that we can deal with them speedily and improve our service for the future.

If something goes wrong, here's a simple procedure to ensure that your concerns are dealt with quickly and effectively. If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, we would like to address this straightaway. If possible therefore, please speak to a member of staff at the centre. All centres have a complaints handler who has had specific training. Or you may prefer to talk to the centre manager.

If we cannot satisfactorily resolve your concern there and then and you wish to make a complaint by telephone or in writing, please call or write to the centre manager.

We will aim to give you a written acknowledgement of your complaint within 24 hours of receipt. A full response will be made within 20 working days. All complaints are dealt with confidentially and impartially.

If required, your complaint will be referred to the regional manager and may be escalated to the managing director.

We keep a record of every complaint and look at how many we receive and the reasons. We use this information along with our customer surveys to help make sure we continually improve the service we provide.

This procedure does not affect your legal rights.

ISO accreditation Hide

We currently operate under the guidelines of the ISO9001:2000 quality management system. As part of this, we operate a stringent clinical standards policy with full internal audit of all procedures. All non-clinical staff also undergo regular appraisal through the Bupa Positive Performance Management process.

In our last audit, we received the following comments from the auditors, SGS Yardsley:

"It is evident that a great deal of thought and commitment has been given to developing the system to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 and incorporate business and clinical needs"

"All staff involved in the audit process demonstrated excellent knowledge and ownership of the key processes and the documented Quality Management System"

"Excellent systems in place to monitor customer satisfaction"

"Very well managed centre with adherence to system requirements evident"

"Staff are proactive in problem solving and demonstrated contingency plans in place to enable patients to receive blood resulted on the day of assessment when the lab equipment is not functioning"

"Excellent controls in evidence in all areas. Communication is particularly good"