With age there is an increased risk for low-back musculoskeletal problems. Often this condition is associated with reduced flexibility of the hip and low back areas. Improvements in flexibility are associated with a reduction in low back problems.

While no one assessment can adequately assess total body flexibility, the trunk flexion test has been used for over 60 years and there appears to be a robust relationship between good truck flexibility and lower rates of low back problems.

To assess trunk flexion the participant will sit on the floor with knees slightly flexed. Then with a slow steady movement the participant will bend forward as far as possible with the maximal stretch being recorded. Before the assessment the participant is encouraged to do some light stretching exercises.

Aerobic capacity is the body’s ability to use oxygen to perform work, and this is very important for both health and performance. There are various ways to evaluate this level; however, for this program we are interested in how long it takes a participant to go 1-mile on a track. A major intent of the program is to encourage physical activity. When someone makes aerobic exercise activity a priority their 1-mile performance time will improve. By knowing the time it takes to go one mile at baseline it becomes very easy for a participant to evaluate the effectiveness of their exercise program.

Muscle strength is an important component of fitness, selecting a method that will be safe and effective in evaluating this domain is very important. We use the YMCA bench press test. Equipment needed is a weight bench and 35 and 80 pound barbell for women and men, respectively.

With a metronome set at 60 beats per minute, the participant will lie on the bench in a supine position with knees bent and feet on the floor, the participant will grab the bar with elbows flexed and press the bar upward to full extension, after each extension the bar is returned to the original position. During the test the participant will keep cadence with the metronome, the test is terminated when the participant can no longer maintain the cadence set by the metronome. The participant will be scored by the highest number of successful repetitions completed.

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle group to execute repeated contractions over a period of time. The curl-up (crunch) test is used to evaluate endurance of the abdominal muscles. Low levels of abdominal endurance are associated with an increased risk of low-back problems.

Abdominal endurance is assessed by having the participant lie on a mat in a supine position with knees bent at a 90 degree angle. With the arms resting at the side, palms down, and the middle finger touching a piece of tape. A second piece of masking tape is placed 10cm apart. A metronome is set to 50 beats per minute and the participant does slow controlled curl-ups to lift the shoulder blades off the mat while the fingers move the 10cm to the second piece of tape. After the upward movement the participant returns to the resting position with their back flattened on the mat. The individual will perform as many lifts as possible up to a maximum of 25 lifts.