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PAR-Q Form Questions to Participate in Physical Activity

Updated by Rich

PAR-Q Form Assessment to Participate in Physical Activity

What is a PAR-Q form assessment?

PAR-Q form stands for a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire form and must be completed to assess if you can participate in an exercise program.

Regular physical activity is fun and healthy, and increasingly more people are starting to become more active every day.

Being more active is very safe for most people.

However, some people should check with their doctor before they start becoming much more physically active.

If you are planning to become much more physically active than you are now, start by answering the seven questions in the box below.

When to Check With Your Doctor

If you are between the ages of 15 and 69, the PAR-Q form will tell you if you should check with your doctor before you start.

If you are over 69 years of age, and you are not used to being very active, check with your doctor.

Common sense is your best guide when you answer these questions.

Please read the questions carefully and answer each question honestly.

Check YES or NO.

PAR-Q Form Questions

1. Heart Health

Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by your doctor?

YES or NO

Explanation:

Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the five components of fitness.

As such, it is critical that it is clear that your heart health is excellent before you begin a diet and exercise plan.

2. Chest Pain

Do you feel any pain in your chest when you do physical activity?

YES or NO?

Explanation:

Again, cardiovascular fitness is one of the five components of fitness.

As such, it is critical that it is clear that your heart health is excellent before you begin a diet and exercise plan.

Health issues present themselves in a variety of ways.

Pain is always a wake-up call.

But sometimes, even in the absence of pain, you might have a health condition that can only be detected by a blood test.

For example, despite having no pain, my left kidney was failing due to a congenital UPJ obstruction.

And I had no clue until I took a random blood test and found out that my GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) had dipped below 60.

As a result, I needed an emergency pyeloplasty (reconstruction of the kidney).

So, pain is not always the best indicator, but if you are having chest pains, then you must check with your doctor first.

3. Lack of Physical Activity

In the last month, have you had chest pain when you were not engaged in physical activity?

YES or NO?

Some people think that sitting most of the day has no adverse effects.

Instead, they believe that by sitting, they are protecting themselves from potential injury because of exercise.

It is true that physical activity can cause injury.

And some physical activities like powerlifting, skiing, boxing, weightlifting, cycling, rollerblading, and even walking can lead to injury.

Especially when you are not warmed up for a training session.

The truth is that sitting more during the day will NOT protect your health.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

The more you sit, the less healthy you are, even if you do an hour’s workout during the day.

Sitting too much is a bad idea, it even has its own name called sitting disease.

A Caution Before and After Workouts

Now that you know you must move your body to get and stay fit, here is a friendly warning:

If you do not have time to warm up, then you don’t have time to work out.

Make sure that before every workout, you spend at least 5 minutes warming up, and after your workout, another five minutes cooling down.

Warming up your muscles, tendons, and ligaments will protect you from unnecessary sprains and strains that can easily derail your training.

This caution does not only hold true for compound exercises that are inherently dangerous, like:

but even for apparently simple exercise like walking.

Yes, you can even injury your back if you do not pace your workout, which means that you do not exert yourself too much.

Always increase your training intensity gradually.

Never go all out without slowly building up to that level.

4. Balance

Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?

YES or NO?

5. Prior Injuries

Do you have a bone or joint problem, (for example, back, knee, or hip), that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?

YES or NO?

You can injure your lower back by walking, closing your door, getting out of a car, or deadlifting.

And you can hurt your knee doing squats or deadlifts and many other sports activities.

This vulnerability of your joints is why you must warm up and why you must be cautious before starting an exercise program.

And not only when you start a program, but as mentioned above, the warm-up and cool-down are critical to ensure your safety.

How Exercise Can Help

You might have the impression that exercise is all doom and gloom.

Not at all.

There are cases where training is going to help your previous injuries.

I can speak from personal experience.

Many years ago I tore the medial meniscus of my left knee.

It was so bad that I could not walk for six months.

And when I did start feeling better, I still could not walk normally.

There was always a perceptible limp to my gait.

Enter the squat and deadlift

One day I noticed that my legs felt much stronger about six months after I started doing squats and deadlifts at the seemingly absurd age of 55.

I realized that the limp was gone and that I felt more confident and mobile than I had for the past ten years.

There is a rationale, because when you strengthen your muscles, even though you still have a weakness, the whole is much stronger.

So, developing muscles that are targeted by squats and deadlifts helped to compensate for the weakness caused by a torn meniscus.

Compensating for weaknesses is not the only remarkable benefit of squats and deadlifts.

6. Medications

The sixth question on the PAR-Q form is regarding medications.

Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, or heart condition?

YES or NO?

One of the most fantastic benefits of following a fitness system is that it can help correct problems that usually require medications, such as those listed above.

For specific examples, please see:

7. Any Other Reasons?

Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

YES or NO?

If You Answered YES to One or More PAR-Q Form Questions

  • Tell your doctor about the PAR-Q Form and which questions you answered YES
  • Talk to your doctor about the activities you want to do and follow your doctor’s advice

Start Doing Activity

  • If you answered NO honestly to all of the PAR-Q Form questions
  • Start out slow and build up gradually
  • You will also need to sign an informed use of the PAR-Q form which is valid for a year

PAR-Q Form – Final Thoughts

Physical activity can improve your mental and physical health.

But, before you embark on a physical fitness journey, be sure to check your underlying health.

Otherwise, you could do more harm than good.

What’s Next

The simplest thing you can do for your health is to lose 20 pounds.

Learn the 15 Magical Benefits of Losing 20 Pounds

and the free program The Hashi Mashi Diet – How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps

Related Posts:

NASM PAR-Q Form

  • Download a copy of the NASM PAR-Q form (National Academy of Sports Medicine) or the ACSM PAR-Q (American Council of Sports Medicine)

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About The Author

Rich Hashimashi AuthorRich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer), an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and the author of Crossing the Bridge From Depression to Life. At the age of 55, he lost 75 pounds in 6 months, and discovered if you transform your body, you can change your life. You can read about his story here and send Rich a message here.

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