Everyone knows that knowledge is power, right? We’ve all heard it thousands of times. However, for some reason when it comes to health and fitness, most people are okay with just taking their best guess rather than KNOWING.
Many clients at Functionize tell us they feel like they don’t know what to focus on when trying to improve their health. “Should I spend more time stretching? What about my cardio? How often should I be lifting weights?”
Injuries are another big concern when starting a new exercise program. Injuries cost us time and money, and they take us away from the activities we enjoy and the people we love. People ask, “What puts me at risk for injuries? What can I do to avoid them?”
What if you had a way to answer all of these questions? If there were something you could do to gain the knowledge, and thereby power, to take control of your body and health, you’d do it, right?
Enter the 5 Point Check-Up.
The 5 Point Check Up is your 1-on-1, full-body health and wellness assessment. During this hour-long appointment, you and one of our skilled Doctors of Physical Therapy will find the answers you’ve been looking for.
Let’s talk about what the components of the 5 Point Checkup are, and how they can help you reach your goals.
Body Composition Analysis
The first is using our InBody machine to complete a body composition analysis. This will give us important information such as the amount of skeletal muscle in your body, percent body fat, and an estimate of your basal metabolic rate. Most healthcare providers only look at your weight and body mass index, or BMI. Unfortunately, these numbers tell us very little about how healthy you actually are! Since they don’t take into consideration the amount of muscle in your body, they can be very misleading about your health.
Range of Motion Assessment
We will also complete a full range of motion screen throughout your body. Range of motion refers to how flexible your body is at each different joint, such as the knees, the shoulders, neck, etc. If you’ve got an old injury or a nagging ache or pain, often your range of motion will be limited at that joint. Identifying these areas of decreased flexibility can help us make recommendations on exercises and stretches to treat pain and prevent injuries in the future!
Neurological Function Screening
Third, your therapist will take you through a neurological screen. This component is important as it helps us to identify if there are any serious problems that would require sending you to the doctor. We go through a series of tests such as checking your reflexes, your eye tracking, your balance, and your pupils. While we rarely have patients who present with problems during this component, it is important that we make sure you are healthy and safe to complete further exercises.
Functional Movement Testing
Following the neurological screen, we will complete an assessment of your functional mobility. This includes exercises that will challenge your ability to control your core and hips, balance, whole-body mobility and other tasks. These are good for identifying areas that you may need to focus on when you are exercising and performing stretches. Many people are surprised by how difficult some of these seemingly-simply tasks may be!
Fitness Level Testing
The last component will examine your performance during exercise. We will have you perform both cardiovascular exercise as well as lifting some weights. This is where many clients learn about proper form, exercise intensity, and understand their heart rate response during exercise. Our clients are often surprised at how much weight they are capable of lifting with the proper instruction and technical cues! This can serve as a fantastic benchmark to compare to the weights you are using during your current workouts, or if you are beginning a new workout plan, to have a place to start. Your therapist will also test your performance on common exercises like push-ups, planks, wall sits, and knee extension.
I’m sure you can see how valuable all of this information would be! One of the most important things the 5 Point Check Up provides is a glimpse at your fitness level TODAY. Maybe you’ve been working on a New Year’s Resolution and have been trying to exercise more and eat healthier. With the 5 Point Check Up, you will have a benchmark of where you are at today across several areas, and you will be able to compare that information to the new, healthier you in the future!
After collecting all of this information, you and your physical therapist will discuss what things YOU can do to improve and make the biggest impact on your well-being and how we can be part of that journey.
Our team has carefully designed the 5 Point Checkup to measure what matters. It will equip you with the knowledge necessary to make positive changes in your health trajectory; rather than waiting until you are IN pain, you will have the tools necessary to avoid the costs and frustrations of injury.
Do you want to take control over your health? Have you tried in the past to make a positive change but lacked direction? If you’re ready to stop guessing and feel empowered to make improvements that last, schedule your 5 Point Check Up today!
Thanks for reading!
Jesse Brown, PT, DPT
Along with his education as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Jesse brings an extensive background in exercise to the clinic. With experience across all different types of weight training, including Olympic-style weightlifting, CrossFit, and powerlifting, you can be sure that Jesse has the expertise to help you get where you want to go!
When he’s not helping individuals in the clinic, Jesse can be found practicing what he preaches - lifting the bar. He is an avid weightlifter, competing and refereeing locally through USA Weightlifting.