Physical fitness testing in the West of Scotland — health counselling and individual fitness

Abstract

IN a health education programme dealing with car diovascular disease and the risk factors amenable to per sonal control, adult volunteers from community centres and the workplace provided information about their lifestyles, including smoking habits and level of physical activity, and completed a battery of tests to assess current physical fitness. This information was used primarily to counsel individuals on appropriate exercise involvement and behavioural changes conducive to reducing the risk factors for heart disease, although results did give a first insight into the physical fitness of a self-selecting section of the community. A large proportion had a low level of physical fitness, particularly cardiovascular respiratory endurance, although more than half of the sample des cribed their lifestyle as 'very active'. The number of smokers was slightly lower than the national average, but the number of young people, particularly women, who smoked was high.