Last month, we discussed implementing a health screening evaluation for your new students. When they sign up for classes, have a form ready for them to fill out that asks a variety of questions. The answers they provide will give you a clear picture of the potential health risk factors unique to them, such a recent and past health problems, use of current medications,, unhealthy lifestyle habits, and so one.
Since they are going to have to get onto the mat and exercise with the other students eventually, it is important that you take extra care in evaluating your new students–and this is done not necessarily by expecting them to just “keep up” with the upper belts. As such, it would be wise to conduct a fitness screening–much like the one that the ACMA Certified Instructors undergo as part of the certification process. This is a good idea not only for you as a teacher, but also for the new student, because you are aware of his or her limitations. Many people think that they can perform at any fitness level regardless of its intensity. This notion is always true. For example, an individual’s age or perhaps under laying physical limitations play a part of his or her abilities at first. Therefore, it is good to know a student’s health history before allowing him or her to bow in with a bunch of strangers that we don’t want to be embarrassed in front of.
I further suggest that you conduct the fitness screening one-on-one and away from the other students. This can also help you build a rapport with the new student during this initial training time together.
After the student has been working out for a month or two in your classes, evaluate the student again. Hopefully, the student will be amazed at the progress he or she has made in just a short period of time.
Here is a test called the “3-minute Step Test.” Instruct the student to stand I front of a bench or concrete block approximately one-foot high. Instruct the student to being stepping up and down, first one foot then the other. Start counting with the first step “one, one thousand” then the next step “two, one thousand.” Using a stopwatch, the time the student steeping for three minutes. (This takes longer than it seems.)
A couple of cautions here: If the student simply cannot make it through the three minutes (or if they score very poorly) advise him or her to set up an appointment with their doctor as soon as possible – and before taking your classes. Also, ask beforehand if they are taking medication that can affect the heart rate, such as a beta-blocker. If so, you will not get an accurate reading on the second part of this assessment, which is measuring the pulse rate.
As soon as three minutes are up, have the student sit down and begin counting heartbeats for exactly one minute. It is a good idea to figure out ahead of time how to best take the student’s pulse. You can do it or they can count themselves. Most people can do it by putting two fingers against the side of their own throat (it will be easy to locate when the heart is beating faster).
Now, check the results against these figures for beats per minute (BPM):
MEN
Very Poor 148, or more
Poor 147-118
Fair 117-103
Good 102-71
Excellent 71, or less
WOMEN
Very Poor 172, or more
Poor 171-143
Fair 142-128
Good 127-97
Excellent 97, or less
The “3-minute Step Test” does NOT measure your fitness level, but what experts call your “heart-recovery-rate.”
Next month, we will discuss how to measure the fitness level of the student (and yourself). Until then, start compiling material for your “New Student Assessment Protocol.”
