Bupa has launched a new Fitness Assessment which has been designed to help all athletes understand their fitness levels and improve their performance, from the advanced triathlete to the newly keen runner.
Previously, detailed fitness assessments were the preserve of professional athletes and Bupa’s new Fitness Assessment is the first of its kind to be made widely available to the public. The test analyses in detail the user’s fitness levels, then works with this information to identify the different types of training and exercise that will help them achieve their very best.
No matter what the fitness goal is, Bupa Fitness Assessment offers invaluable insight to improve performance. It has been developed to provide bespoke advice to amateur runners, cyclists and triathletes – or simply someone looking to use exercise as a means of losing excess weight.
Britain’s number one distance runner Mo Farah recently trialled the test and said: “I found the stats fascinating. I’ve only ever seen these types of test available for elite athletes, so it’s brilliant that everyone can now go along and find out how fit they are!”
The hour-long assessment, carried out at a specialist Bupa Centre, involves three key stages:
* A pre-fitness test to measure body composition and assess blood pressure and lung function
* A full fitness analysis, which consists of a cardio-respiratory fitness test on a cycle ergometer or treadmill, using detailed breath-by-breath gas analysis to calculate fitness levels and produce an individual o2 Max reading[1]
* A post-test consultation, which allows the user to benchmark their performance against peers and professional athletes. Advice on how to improve all round cardiovascular fitness is given as well as a comprehensive health and fitness action plan and results analysis.
The assessment is currently performed in the fitness rooms at Bupa Centres across the UK at a special introductory price of £149 (usual price £199). Further Information can be found at Bupa.co.uk/vo2max.
Dr Peter Mace, Assistant Medical Director of Bupa said: “By helping individuals understand their current exercise responses, the Fitness Assessment will give them a much clearer view of their strengths and weaknesses, but more importantly it will provide an indication of what they can do to improve their fitness and meet their goals. Bupa can ensure that you train the right way to get to where you want to be.”