Fitness Assessments with GT Employee Health Fair

Today I spent my afternoon meeting with employees and providing free fitness assessments at the Georgia Tech Employee Health Fair.

The health fair included about a dozen vendors covering the wellness spectrum including nutrition, dental, mental, and physical health booths. The Campus Recreation Center was well represented with an info booth, fitness demos, and a health assessment booth. I had a nice corner booth with a giant privacy curtain to conduct assessments.

The fitness assessments included a weigh-in and a body composition assessment.  There are a variety of ways to measure body fat, I usually use the skinfold method. Skinfold assessment measure the subcutaneous fat(fat just below the skin) and these measurements are directly proportionate to the total amount of body fat. The assessments can vary in number of sites and site location but all involve grasping folds of skin and using the calipers to measure the thickness of the fold. Skinfold assessments were my favorite part of our practical labs at GSU so I always sign up for opportunities to do assessments.

I used the Lange Caliper for today's assessments. The Lange manual recommended a 4 site skin fold assessment:

• Biceps
• Triceps
• Subscapular
• Suprailiac

2 other common assessment methods are the 3-site or 7-site method.

3 site skin folds
Male

• Chest
• Abdomen
• Thigh

Female

• Triceps
• Suprailiac
• Thigh

7 site skin folds

• Triceps
• Chest/Pectoral
• Midaxillary
• Subscapular
• Suprailiac
• Abdomen
• Thigh

Choice of sites may vary based on the results chart you are using and your overall fitness goals and assessment needs. Just be sure to use the correct sites based on the chart or formula you choose. At the CRC you can sign up for a fitness assessment  that includes body composition, resting heart rate, blood pressure, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. Or you can book an onsite assessment with me if you are not part of the Georgia Tech community.

The health fair is the kickoff for next month's National Employee Health and Fitness FREE events:

• Yoga for EveryBody - Monday, April 27th, 12-1PM, Peachtree Room, Student Center
• The Buzz on Health Technology - Friday, May 1st, 12-1PM, Room 301, Student Center
• President's Campus Walk - Tuesday, May 12th, 5:30pm, Meet at the CRC
• Be Well "Nutriton-Healthy Eating on the Cheap" - Wednesday, MAy 6th, 12-1PM, Room 320, Student Center
• Be Well "Tips for Health Eyes" - Wednesday, May 20th, 12-1PM, Room 320, Student Center
• Meditation Sessions - Thursday, May 28th, 12:15-12:45PM, CRC, Studio A

Do you have any special events lined up for Employee Health and Fitness Month?

Comment below with your wellness event! I would love to hear how you're keeping your worksite healthy. I'll be posting tips to help make your worksite healthier throughout the month of May!

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

References:

Ehrman, J.K.(ed) (2010). ACSM’s Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (6^th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.

Thompson, W.R.(ed) (2010). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (8^th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.