<blockquote><span style="color: #993366;">Today’s post asks the question;</span> <span style="color: #008080;">can a non-invasive health assessment*, a snapshot of your health status if you like, let YOU know you’re giving yourself your best chance of optimum performance?</span>

&nbsp;</blockquote>
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>*A Health Assessment</strong> </span>is NOT a full Fitness ECG Stress Test. It is NOT an athletic aerobic threshold or VO2 max test. It is more a means of accurately emphasizing your collective health status relative to your potential maximum output. Read on...
<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>What’s optimal performance?</strong></span>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Your health status; mentally, emotionally, sexually and athletically, allows for maximum “life in your years”. </span>

<span style="color: #008080;">And, you live free of unnecessary self-sabotaging illness. </span></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>So, what is a Health Assessment?</strong></span>
In today’s world, I figure I’ve got no longer than 25 minutes to succinctly outline an <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hcfgchvh.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2651 size-medium" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hcfgchvh-300x180.jpg" alt="hcfgchvh" width="300" height="180" /></a>individual’s current Health/ Wellness Status.

&nbsp;

So my <span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Health Assessment</strong></span> includes repeatable, reliable, and non-invasive tests that (quickly) offer the following:
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">1. Highlight the <span style="color: #993366;">“howler”</span> – your personal sleeping giant, if you have one – like for example the possibility of having one of many premature cardiopulmonary diseases. My collated data suggests uncovering, and consequently referring to their GP, about 1/100 serious potential risks. The link between high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low cholesterol, and poor postural stability is now an immediate red flag. Interestingly, excessive weight (related to excessive body fat), within reason of course, is well behind as a “potential health risk” compared to the link mentioned above.</span>

&nbsp;
<span style="color: #008080;">2. An <span style="color: #993366;">accurate snap shot</span> of where your health &amp; wellness sits on this day. Your results are collated, documented (graphed), and sent to you for your personal records. It’s a useful reference as you age, or, perhaps more importantly, how your health is holding up against a sh^t tonne of stress. </span>

&nbsp;
<span style="color: #008080;">3. Results indicate where your health status sits <span style="color: #993366;">relative to your <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bnbb.png"><img class="alignright wp-image-2725 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bnbb-300x264.png" alt="bnbb" width="177" height="156" /></a>demographic average*.</span> Also indicated are healthy or optimal ranges, along with goal zones in the event you’re not currently living at your ideal wellness within that area of health.</span>
<span style="color: #008080;">*Australian means are currently poor compared to most other first world countries. </span>

&nbsp;
<span style="color: #008080;">4. While ALL tests evaluate physicality, interestingly, combined results draw attention (certainly clues anyway) to <span style="color: #993366;">potential risks of unmanaged (or unbalanced) lifestyle stress</span>. More on this later...</span>

&nbsp;
<span style="color: #008080;">5. Your<span style="color: #993366;"> relative physiologic AGE</span>. Yep, based on normative means, I’ll tell you how old your body really is. Yikes!</span></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Below is what I believe to be the most useful combination of assessments performed within this 25 minute period.</strong></span>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Each test is accompanied with a brief “on the run” explanation – both verbal and with visual animation.</span>
<span style="color: #008080;">All testing and results are strictly confidential.</span>

&nbsp;</blockquote>
<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>The Health Assessment – my standard group of tests</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>1) Body Composition</strong></span></p>
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Body Weight</strong> </span>– just a quick reference, nothing more.
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>BMI</strong></span> – again, just a universal guide.
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Body Fat%</strong></span> (using bio-impedance unit) - now we’re talking. Your ratio of lean muscle<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/scales.png"><img class="alignright wp-image-2739 size-full" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/scales.png" alt="scales" width="225" height="225" /></a> mass &amp; bone/ relative to stored body fat is a good representation of your lifestyle health and possible risks. Also a useful guide for budding athletes.
<strong><span style="color: #008080;">Girth measurements</span></strong>/ Chest &amp; Waist for the boys, and Waist and Hips for the girls – Weight &amp; body fat are relative to your shape. All tests need to be considered before judging your composition status. One can certainly change shape and lose unnecessary body fat, yet remain the same total weight.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>2) Basic Pathology</strong></span></p>
<strong><span style="color: #008080;">Blood Glucose</span></strong> – This is a big one in the headlines at the moment, with ensuing diabetic ill-health leading the way. While this test is non-fasting it offers a useful guide and reflection of your: food choices (eg excessive sugars), insulin sensitivity and your metabolic preference – fat or sugar, and possible pre-diabetes.
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Cholesterol (total)</strong> </span>– Firstly, blood cholesterol has been well proven to be a critical component of continued good health. Secondly, foods containing CHOL should be included in our diet. The importance of avoiding too little cholesterol dense food options is well documented in the internet. However, still, if total CHOL is off the charts high, it is still regarded a red flag towards potential health risks – CV disease being the King. A GP will assess a more thorough breakdown of your CHOL status and direct appropriate action.
<strong><span style="color: #008080;">Triglycerides</span></strong> – your TG result, coupled with blood glucose, gives us an accurate reflection of your existing health. TG’s are the fats circulating in your blood. TG’s, 1) provide us with usable energy, and 2) store unused energy in the form of body fat. Unlike <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/TRIGL.png"><img class="alignright wp-image-2735 size-medium" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/TRIGL-300x133.png" alt="TRIGL" width="300" height="133" /></a>cholesterol (also under the fat banner), which builds cells and vital hormones, your TG’s status provides us with information related to your food volume, type, exercise habits, and your metabolic preference (fat or sugar). High TG’s and High (LDL) CHOL is usually a bad (risky) combination. The good (HDL) CHOL don’t usually accompany high TG’s, and again, provides a double whammy towards potential CV disease.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>3) Cardiovascular/Respiratory System</strong></span></p>
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Blood Pressure</strong> </span>– A one off test indicating high BP could be for two possible reasons. 1) Possible blood vessel congestion – eg blockages (namely; atherosclerosis), or possible vessel wall deficiencies, and, if this was the case, it’s straight off to your GP. And 2) an emotional – lifestyle stress driven – effect. When we perceive overwhelming stress, we tighten up, as in everything, including our blood vessels. This effect, if maintained, ultimately places excessive strain and stress in our engine (heart) and pipes (namely; vital arteries).
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Resting Heart Rate</strong></span> – A low resting heart usually indicates good CV health. Less work = less stress. More inefficient work = more stress. More functional (eg heart) stress = usually means more emotional stress. OK you get it!!
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Lung Capacity &amp; Power</strong></span> – I’ve placed increasingly value on lung assessments in passing years. With increasing sedentary lifestyles (usually spent sitting and focussed on a screen), decreasing postural balance, and decreasing city air quality, my results suggest decreasing <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hrxx.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2652 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hrxx.jpg" alt="hrxx" width="245" height="163" /></a>lung capacity &amp; power, and as a result relative <span style="color: #008080;">“lung age”</span> is increasing. Efficient full capacity breathing seems to offer significant support in lowering hormonal stress.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>4) Physiologic Age Test</strong></span></p>
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Queens Step Up test</strong> </span>– a simple 3min step up test to the rhythm of 24 steps per minute. Your pulse (in beats per minute) is recorded and along with your collective health test results to date, a formula is used to predict your VO2. Meaning, how well (or efficiently) do you intake, transport, uptake, and utilise oxygen. Exercise, posture, and genetics all play a role in your VO2 score.
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Push Up test</strong> </span>– After 25 years of studying first hand human movement, I place the <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/PUSHH.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2734 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/PUSHH-300x291.jpg" alt="PUSHH" width="216" height="210" /></a>classic pure push up as the most important postural strength exercise of them all. You recruit more associated postural muscle groups to perform a perfectly aligned push up than anything else. How many do you score?
<span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Crunch Test</strong></span> – It’s just a complementary guide indicating core strength and control. A less than average result commonly leads to lower and upper back vulnerability.
<strong><span style="color: #008080;">Flexibility</span></strong> – Sitting = inactive calves, tight hamstrings, weak glutes, unstable low back, tight shoulders &amp; neck = poor collective range of movement = sub-par functional health.
<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Your Physiologic Age</strong></span> – combining the results of the 4 tests above relative to normative (Australian) values, I’ll calculate a value of your physical age – hopefully you’re younger than your biological age.
<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>So where to from here?</strong></span>
1. Each individual is<span style="color: #008080;"> e-mailed their results</span> – pfd (pls see example)
2. Results are associated with <span style="color: #008080;">helpful “go to” links related to areas of interest</span> or concern – eg, weight management, stress management, postural improvements, etc
3. If applicable, I’ll strongly <span style="color: #008080;">recommend a GP visit</span> - and why.
4. Most results are accompanied with <span style="color: #008080;">mean (Australian) scores</span>, healthy ranges, and your ideal goal range.

&nbsp;
<h3><strong><a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/ANDREW-STADLER-ASSESS-2-5.10.15.pdf">ANDREW STADLER - ASSESS 2 - 5.10.15</a></strong></h3>
&nbsp;
<h3><strong><a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/ANDREW-STADLER-ASSESS-1-5.5.15.pdf">ANDREW STADLER - ASSESS 1 - 5.5.15</a></strong></h3>
&nbsp;

<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span>
All in all, other than detecting the <span style="color: #008080;">“Howler”,</span> results offer no bullsh^t realism of where your health status really sits - today. This is a non-bias snapshot of your health on any given day.
While one maybe lean, and equally understand the payback of balancing lifestyle stress with appropriate nutrition and movement, test results can often reveal potential health risk, and, a sub-par platform for optimum performance.

&nbsp;
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">As for the aging process, well, there’s nothing in the Anatomy &amp; Physiology text book that suggests we need to concede losing significant physicality, mental sharpness, sexuality or excepting that first world self-sabotaging illness is normal. </span></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<span style="color: #993366;">BP </span>
<span style="color: #993366;">brad@balancehealthprograms.com.au </span>
<span style="color: #993366;">Ph: 0412 487 034</span>