ALPHA-FIT Test Battery for Adults (18–69 years)
ALPHA-Fit, which stands for "Assessing the Levels of PHysical Activity and Fitness", is a project coordinated by Dr. Michael Sjöström from the Karolinska Institutet and funded by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers Affairs (DG SANCO) of the European Union. There is also a version to assess the health-related fitness status in children and adolescents, the ALPHA-Fitness test protocol.
The ALPHA-FIT Test Battery for Adults consists of seven field-based test items, and is designed for adults aged 18–69 years. Not only can the tests be used to monitoring physical fitness as a key indicator of person's health, they can also be used as a tool for individual physical activity counselling and monitoring changes in fitness.
Fitness Tests
The ALPHA-Fitness test battery includes the following tests. The order listed is the recommended sequence to administer. The links below are to general descriptions of these tests. For specific instructions for conducting the ALPHA fitness test battery please consult the official publications.
- Waist Circumference
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- One-leg Stand (Stork Balance)
- Handgrip Strength
- Jump-and-Reach (vertical jump test)
- Modified Push-Up
- 2-km Walk Test
Secondary Tests
Notes
- No warm-up or stretching exercises are usually allowed before testing, particularly for the balance testing, where the effects of learning should be strictly controlled.
References
- Jaana Suni, D.Sc., Adjunct Prof., PT Pauliina Husu, D.Sc. Marjo Rinne, M.Sc., PT. Fitness for Health: The ALPHA-FIT Test Battery for Adults Aged 18–69. Published by European Union, DG SANCO, and the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, FINLAND
Related Pages
- About the ALPHA-Fitness test protocol to assess the health-related fitness status in children and adolescents
- Fitness Testing Protocols for Adults
- Fitness Testing for Specific Populations
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