There are many different reasons for exercise testing. They can be used as diagnostic tools, informational and comparative data, or used to create exercise programs and monitor progress. Exercise testing is common amongst both preventative and rehabilitation programs. The testing results can be used to help educate a person about their health-fitness status and show how the results compare to the norms. It also provides helpful data for the exercise prescription process, and provides a baseline for follow up data, motivation, and to stratifying cardiovascular risk. Exercise testing is commonly done in a clinical setting, but can also be done in gyms or as field tests.
  
Clinical stress tests are performed to help determine cardiopulmonary diagnosis and an important tool for management. These tests are usually done on high risk individuals or individuals with unexplained cardiopulmonary issues in a hospital setting. There are many different testing protocols that can be used, but with every protocol, there must be a physician present even though the test is usually performed by an exercise physiologist or another certified professional. During these clinical stress tests, the participant is hooked up to EKG monitors and in some cases a mouth piece to monitor airflow. The testing results contain important data that can be used for clinical applications including pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, evaluation of lung and cardiac transplants, unexplained cardiopulmonary events assessment, evaluation for lung resection and lung volume reduction surgery, and impairment-disability evaluation.

Why are exercise tests important if you are not “high-risk”?

Exercise test results are an important key to writing exercise prescriptions. The data collected during a test, whether it is aerobic capacity, maximal strength, anaerobic power or any other data, it is all essential in writing a program best suitable for the participant. It is also an excellent way to track progress. After about 3 months of regular participation in a program, a retest can be done to show the progress made and if adjustments need to occur. All in all, exercise testing is an important tool that can best determine how exercise affects you and provide you with a more effective exercise program.
  

Added on 01/17/2012

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posted by Peter on 05.30.12 at 10:58	Exercise daily
I know that I always try to get 30 minutes of exercise everyday. My daughter, who is getting physical therapist assistant jobs indiana offers, says that what she recommends to all of her patients. Not only does it help your health, it helps you with your daily workday.