Fitness Assessments — reMYnd
Baseline Assessments — Page 1 of 4

Fitness Assessments

Track your cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, balance, and functional mobility across your 12-month program. Each test has an audio introduction, audio instructions, and a short video demonstration.

How to use this page: For each test, listen to the introduction and instructions, watch the video demo, then complete the test and log your result. Results save automatically and build a history table over time. Complete at Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.
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Used to compare your results to age- and sex-matched norms. Saved locally on your device only.
Download Full Assessment Instructions (PDF)
Aerobic Fitness

6-Minute Walk Test

Functional aerobic capacity · Distance walked in 6 minutes · ATS (2002) protocol

The 6-Minute Walk Test is one of the most widely used field assessments of functional aerobic capacity — a practical proxy for cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest predictors of long-term independence, cardiovascular health, and brain health in midlife.

Protocol: Walk as far as possible in 6 minutes on a flat, measured course (≥20 m). Record total distance in metres. Clinically meaningful change: ≥25 m.

Reference: ATS Committee (2002). American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 166(1), 111–117.
!Stop immediately if you experience chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness, or cramping. If you have cardiovascular disease, clear this test with your GP first.
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Score History
TimepointDateDistanceChange
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Cooper 12-Minute Test

VO₂max estimate · Distance covered in 12 minutes · Cooper (1968) · Optional — advanced members only

The Cooper test estimates VO₂max — the gold-standard measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and one of the single strongest predictors of longevity. This is a near-maximal test and should only be attempted by members who are training regularly and cleared for vigorous exercise.

Protocol: Cover as much distance as possible in 12 minutes (run, jog, walk, or combination). Record total distance in metres. VO₂max estimate: (distance − 504.9) / 44.73 (Cooper, 1968).

Reference: Cooper KH (1968). JAMA, 203(3), 201–204.
!Do not attempt if you have known cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, or symptoms on exertion. Clear with your GP first if in doubt. Stop immediately for chest pain, severe breathlessness, or dizziness.
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Score History
TimepointDateDistanceEst. VO₂max
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Strength & Muscular Endurance

30-Second Sit-to-Stand

Lower body strength, power, and endurance · Number of full stands in 30 seconds · Jones et al. (1999)

The 30-Second Sit-to-Stand captures lower body strength, power, balance, and cardiovascular endurance in a single test. Lower body strength declines early in midlife and predicts fall risk, functional independence, and mortality in later life.

Protocol: Count full stands from a standard chair (43–45 cm seat height) in 30 seconds, arms crossed over chest. Chair placed against a wall.

Reference: Jones CJ, Rikli RE, Beam WC (1999). Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 70(2), 113–119.
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Score History
TimepointDateStandsChange
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Push-Up Test

Upper body muscular endurance · Maximum consecutive push-ups · 3 variants: standard, modified, incline

The push-up test measures upper body muscular endurance. Research published in JAMA found higher push-up capacity was strongly associated with lower cardiovascular risk over 10 years of follow-up. Upper body strength tracks closely with overall muscular fitness and protects against frailty.

Protocol: Choose the easiest variant you can complete at least 5 reps of. Standard (toes), modified (knees), or incline (hands on raised surface). Record the variant used — always retest using the same variant.

Reference: Yang J et al. (2019). JAMA Network Open, 2(2), e188341.
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Score History
TimepointDateRepsVariant
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Plank Test

Core endurance · Maximum hold time in plank position · Standard (toes) or modified (knees)

The plank test measures core endurance — the deep trunk muscles that stabilise your spine during every movement. Poor core endurance is consistently found in people with chronic low back pain and predicts injury risk.

Protocol: Hold forearm plank for as long as possible with good form. Test ends when hips drop, backside pikes, or form breaks. Record variant (standard or modified) — always retest using the same variant.
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Score History
TimepointDateHoldVariant
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Wall Sit Test

Lower body isometric endurance · Maximum hold at 90° knee angle against a wall

The wall sit measures isometric endurance of the quadriceps, glutes, and hip stabilisers. Isometric exercise is also one of the most effective modalities for lowering resting blood pressure.

Protocol: Back flat against a wall, thighs parallel to floor (knees at 90°). Hold as long as possible. Test ends when knee angle opens, you slide up, or step out. Stop immediately for knee pain beyond normal muscular discomfort.
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Score History
TimepointDateHoldChange
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Balance & Functional Mobility

Single-Leg Balance

Static balance · Hold time on each leg, eyes open and eyes closed · Araujo et al. (2022)

Single-leg balance integrates strength, proprioception, vestibular function, and vision. Adults over 50 who cannot hold a single-leg stand for 10 seconds have nearly double the mortality risk over 7 years (Araujo et al., 2022). Eyes-closed balance removes visual input and is a more sensitive marker of change over time.

Protocol: Eyes open — up to 60 s per leg. Eyes closed — up to 30 s per leg. Test ends when foot touches down, standing foot moves, you grab support, or eyes open. Record all 4 results.

Reference: Araujo CG et al. (2022). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56(17), 975–980.
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Score History
TimepointDateEyes openEyes closed
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Timed Up & Go (TUG)

Functional mobility · Stand, walk 3 m, turn, return, sit · Podsiadlo & Richardson (1991)

TUG combines lower body strength, balance, gait speed, and turning ability — all of the things you rely on every day to move safely. It is widely used in clinical practice as a fall risk screen.

Protocol: From seated, stand → walk 3 m → turn → walk back → sit. Record time in seconds. Midlife target: well under 10 s. Do 2 trials; record the faster time.

Reference: Podsiadlo D, Richardson S (1991). Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 39(2), 142–148.
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Score History
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Floor-to-Rise Test

Functional mobility across the lifespan · Score out of 10 · Brito & Araujo (2014)

The floor-to-rise (sitting-rising) test measures how well you can get down to the floor and back up using minimal support. Brito & Araujo (2014) found that adults aged 51–80 who scored poorly had a 5–6× higher risk of death over 6 years. It captures lower body strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination in a single movement.

Scoring: Start at 10 points (5 for sitting, 5 for standing). Subtract 1 point for each support used (hand, knee, forearm, side of leg). Subtract 0.5 for each balance loss. Record final score out of 10 and the supports used.

Reference: Brito LBB, Araujo DSMS, Araujo CGS (2014). European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 21(7), 892–898.
!Skip this test if you have significant knee, hip, or back pain, or if getting to the floor safely is a concern. Return to it when strength and mobility improve.
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Score History
TimepointDateScoreChange
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