Looking for a PARQ form template that’s fully editable and customisable? A physical activity readiness questionnaire (PARQ for short) is helpful for inducting new gym members but usually comes in PDF format. This means it’s not very easy to edit without fancy design software, so we decided to make a fully editable one.
In this article – we share a printable and editable PARQ form for personal trainers and gyms that you can customise to your own needs.
What’s a PARQ Form?
A PARQ form highlights potential red flags that may affect whether exercise is suitable for a client. It asks questions about medical conditions (and associated symptoms) that could be made worse by physical activity.
Using a PARQ has a number of benefits for gyms, trainers, and clients…
- Highlights health concerns that clients should speak to their doctor about.
- Helps personal trainers and fitness instructors to create an exercise program tailored to client needs.
- Reduces the risk of illness and injury related to exercise.
Some fitness professionals believe that you should use a PARQ form for fitness testing. However, it’s actually a broader client assessment tool that highlights health conditions that may affect exercise suitability.
There are other fitness testing tools that are more suited to assessing aerobic capacity, endurance, flexibility, and so on. You can also use online quizzes to gather info on client needs and automatically develop recommendations for them (perfect for generating leads).
How Many Questions Does a PAR-Q Have?
The short version of the PAR-Q form has 7 questions and the long version has 25. Here are the questions included in the short version…
- Has your doctor ever said you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
- Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
- In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
- Do you lose balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
- Do you have a bone or joint problem ( for example back, knee or hip) that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
- Is your doctor currently prescribing medication for your blood pressure or heart condition?
- Do you know of any other reason why you should not take part in physical activity?
These questions can help to highlight red flags when it comes to being ready to exercise.
Is PAR-Q a Legal Requirement?
Using a PARQ is an industry standard rather than a legal requirement. All leading training providers recommend that they be used with new members and clients. However, some gyms prefer to create their own client assessment tools or use different versions.
The PARQ can help to protect you against liability should you be faced with a legal situation. It shows that you did your due diligence and that the client was made aware of the potential risks associated with exercise. Laws vary by state and country so it’s important you do your own research to understand exactly what applies to your own situation.
Some industry bodies may require the use of PARQ forms in order for you to remain an accredited member.
Learn which fitness marketing strategies produce the best results (so you can focus on what actually works).
PARQ Form Template Download
To make things easy, we’ve created a downloadable PAR-Q template in Word document format. It’s fully customisable – you can change the colours, fonts, and text to suit the needs of your fitness business.
Use it as is, or tailor it with custom questions. Change the branding to match your business by editing the logo and website. Simply double-click on either then tweak it to your needs!
Unlike the ACSM and UK Coaching PARQ forms which aren’t editable, our Word document template is completely customisable. We also offer a range of editable client assessment templates as well as professionally designed printable PDFs. Download them as part of our workout template bundle…
Why Use Fitness Questionnaires?
Most gyms and fitness professionals ask clients to complete some kind of intake questionnaire when first joining. This might be a PAR-Q, fitness or wellness assessment, lead form, or needs analysis. In addition to collecting basic contact details, having people answer health questions is useful for several reasons…
- Client needs – identifies their wellness goals and potential barriers so you can create a personalised solution.
- Lifestyle factors – some forms consider a wide range of lifestyle factors beyond just fitness, such as diet, stress levels, and sleep.
- Medical conditions – highlights any medical issues with the potential to be made worse by exercise.
- Expectation management – helps to manage your client’s expectations early in terms of commitment and actions needed from their side.
- Legal considerations – addresses a legal or insurance requirement in some states and countries that can protect you from liability.
It’s worth noting that the survey questions you include in your form can vary depending on your profession. If you’re a health coach, then you’ll likely want to cover a broad range of lifestyle areas. Personal trainers will want to know about diet and exercise primarily. However, if you’re a nutritionist, then you’ll likely want to focus on their eating habits in detail.
You can use printed copies or create an online version (which can also provide recommendations based on their answers which is perfect for generating leads).
Our workout template bundle includes PAR-Q templates and client assessment forms that cover fitness, nutrition, and general wellness. You’ll get printable PDFs and editable Word document templates that you can customize to your own needs or branding. Click here to learn more.
