Nutrition And Physical Assessment

The Harvard School of Public Health reports that two of the biggest determinants of good health are what you eat and how active you are. Eating the right amounts and types of food is important, as is improving or maintaining your physical fitness. Assessing your nutrition and physical fitness can help you determine where you can make changes to improve your health.

Nutrition

Important components of nutrition include eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while avoiding or limiting unhealthy foods. It also includes staying within your calorie needs to help you control your weight. To evaluate your eating habits, the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, reports that a nutritionist will typically ask questions about your lifestyle and family history, may order a lab test to test for nutrient deficiencies and also may ask you to provide a three-day food diary.

Physical Fitness

According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, fitness includes your heart, lungs and muscles and their ability to work efficiently and properly. Components of fitness include cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition. A trained exercise professional can assess each component of your fitness and determine which areas you can improve. Examples of assessment tests include a push-up test, a 1.5-mile run test and using skin-fold measurements to determine your body-fat percentage.

Recommendations

If you are unable to visit with a trained professional to assess your nutrition habits, using the "MyPyramid" program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a good place to start. This free tool can provide you with an estimate of your daily calorie needs and recommendations on how to fill your calorie needs with healthy foods. To improve your fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, running, cycling or swimming, on four or more days each week. It also recommends strength training exercises for all your major muscle groups at least two times each week.

Benefits

Improving your nutrition and physical activity habits can help you lower your risk for developing heart disease, some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis, according to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Following recommendations for nutrition and exercise can also help you keep your weight at a healthy level and provide your body with adequate nutrients for proper growth and development.

Considerations

If you have a chronic condition or have been sedentary for some time, visit with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Also, if you have a condition that requires a special diet, always follow your doctor's instructions to make sure your condition does not worsen if you make dietary changes. Visiting with a trained exercise or nutrition professional can help you develop a diet and exercise program that meets your specific needs and requirements.