The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+) and electronic Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (ePARmed-X+) were created in 2007 to:
- Reduce barriers to physical activity participation.
- Help identify people who may require more screening before becoming more physically active.
PAR-Q+
The PAR-Q+ is a self-administered (do it yourself) questionnaire. It is designed to assess your readiness to participate in more physical activity or engage in a fitness appraisal. You should complete this form before starting a new physical activity program (such as swimming lessons and joining a new gym program) or completing a fitness appraisal.
ePARmed-X+
The ePARmed-X+ is an online application that is used when you answer “yes” to any of the follow-up questions on the second or third page of the PAR-Q+. You can complete the online screening program (ePARmed-X+) by yourself or with the assistance of a qualified exercise professional.
The ePARmed-X+ program is more detailed than the PAR-Q+ and includes questions about health conditions and provides advice. Once you have completed the program, it will give a specific exercise prescription. The ePARmed-X+ can also be used if your employer or other organization has asked you to get medical clearance for physical activity.
Completing the PAR-Q+ Questionnaire
Completing the PAR-Q+ is quite easy. You will start by answering “yes” or “no” to the first seven questions. If you answer “no” to all of these questions, you can start becoming more physically active, as long as you begin slowly and build up gradually. Answering “no” to all the questions also means that it is OK for you to have a fitness appraisal. Fitness appraisals measure your basic level of fitness so you can plan the best way to start living more actively.
If you answer “yes” to any of the questions on the first page of the PAR-Q+, you must complete the second and third page. If you answer “no” to all of those follow-up questions, you are ready to be physically active.
If you answer “yes” to any of the follow-up questions on the second or third page of the PAR-Q+, you should complete the ePARmed-X+ or speak with a qualified exercise professional. Based on the responses to the PAR-Q+ and ePARmed-X+, you may be required to visit a qualified exercise professional or your health care provider for more information before becoming more physically active or engaging in a fitness appraisal.
Be sure to tell y our health care provider about the PAR-Q+/ePAR med- X+ and to which question or questions you answered ”yes”. Your health care provider may want to take you through an ePARmed-X + Physician Clearance Follow Up form. This form will allow your health care provider to specifically tell you which exercises to include or avoid.
For More Information
For more information, please see the following resources:
- PAR-Q+ and ePARmed-X+ Online
- Warburton DER, Jamnik VK, Bredin SSD, Gledhill N. The 2014 Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+) and electronic Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (ePARmed-X+). Health & Fitness Journal of Canada 2014;7(1):80-83.
Last Reviewed: November, 2016
© 2016 Province of British Columbia. All rights reserved. May be reproduced in its entirety provided the source is acknowledged. This information is not meant to replace advice from your medical doctor or individual counselling with a health professional. It is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
