Fitness for Life

For over 40 years, the Cleveland State University Employee Fitness for Life Program has helped promote health awareness and encouraged CSU Employees to learn and integrate healthy living practices into their everyday lives. 

Staff Development benefits cover the cost of this program for eligible CSU employees.

If you're interested in completing your "Know Your Numbers" Biometric screening for VikeHealth, please click here. Know Your Numbers testing can be done in conjunction with your Fitness for Life testing, or it can be done at a separate time.

What Fitness for Life Participants Receive

• Choose from a variety of testing package options, or select specific tests from our a la carte menu. Testing packages include:
  • Standard package (traditional Fitness for Life testing)
  • Athlete package
  • Weight management package
  • Personal training add-on with any package
• Testing packages can be adjusted to meet your needs.
• Access to the PE SB17 weight room and PE building locker rooms with testing package

Testing Packages, Add-Ons, and a la carte Menu

Standard Package (Requires physician clearance) = $125 - This is the traditional testing protocol used in Fitness for Life and covers all the bases in terms of getting a clear assessment of your general health and fitness. The following testing is included in this package:

• Biometric screening 

• Standard BIA 

• Grip Strength & Flexibility 

• Pulmonary Function Test 

• Resting ECG 

• Submaximal aerobic exercise test with ECG 

Athlete Package (Requires physician clearance) = $160 - Are you an athlete looking to get a bit more insight into your fitness? With this testing package, we step up the intensity with a VO2max test which is the gold-standard for determining aerobic fitness. We also include a BodPod analysis so that you can closely monitor lean body mass and body fat %. The following testing is included in this package:

• Biometric screening 

• BodPod 

• Grip Strength & Flexibility 

• Pulmonary Function Test 

• Resting ECG 

• VO2max test with metabolic cart 

Weight Management Package = $70 - This package is designed for individuals who are on a weight-loss journey. It includes basic biometric screening to give you an idea of your cardiovascular and metabolic health, as well as body composition analysis and girth measurements during both the Fall and Spring semesters. You can easily customize this package as well, if you’d like to add on any exercise tests to give you a picture of your general fitness. The following testing is included in this package:

• Biometric screening 

• 2 x BodPod 

• 2 x Girth measurements 

Personal Training Packages (Requires physician clearance) - Looking for a training partner or help in developing a fitness program? Our graduate assistants are here to support you in your fitness journey! Two options are available for personal training. Please note that personal training is only available for those who take part in one of the three testing packages described above, and you must have physician clearance prior to engaging in exercise with a personal trainer.

• 1 x 45- to 60-minute session per week = $75

• 2 x 45- to 60-minute sessions per week = $150

A La Carte Testing Menu/Add-Ons

See a package above, but want to add on additional testing, or swap one test for another? Or, you don’t want a testing package, but you’re interested in one of the tests below? We can help you! Please see below for a list of all tests that are available to add on to a testing package, or to complete on their own:

• VO2max Test with Metabolic Cart $75 (Requires physician clearance)

• Submaximal Aerobic Exercise Test with ECG $50 (Requires physician clearance)

• BodPod $25

• Pulmonary Function Test $15

• Resting ECG $40

• Standard BIA $15

• Functional Movement Screen $35

*Note: A description of all tests can be found below.

HOW TO REGISTER

1. Complete a Staff Development form indicating which what services you would like, and email to cehperd@csuohio.edu
2. Complete a health history questionnaire if participating in a testing package.
3. Submit proof of a medical examination by your personal physician (if over 35 years old) if partaking in exercise testing. Please note that the physicians approval can be found on the health history questionnaire linked above.
4. Sign an informed consent statement (available at your testing visit) prior to participation in any exercise testing.

A medical exam is required for all new participants over age 35, and for returning participants as follows:

• every three years for those under 50 years of age
• every two years for those 50 - 59 years of age
• every year for those over 59 years of age

Descriptions of all available tests

Biometric screening – Includes measurements of height, weight, waist circumference, resting blood pressure, blood lipids (including: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides), and blood glucose (HbA1c can also be done if needed). This testing takes ~20 minutes to complete and is worth 30 VikeHealth points (reminder – 100 points are needed for the $700 bonus). This testing panel is vital in screening for early indicators for heart disease or metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) – This test measures body composition, which includes your percent body fat as well as your lean body mass. The test involves stepping on a scale in your bare feet for approximately 10 seconds. For best results, you should not eat or drink anything 4 hours prior to the test, and you should not exercise 12 hours prior to the test. 

BodPod – This test measures body composition, which includes your percent body fat as well as your lean body mass. This test involves sitting in the BodPod, a small capsule-shaped device large enough for one person to sit inside, for approximately 5 minutes while the measurements are being taking. For best results, you should not eat or drink anything 4 hours prior to the test, and you should not exercise 12 hours prior to the test. You will also need to wear form-fitting clothes such as a bathing suit, spandex shorts, and/or a sports bra for women. This test is considered more accurate than BIA and is better for closely tracking changes in body fat or lean muscle mass over time.

Flexibility Testing – This test measures how flexible your body is. Being mobile and having a good range of motion around your joints is important for conducting many activities of daily living and preventing injury while being physically active. For this test we use a sit-and-reach box, which requires you to sit on the floor and reach forward as far as you can without bending your knees. 

Grip Strength – During this test you will be asked to squeeze a hand-grip dynamometer as hard as you can. The force you can produce while you squeeze the dynamometer is called your grip strength. This is a good indicator of overall muscle strength. You will be asked to complete this with both hands.

Girth Measurements – Girth measurements are a great way to track progress during weight loss to see where you’re losing weight. For this test, we measure the circumference of multiple body sites, including waist, hips, thigh, upper arm and calf, using a measuring tape.

Pulmonary Function Testing – Pulmonary function testing requires you to blow into a device called a spirometer as hard as you can. This test allows us to see if there are any indicators of pulmonary conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or emphysema. This test takes about 5 minutes to complete.

Resting ECG – Ten small electrodes are placed across your chest to analyze the electrical activity of your heart. Abnormalities in the heart’s electrical activity can be indicators of heart disease. This test takes ~10 minutes.

Aerobic Exercise Test with ECG – This test is used to determine your aerobic fitness. During this test we will monitor your heart’s activity while you exercise on a treadmill. The treadmill test consists of 3-minute stages of increasing effort of walking, possibly progressing to jogging/running depending on your fitness. You will to a moderately hard pace, but you will not be asked to give an all-out effort. Based on how many stages of the test you complete, we can estimate your overall aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health. This test takes ~20 minutes.

VO2max Test with Metabolic Cart – This test is the gold-standard test for determining aerobic fitness and is only recommended for individuals who already engage in regular endurance/aerobic training, such as running or cycling. For this test you will be asked to wear a mask that allows us to collect the air that you exhale. This mask is attached to a metabolic cart that can analyze your respiratory gases so that we can determine your oxygen consumption, as well as how much carbohydrate and fat your body is using for fuel during exercise. For this test, you will be asked to start at a moderate running pace. Every 3 minutes, the treadmill incline is increased by 3%, making each 3-minute stage progressively harder. We ask you to give a maximal effort, pushing yourself as hard as you can. Based on your results, you can get an idea of your endurance sport potential, monitor improvements in aerobic fitness over time, and compare yourself to elite athletes. This test takes ~30 minutes.

Functional Movement Screen – This screening test is comprised of a series of movements testing your entire body for strength deficits, mobility limitations, and movement asymmetries. This test can be a predictor of future injury, as well as a useful tool to inform strength and mobility training to correct any issues. The FMS takes ~30 minutes to complete.

Questions? Call (216) 687-4854 or email e.kullman@csuohio.edu

Program Archived Information

Newsletters

Workout Plans

Drop Policy

Intent to withdraw from testing must be made known two full business days before the start of the program for a refund to be processed.

Call (216) 687-4854 or email e.kullman@csuohio.edu to withdraw.

No refunds will be issued for requests received less than two full business days before the program.