§ 01Cardiovascular
Clinical fitness assessmentBlood Pressure
Screen for hypertension — one of the most important health markers.
Equipment
Blood pressure cuff (validated digital monitor or manual sphygmomanometer with stethoscope).
The protocol
- 01Client seated comfortably, back supported, feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed.
- 02Rest for at least 5 minutes before measurement. No talking during measurement.
- 03Apply the cuff to the left upper arm (unless contraindicated) with the bladder centred over the brachial artery.
- 04The arm should be supported at heart level (on a table or armrest).
- 05Use an appropriately sized cuff — the bladder should encircle at least 80% of the arm.
- 06Inflate and record systolic and diastolic values.
- 07If elevated, wait 2 minutes and repeat. Average the readings.
What to watch for
- Cuff too small (over-reads) or too large (under-reads).
- Arm not at heart level — below heart level inflates the reading.
- Client talking or moving during measurement.
- Hypertensive crisis (≥180/120): STOP testing, refer to emergency services immediately.
Normative scoring
Normal: <120/80. Elevated: 120-129/<80. Stage 1 HTN: 130-139/80-89. Stage 2 HTN: ≥140/≥90. Hypertensive Crisis: ≥180/≥120 — seek immediate medical attention.
Run it with GainPT
Run this test with branded client reports.
GainPT scores Blood Pressure against published normative data and turns it into a clean, GainPT-branded PDF your client keeps. All 47 clinical tests, unlimited retests — free to start, no card required.