Pre-exercise health screening

What you need to know

The plain-English guidance that comes with this document.

• Screen everyone, before the first session — no exceptions. A quick health screen catches the person who shouldn't be doing burpees before they do them, and it's the single thing almost every insurer requires. Skipping it — even for a fit-looking client or a mate — is how a trainer ends up uninsured for a claim.
• A "yes" means pause, not necessarily stop. A yes to any question means get more information before training — often a GP clearance, sometimes just an adapted programme. Don't train through a red flag (chest pain, dizziness, a heart condition) and hope; get it checked. This is the PAR-Q approach; the recognised tool is the PAR-Q+, which you can use or build from.
• Chest pain, dizziness and heart history are the ones that kill. These point to cardiac or neurological risk. Take them seriously every time — a signed form doesn't make it safe to ignore them.
• Re-screen regularly. Health changes. Re-screen periodically (many trainers do it every 6–12 months) and any time a client mentions a new condition, injury, medication or pregnancy. An out-of-date screen is nearly as risky as none.
• This is special-category health data. PAR-Q answers are sensitive personal data under UK GDPR. Store them securely (not an open shared folder or a group chat), share them with no one, and keep them only as long as needed. Your client privacy notice explains this to the client.
• Pregnancy, medical conditions and under-18s need extra care — and often referral. Pre/postnatal, managed conditions (diabetes, hypertension, asthma) and young people all need adapted approaches and sometimes medical sign-off. Know the limits of your qualification and refer when you should.
• Applies UK-wide. Pre-exercise screening is standard practice and an insurance expectation across the UK. It's good practice everywhere; it isn't a substitute for a client's own medical advice.