The PAR-Q for personal trainers: what it asks, when to send it, and what to do with a yes

A PAR-Q is the questionnaire you give a new client before they lift anything. It asks about the handful of conditions where exercise should start with a conversation with a doctor rather than a warm-up. Every trainer learns about it in their certification, and plenty stop using it the week after, because it was a PDF and the client never sent it back. This article covers what it asks, when to send it, what a yes answer means, and how to make it part of the first session rather than a chore.

What PAR-Q stands for and where it comes from

PAR-Q is the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. The current version, the PAR-Q+, is published by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and is used around the world. In Australia, the fitness industry body AUSactive (formerly Fitness Australia) publishes its own Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System, which covers the same ground in three stages. Either is an accepted pre-exercise screen; the point is that you use one, before the first session, every time.

The questionnaire itself is the publisher's; use the official version rather than retyping it.

What it asks

The general questions cover seven areas. In plain terms, they ask whether the person:

1. has been told by a doctor they have a heart condition or high blood pressure;
2. feels chest pain at rest, during daily activity or during exercise;
3. loses balance because of dizziness, or has lost consciousness in the last year;
4. has a diagnosed chronic condition other than heart disease or high blood pressure;
5. takes prescribed medication for a chronic condition;
6. has a bone, joint or soft-tissue problem that could be made worse by becoming more active;
7. has been told by a doctor to only do medically supervised physical activity.

A no to all seven means the person can generally start becoming more active, building up gradually. A yes to any of them leads to follow-up questions about the specific condition, and may mean medical clearance before they start, or a programme that works around it.

When to send it

Before the first session, and before any money changes hands if you can. The natural moment is when an enquiry turns into a booked consultation. Sending it then does three things: it gets the information to you before you plan anything, it signals that you take their health seriously, and it means the first session is about training rather than paperwork.

Send it again when something changes: a new diagnosis, a pregnancy, a return after an injury or a long break. Once a year for ongoing clients is a reasonable default.

What to do with a yes

A yes is not a no. It is a reason to look closer.

• Read the specific answer. A controlled blood pressure on medication is a different conversation from chest pain during exercise.
• Ask the follow-up questions the questionnaire provides for that condition.
• Where the screen says to, ask the client to see their doctor before starting, and keep a note of the clearance when it comes. Many GPs are happy to write a short letter.
• Adjust the programme. Most yes answers lead to a modified start, not a refusal.
• Record what you decided and why. If the question ever comes up later, the record is what matters.

Never let a flagged answer sit unread in a folder. The failure mode is not the trainer who sees a yes and acts; it is the one who never looked.

Keeping the record

You need the completed questionnaire, the date, and any clearance or notes, kept where you can find them for that client. A PDF emailed back to you and saved to a desktop folder technically counts, and in practice goes missing.

TrainerStack sends the PAR-Q as a branded link from the lead's record. When the client completes it, the record shows PAR-Q Done, or PAR-Q Review if any answer was a yes, so the flagged ones are the ones you open first. The answers carry across to the client's record when they sign, and sit next to their consultation notes and the client agreement. The enquiry forms and PAR-Q page shows how it fits with your lead form.

A process you can run every time

1. Enquiry comes in through your form or booking page.
2. Send the PAR-Q link with the consultation confirmation.
3. Before the consultation, check the status. Open any flagged answers and plan the questions you need to ask.
4. In the consultation, go through anything flagged, decide whether clearance is needed, and note it.
5. First session goes ahead, modified if needed, with the record filed on the client.
6. Repeat on any change in health, and once a year.

Frequently asked questions

Is the PAR-Q required by law in Australia?

There is no statute that says "use a PAR-Q". Pre-exercise screening is a standard of care expected of a trainer, required by many insurers and gyms, and built into AUSactive's guidelines. Not doing it is the problem; which recognised tool you use is less important.

PAR-Q+ or the AUSactive screening tool?

Both are accepted. The AUSactive Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System is written for the Australian industry and has a three-stage structure; the PAR-Q+ is the international standard. Use whichever your insurer or gym expects, and use it consistently.

Can I send the PAR-Q as an online form?

Yes, and it is the only way to get a reliable completion rate. A link the client taps on their phone, with the answers stored against their record, beats a PDF every time.

What if a client refuses to complete it?

Then they do not train with you until they do. It is a short form that protects them; a client who will not fill it in is telling you something about how the rest of the relationship will go.

How long should I keep it?

Keep it for as long as the person is a client and for a period afterwards; your insurer will have a view on how long. Keep the clearance letters with it.