Sports Readiness Assessment: Are Your Body and Heart Ready?

As exercise becomes part of everyday life, knowing whether your body and heart are ready is just as important as choosing the right sport or planning a training schedule. Statistics reported by the Asia-Pacific Journal of Sports Medicine (2023) indicate that sports injuries are increasing by as much as 18% each year. This highlights the importance of assessing physical readiness before participating in sport, so potential risks can be identified before an injury occurs.

Pre-participation assessments such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Exercise Stress Test (EST), and VO2 Max can reveal movement patterns, weaknesses, imbalances, cardiac response, and overall fitness. The results help guide an exercise plan tailored to the individual, reduce the risk of injury, and support a safer Return to Play after an injury.

What Is a Sports Readiness Assessment?

A sports readiness assessment evaluates physical fitness, movement, strength, and cardiac function. It helps reduce the risk of injury, supports an exercise plan suited to each individual, and assesses whether a person is ready to return to sport after an injury
(Return to Play).

At Bumrungrad's Sports Medicine & Joint Center, we provide comprehensive care from the initial readiness assessment through rehabilitation, helping each person return to sport safely.
 

Who Should Consider a Sports Readiness Assessment?

• Working adults and people who are new to exercise and want to protect their health and reduce the risk of work- or exercise-related injuries
• Professional and recreational athletes who train seriously and want to improve physical performance
• People returning to exercise after a long break, or those recovering from an injury or surgery
• People with health risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease, a demanding lifestyle, insufficient rest, or chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol

What Should Be Assessed Before Starting a Sport?

 
Before beginning an exercise program, a readiness assessment can help make exercise safer, more effective, and better suited to each person's lifestyle. Key assessments include:

• Functional Movement Screen (FMS): A movement performance screening tool that evaluates strength, stability, flexibility, movement patterns, and left-to-right symmetry. It helps identify weaknesses or movement limitations that may contribute to future injury. The assessment takes only 10-15 minutes and includes seven fundamental movement patterns, such as the Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, and Rotary Stability test.
• Exercise Stress Test (EST): A treadmill-based assessment of cardiac performance that shows how well the heart functions and responds during exertion. It may also help detect hidden myocardial ischemia before a person begins exercising or increases exercise intensity, particularly when preparing for strenuous sports that place greater demand on the heart. The findings help the physician recommend an appropriate and safe type and intensity of exercise for each individual.
• VO2 Max: An assessment of the body's maximum capacity to take in and use oxygen, as well as its ability to recover after exercise. It helps physicians design an exercise program suited to each person's heart and lung fitness, including the type of sport, intensity, frequency, and duration. VO2 Max can also be used to track progress and refine the plan, helping exercise remain both effective and safe.

 

Assessment	What It Assesses	Who It Is For
Functional Movement Screening (FMS)	Evaluates movement quality and symmetry, identifying restrictions, weaknesses, or movement patterns that may increase the risk of injury.	People who are starting to exercise and athletes who want to reduce their risk of injury.
Exercise Stress Test (EST)	Assesses how the heart functions and responds while the body is under physical exertion.	People with cardiovascular risk factors, or those preparing for strenuous exercise or high-intensity sports.
VO2 Max	Assesses heart and lung fitness by measuring how effectively oxygen is delivered and used, providing an indication of fitness and endurance.	People who want to understand their fitness level, plan their training, or improve sports performance.

 

Return-to-Play Assessment After an Injury

After an injury, our goal is to help patients return to the activities they love with confidence through a structured rehabilitation pathway:

• Rest & Protect: Manage pain, protect the injured area from further injury, and begin gentle, pain-free movement.
• Rehab & Correctives: Rebuild strength, mobility, and movement quality through targeted corrective exercises that address specific problem areas.
• Return to Training: Gradually increase exercise load and complexity through progressive loading, together with sport-specific drills. This prepares the patient to return to the field, reduces the risk of reinjury, and improves movement performance in both sport and everyday life.
• Return to Play: Before a full return to sport, the patient is reassessed using tools such as the FMS and other performance tests to confirm that strength and balance have been restored, movement is pain-free, and the body can be controlled safely.

 
 

Sports Readiness Assessment at Bumrungrad's Sports Medicine & Joint Center

At Bumrungrad's Sports Medicine & Joint Center, our multidisciplinary team brings together sports medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, rehabilitation medicine physicians, cardiologists, physical therapists, and dietitians. Their expertise is combined with advanced technology and modern assessment tools to provide continuity of care from preparation and treatment through rehabilitation. Whether you are new to exercise or an athlete returning to sport after an injury, our goal is to help you move safely and enjoy the activities you love at your full potential.
 
By Pratya Jaratjitwilai, M.D., Orthopedics Surgeon Specialist in Sports Medicine & Shoulder Surgery
 
Further Reading
Exercise Stress Test - Heart | Bumrungrad International Hospital
How Fit Are You? VO2 Max Has the Answer | Bumrungrad International Hospital
Asia Pacific Sports Medicine Market Size & Share, 2034