The Liability That Walks In Before the First Session
A new gym client arrives with what presents as general deconditioning. Seven questions in, you find out they had a CABG three years ago and their cardiologist said "light exercise only." They didn't mention it. Their GP hasn't been notified. They signed up online, paid the membership fee, and showed up for their induction. The session you're about to deliver — a moderate-intensity circuit — could put them in an ambulance.
The PAR-Q exists precisely for this moment. The problem is that it only works if it's completed, signed, kept, and read.
Seven Screening Questions and the Follow-Up Chain
Heart condition requiring medically-supervised exercise only. High blood pressure. Chest pain during physical activity. Historical chest pain during activity. Dizziness or loss of consciousness. Bone or joint problem that exercise could worsen. Prescribed medication (excluding contraceptive pill) with a free-text field for which one.
Each is a boolean. Any "yes" triggers the downstream field: "If you answered yes to the previous question, which one?" and "Comment if you answered yes to previous question." The consent statement field — "if you answered any of the above with yes you will need to consult with your GP before starting physical activity" — is itself a boolean that the client checks. Written GP clearance becomes a prerequisite that the trainer can document against the record.
This isn't bureaucracy. It's the difference between a client who dies during session three and a family that's asking why nobody screened them, and a family that's received the tragic news that their relative ignored medical advice that was clearly documented.
Client-Trainer Agreement and Terms: The Consent Architecture
Two multichoice fields — Client-Trainer Agreement and Terms and Conditions — where the client checks each clause after reading. This structure forces acknowledgement of individual clauses rather than a blanket signature. The liability statement is read, not scrolled past. The equipment-use confirmation ("I must not use any piece of equipment for which I have not been shown how to use by the trainer") is specifically checked.
The final signature field captures the client's declaration that all information provided is correct and that they commit to notifying the trainer of relevant health changes. In a medical-legal context, a signed digital record with a timestamp is equivalent to a wet signature on paper — and significantly more durable.
Goals, Motivation, History: The Programme Design Data
What activities do you do in your leisure time — likes and dislikes. Current nutritional goals (multichoice with free-text for anything not listed). Why they want to achieve these goals. When by. Motivation rating on a 1-10 scale. Previous attempts: what worked, what didn't.
Main goal (long term). Short term goal. Situations or people who might prevent achievement. Whether family and friends are supportive.
A trainer who reads all of this before the first session knows whether they're working with someone who has a supportive environment and a clear deadline, or someone who has tried and failed twice before, has no family support, and is vague about what they actually want. The programme for the first client looks nothing like the programme for the second. The PAR-Q is the prerequisite. The goals section is where the actual coaching starts.