What is the pAR-Q physical activity readiness form template?
Most gyms, studios and clubs ask new people a short set of health questions before their first session. The PAR-Q format has been around for decades because it is quick: seven yes/no questions that most healthy adults answer 'no' to in under a minute. This template puts those questions online so a new member can answer them from their phone before they arrive, and the signed answers land in your FileIt vault instead of a filing cabinet.
The first page asks for the person's name, date of birth, mobile and email, what they're joining, and then the seven questions, from 'Has a doctor ever told you that you have a heart condition…' to 'Do you know of any other reason why you should not take part in physical activity?'. A last question, 'Did you answer yes to any of the seven questions above?', decides what happens next.
Someone who answers no to everything goes straight to the declaration and signs. Someone who answers yes sees a follow-up page: a details box for each question they said yes to, whether they've talked to a doctor, the doctor's name and practice phone, an upload for a clearance letter, and anything they've been told to avoid. Your instructor reads the details before the first session instead of finding out halfway through it.
- Best for
- Gyms, fitness studios, boot camps, clubs and personal trainers
- Filled in by
- The new member or participant
- Time to complete
- About 2 minutes (longer with follow-up answers)
- Includes
- Seven yes/no questions, per-question follow-ups, clearance upload, emergency contact, signature
Who uses a pAR-Q physical activity readiness form?
- A gym asks every new member to complete the questionnaire before their induction
- A personal trainer sends the link to a new client before the first consultation
- A community boot camp collects readiness answers from each participant at sign-up
- A sports club asks adult members to fill it in at the start of each season
- A member who answered yes uploads their doctor's note before starting classes
- A studio re-sends the form when a regular says their health has changed
Questions on this pAR-Q physical activity readiness form
31 questions over 3 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 Readiness questions
- Full name*
- Date of birth*
- Mobile*
- Email*
- What are you joining? Gym membership · Group exercise classes · Personal training · A sports club or team · Something else
- 1. Has a doctor ever told you that you have a heart condition and should only do physical activity a doctor recommends?*
- 2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you are physically active?*
- 3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not being physically active?*
- 4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness, or have you ever lost consciousness?*
- 5. Do you have a bone or joint problem (for example back, knee or hip) that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?*
- 6. Is a doctor currently prescribing medication for your blood pressure or a heart condition?*
- 7. Do you know of any other reason why you should not take part in physical activity?*
- Did you answer yes to any of the seven questions above?*
2 Follow-up
- Question 1 — tell us about the heart condition and any activity limits you've been given* asked only when it applies
- Question 2 — when does the chest pain come on, and how long does it last?* asked only when it applies
- Question 3 — when did the chest pain happen, and have you seen a doctor about it?* asked only when it applies
- Question 4 — describe the dizziness or loss of consciousness, and when it last happened* asked only when it applies
- Question 5 — which bone or joint, and which movements make it worse?* asked only when it applies
- Question 6 — which medication do you take, and how does it affect you during exercise?* asked only when it applies
- Question 7 — what is the other reason?* asked only when it applies
- Have you talked to a doctor about becoming more physically active?* asked only when it applies
- Doctor's name asked only when it applies
- Practice phone asked only when it applies
- Doctor's clearance letter or note asked only when it applies
- Anything your doctor has said you should avoid or limit asked only when it applies
3 Declaration
- Accuracy*
- Changes to my health*
- Emergency contact name*
- Emergency contact phone*
- Your signature*
- Date*
The pAR-Q physical activity readiness form, page by page
1 Readiness questions
Full name, date of birth, mobile and email are required, with an optional 'What are you joining?' dropdown. A short paragraph reassures people that a yes doesn't rule them out. Then the seven required yes/no questions covering heart conditions, chest pain when active and at rest, dizziness or fainting, bone and joint problems, blood-pressure or heart medication, and any other reason. The page ends with a required 'Did you answer yes to any of the seven questions above?'.
2 Follow-up
This page only appears after a yes. Each question answered yes gets its own required details box, for example 'Question 5 — which bone or joint, and which movements make it worse?'. Then 'Have you talked to a doctor about becoming more physically active?' (a yes adds the doctor's name and practice phone), an optional upload of up to two files for a doctor's clearance letter or note, and what the doctor said to avoid or limit.
3 Declaration
A placeholder paragraph for your own wording, then two required consents: that the answers are truthful, and that the person will tell staff if their health changes. A required emergency contact name and phone, the signature and the date close the form.
Make the template yours
- Replace the declaration placeholder with your own text on how answers are used and stored
- If your organisation uses a different version of the questionnaire, edit the seven labels to match it
- Make the clearance upload required if your policy says no one starts without a doctor's note
- Add options to 'What are you joining?' for your own classes or programmes
- Add a pregnancy or recent-surgery question if your instructors need to know about those
- Choose a vault folder for the PDFs, such as one per site or per trainer
Tips for a better pAR-Q physical activity readiness form
- Send the link with the welcome email so people answer before they turn up, not at the front desk
- Have the instructor read any follow-up answers before the first session, not after it
- Ask members to repeat the questionnaire each year, or whenever they tell you something has changed
- Keep the questions in plain words — people answer more honestly when they understand what's being asked
- Decide in advance who on your team sees the PDFs, because they contain health information
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each questionnaire is saved as a signed PDF in your FileIt vault, with any clearance letter attached to the same document. You can be emailed when a response arrives, and the person can receive a copy of their own answers.
In the Responses table you can search by name to check someone has completed it, and filter by the 'any yes' question to see who has follow-up answers to read before their first session.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
PAR-Q physical activity readiness form: frequently asked questions
Is this PAR-Q template free?
Yes. It's one of the starter templates in the FileIt Forms app, available on every account including the free plan, and you can edit any question.
Does FileIt tell people whether they can exercise?
No. The form collects answers and documents; it doesn't assess them or give medical advice. Your staff and the person's own doctor make those decisions.
Why is there an extra 'Did you answer yes' question?
It's how the form knows whether to show the follow-up page. People who answered no to everything skip straight to the declaration.
Can people upload a doctor's note?
Yes. After a yes, the follow-up page has an upload for up to two photos or PDFs, which are stored as attachments of the vault document.
Is this the official PAR-Q+?
No. It follows the familiar seven-question format in our own wording. If you're required to use a specific version, edit the question labels to match it.
Do members need a FileIt account?
No. They answer and sign from a link on any phone or computer.