Jessica Bendzick/ Winonan

From 3-7 p.m. on Friday, April 11 and from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 the Winona State University Exercise Science Club will be hosting two fitness assessment days.

Students, faculty and community members can learn about their cardiovascular health, body composition and bone density.

The tests include VO2max, underwater weighing, skinfolds and heel densitometry. They range in length from five to thirty minutes. All participants will walk out the door with results in hand.

Exercise science club president Melissa Thone said, “The purpose of the fitness assessment days is to allow community members, faculty and students to get fitness tests done on them to learn more information about their health.”

The VO2max test can be completed on a treadmill or cycle. For the treadmill test, the participant begins by walking and progresses to running until exhaustion.

In the cycle test, the participant begins at a low intensity and is increased until exhaustion. VO2 Max tests are by appointment only.

To get the best results, the exercise club suggests eating a small snack, wearing athletic attire and bringing water for after the test.

The underwater weighing test begins by measuring the participant’s height and weight. The participant must rinse off before entering the water tank, and once in the tank, the participant will be asked to rub off some air bubbles and sit or kneel on a platform. To get the most accurate measurements, the participant must exhale all of the air in his or her lungs.

For the best results, the exercise club recommends not eating or exercising 4 to 6 hours prior to testing, wearing a swimsuit or tight-fitting clothing and bringing a towel and  change of clothing.

The skinfolds test checks for body fat. Fat under the participant’s skin will be pinched three different times. Males will be pinched at the chest, abdomen and thigh, and  females will be pinched at the triceps, hip and thigh. The exercise club recommends wearing loose clothing that can easily be moved.

The heel densitometer test informs the participant of his or her risk for Osteoporosis. The participant will take off their sock and put their heel in a machine. This test does not hurt.

Club adviser Erin White said this is the first year for the assessment days.

“We generally receive multiple inquiries about getting body composition tested every year as faculty members and haven’t ever been able to fulfill them. We have since purchased a more user-friendly system to assess body composition and the students have really taken to it.”

The money raised at the event will help the club to support its members, transportation and lodging when attending conferences, Thone said.

Payment can be made by cash or check. Prices and additional information can be found at

www. wsuexercisescience.weebly.com.