headstrong+performance+ assessment · our coaching programs, like our assessments, integrate the...

Headstrong Performance – www.headstrongperformance.net

Headstrong Performance Assessment


Date of Assessment:

6-Jun-17

1

Sample

Assessment for:

Your Headstrong Performance Potential The Headstrong Performance Assessment is designed to assess health, fitness, and cognitive components that are known to have a significant impact on your overall function. Scientific evidence indicates that the health status of the body directly impacts the brain’s ability to function optimally. Reciprocally, the activity and neurochemical state of the brain impacts the health of the body, directly through conduits such as the Vagus Nerve and HPA axis, as well as indirectly through behavioral choices. This report will provide you with a snapshot of your current body-brain wellness. In addition, we have included recommendations to improve your body-brain performance, quality of life and longevity. Note: This report should not be utilized for medical diagnostic purposes. Instead, we recommend that you address any medical concerns with your primary health-care provider


2

Integrating Body and Brain For Superior Performance

Our coaching programs, like our assessments, integrate the body and brain to provide deeper levels of awareness, transformation, improved mental performance, sustainable health and energy. The body and brain evolved together, so it only makes sense that an effective program for performance improvement and change assess and address them together.

The capacity of the brain to perform is directlyinfluenced by an interrelated triad of keyphysiological and psychological markers: Physical health, effective brain biology andhealthy, conscious thoughts.They are the foundations of improved physicaland mental resilience, energy and motivation,attainment of skills and learning, which are keyto higher levels of performance.

By establishing an awareness of your physicalhealth, internal narrative and mentalperformance and biology, we can lay thegroundwork for improvements across theentirety of the body-brain, improving the capacityand motivation for real transformation through ourExecutive Coaching Program. Your Headstrong Performance Assessment

Your Headstrong Peformance Assessment is structured across three primary areas of your health: Physiology, Neurology and Patterns of thought of behavior. While we are unable to provide an exhaustive battery of tests, we have tried to utilize the most cost-beneficial assessments that will help provide a comprehensive snapshot of your holistic health. Our goal is to make use of this data as a comparative to your future measurements we can take at various intervals, per your preference/agreement.

As you read through your report, we recommend that you make note of any questions, thoughts or surprises you have. Discussing them in your debrief will be key to potential learning opportunities as well as good feedback for us at BBPCoaching.

Please note: As mentioned, these results are not an official diagnosis and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice or check-ups. They are a gauge with which we can assess your overall state of body-brain health as a foundation for coaching and transformation.

Factors Influencing Brain Func1on


Age Brain Age

48 58

Mental Function Cognitive Capacity

4 3

Life-‐Mental Wellness Satisfaction

5 9

CV Fitness Sleep

6 5

Nutrition Shape

6 5

Physical PhysicalExercise Fitness

10 7

Alcohol Smoking Illness

9 10 3

263

Your HeadStrong Performance Score


Stroop 1 Stroop 2 Stroop 3

Your Results 115 64 43words colors words

4

Cognitive Capacity Stroop Test

The Stroop effect has been used to investigate a person's psychological capacities; since its discovery during the first half of the twentieth century, it has become a popular neuropsychological test.

There are different test variants commonly used in clinical settings, with differences between them in the number of subtasks, type and number of stimulus, times for the task, or scoring procedures.All versions have at least two numbers of subtasks. In the first trial, the written color name differs from the color ink it is printed in, and the participant must say the written word. In the second trial, the participant must name the ink color instead. However, there can be up to four different subtasks, adding in some cases stimuli consisting of groups of letters "X" or dots printed in a given color with the participant having to say the color of the ink; or names of colors printed in black ink that have to be read. In this particular test, you were requested to name the maximum amount of words in 45 seconds

This test is considered to measure selective attention, cognitive flexibility, and processing speed. It is often used as a tool to evaluate executive function, an umbrella term for cognitive processes such as working memory, attention, problem solving, inhibition, task switching, etc. An increased interference effect is found in disorders such as brain damage, dementias and other neurodegenerative disorders, ADHD, as well as a variety of mental disorders including addiction and depression.

Recent research has also shown a strong correlation between stress, health, fitness, sleep, and performance during the Stroop Test.

The comparison to be made is between the color matched and mismatched sets. In general scores on average are a little less than two times slower for the mismatched set than the matched set.


Your Result 68 Seconds

5

Trail Making test-B:

Historically, the Trail Making test has been extensively used in neuropsychological assessments.

Most variants of this test have at least two conditions. In condition A the participant is to draw lines to connect circled numbers in a numerical sequence (i.e., 1–2–3, etc.) as rapidly in possible. In condition B the participant is to draw lines to connect circled numbers and letters in an alternating numeric and alphabetic sequence (i.e., 1-A–2-B, etc.) as rapidly as possible.

Although trail making tests are very simple, they have been hypothesized to reflect a wide variety of cognitive processes including attention, visual search and scanning, sequencing and shifting, psychomotor speed, abstraction, flexibility, ability to execute and modify a plan of action, and ability to maintain two trains of thought simultaneously.

Recent research has shown a strong correlation between TMT test scores and health, fatigue, fitness, and BMI.


Scoring Table

Your Result 85

6

Life Satisfaction

Very Dissatisfied 0 - 20

Dissatisfied

A Little Satisfied

Satisfied

Fullfilled

21 - 40

41 - 60

61 - 80

81 - 100

Life SatisfactionThis Assessment contains the key areas that, together, represent one way of describing the satisfaction and fullfillment of living a whole life, such as career, relationships, recreation, finance, adventure, and mindset. This exercise measures your level of satisfaction and range of expression in these areas as a snapshot in time. Working through this assessment may help you find areas where you can acknowledge yourself for the success you have created and additional areas where you may want to improve your level of satisfaction.


6

Scoring Table

Your Result 52 7

Mental Wellness QuestionnaireNo Stress 0 - 15

Mild Stress 16 - 30

Moderate Stress 31 - 50

Severe Stress 51 - 70

Extreme Stress 71 - 100

Mental WellnessDr Hans Selye is a famous physiologist and one of the most eminent authorities on stress. He defined it as ‘a nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it’. These demands can thus take many forms (such as physical, mental, emotional) but they elicit the same physiological responses within the body. However, a person’s perceptions and coping strategies determine whether the stress is perceived as Distress or Eustress.

Eustress is good for the body because it makes us more resilient and therefore better able to deal with the stressor when it is next encountered.

Distress, however, sets off a destructive hormonal cascade that has a negative impact on the immune system and can interfere with metabolism and mental function. When Eustress becomes Distress, Cortisol, a steroidal hormone, begins to store fat around the midriff, just where it is most dangerous.The problem with our stress response is that stress mobilizes energy stores that don’t get used. When stress guzzles our energy, the thinking parts of the brain starve, and that causes attention and memory problems. There is a plethora of research to show that chronically elevated stress levels contribute to heart disease if experienced over a period of time and it is also strongly linked to depression.

Our stress response was developed long ago to enable us to combat or flee imminent danger (‘fight or flight response’). The stress hormones very quickly increase heart rate, mobilize blood glucose, speed up breathing and divert blood from our digestive system to our working muscles.

The physical exertion of ‘fight or flight’ helps to dissipate the stress response and let the body return to its normal resting state.However, most of today’s stressors do not require a physical response, so our body does not return to homeostasis as in the above case. In this instance, blood glucose and circulating hormones can stay elevated for many hours, which can lead to tissue degeneration over time.

Chronic stress can result in a number of mental conditions including Chronic Fatigue, Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.


Scoring Table

Your Result 39

8

Below Average Function 31 - 50

Decent Mental Function 51 - 70

Excellent Mental Function 71 - 100

Mental Function Questionnaire

Very Poor Mental Function 0 - 15

Poor Mental Function 16 - 30

Mental FunctionOur capacity to attain success at work, and in life, is dependent on anumber of behaviors that are driven by our capacity to consistently push beyond our own perceived limits.

However, research with elite athletes shows that when we push too long and too hard, our ability to regulate ourselves in high-performance environments becomes increasingly more challenging, which in turn may have a negative effect on our capacity to pay attention, process memories, improve willpower, and manage our adaptibility to change.

The HeadStrong Mental Function Questionnaire asks practical questions that may highlight any possible challenges in our capacity to perform at our best. A high score indicates a potential for high mental function.


Scoring Table

Your Insomnia Score 51

9

HeadStrong Insomnia Score

Moderate Insomnia 31 - 50

Severe Insomnia 51 - 70

Extreme Insomnia 71 - 100

No Insomnia

Mild Insomnia

0 - 15

16 - 30

SleepSleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

The way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant (such as a car crash), or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

Common conditions related to poor sleep are:• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased

appetite caused by sleep deprivation• Increased risk of diabetes, blood pressure and other heart problems• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information• Early mortality

The exact amount, and quality, of sleep required differs from individual to individual but research shows that on average we need:


9

Scoring Table

Your Nutrition Score 58 10

Average 40 - 60

Nutrition QuestionnaireVery Poor

Poor0 - 2021 - 40

Good 61 - 80Excellent 81 - 100

NUTRITIONProper nutrition is necessary for the body to survive and function optimally. Nutrients are needed by the body for growth, development, and maintenance of life. They also help the immune system to fight off infection and foreign invaders. Whereas poor nutrition will greatly enhance your chances of developing disease and cause your body’s metabolism to slow down, optimum nutrition can prevent (or control) the development of disease and boost your metabolism so that it fires on all cylinders.

There are around 45 essential nutrients that are required to enable our bodies to function properly. The body cannot make these factors, so it needs to receive them on a continual basis from the surroundings. Daily requirements depend on a person's age, sex, height, weight, metabolic rate and physical activity. These essential nutrients are as follows:

• 13 vitamins• 20 or 21 minerals• 8 amino acids• 2 essential fatty acids• Energy (usually starch or glucose)

For each nutrient there is a minimum, a maximum, an optimum amount, a level that is too little (a deficiency) and an excessive amount. A deficiency will bring about degeneration of the body (which, if left unchecked, usually manifests itself in disease and eventually in death), whereas an excess will often result in toxicity, which is harmful (and potentially lethal in some cases) to the body. In addition to the above nutrients, the body also needs water, light and oxygen.Most people have heard of the saying, ‘you are what you eat’. If you want to be in optimal health, you need to eat a healthy balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of nutrients.

Many people don’t get all the required nutrients from their diets because they don’t eat well.Only one in ten people eat 5 daily serves of fruit and vegetables, the recommended minimum for many countries. Many people eat significant amounts of nutrient-deficient convenience foods and foods high in fat and sugar and ‘super-size’ portions. Eating too much of these foods can have an adverse effect on our processes of cell division – causing faults that accelerate the aging process. Below is the results table for the Nutrition Questionnaire that you completed:


Alcohol Consumption 27 Units Per Week

Do You Smoke? Yes 11

ALCOHOLThe form of alcohol we drink, ethyl alcohol (ethanol), is made by fermenting sugar, starch and other carbohydrates with yeast. It is now recognized as a consciousness-altering drug, and a potentially lethal poison. Whilst social drinking may be enjoyable, it can often lead to alcohol abuse and dependence.

Drinking in small quantities may have some health benefits regarding heart disease, stroke and diabetes and red wine would appear to be the best choice,

ALCOHOL UNITS PER DRINK

In an attempt to better measure the amount of alcohol consumption, The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in the UK recently published a standardized measure of units of alcohol contained per drink, which looks lke this:

1 x Medium Glass of Wine - 3 units of alcohol1 x Pint of Beer = 3 units of alcohol1 x 35 ml shot of spirits - 1.5 units of alcohol.

The RCP advises that no more units than 14 should be consumed per week and that at least 2 days per week should be alcohol free. A consumption larger than this, even a small amount, could have serious negative consequences for our Brain Capacity and Health.

SMOKINGTobacco smoke is a dangerous substance that contains over 200 known poisons, which cause damage to the body every time a smoker lights up. A 40-a-day smoker shortens their life expectancy by eight years and even light smokers shorten their life expectancy by four years. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in men and women smokers are dying at an even earlier age than male smokers. The major risk however, is for heart disease and stroke.

In addition to dramatically increasing your risk of developing lung cancer, smoking can also affect your fitness level, blood pressure, lung function and cholesterol levels, as well as putting you at an increased risk for developing heart disease and mouth and bladder cancer.

Apart from the obvious link to lung cancer, smoking is the single biggest accelerator of ageing. This is because every time we inhale tobacco smoke, it causes a very significant increase in Free Radical production within the cells of our bodies. Free Radicals are highly unstable molecules that cause a ‘domino effect’ of damage as they travel through the body causing molecular mayhem.When free radicals attack and damage the proteins inside your body, it can cause damage to our DNA and eventually lead to cancer, despite the best attempts of our body to protect itself.

When they attack the fats of your body, it can lead to heart disease.Smoking is also one of the biggest causes of inflammation at a cellular level, so by smoking you increase activity of two of the leading causes of ageing – Free Radical damage and systemic inflammation.


Your Exercise Score 118 Units 12

Physical Activity QuestionnaireThe amount and intensity of physical activity Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of enjoyment.

Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune, and helps prevent the development of numerous chronic diseases, such as heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. It also improves mental health, helps prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self-esteem, and can even augment an individual's sex appeal or body image, which has also found to be linked with higher levels of self-esteem. Health care providers often call exercise the "miracle" or "wonder" drug—alluding to the wide variety of proven benefits that it provides.

A 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies (strategies to slow or reverse cognitive decline) concluded that "physical activity, enhances older adults' cognitive function".Exercise improves cognitive functioning via improvement of the brain’s memory center as strengthens neural connections and stimulates neuron growth. In addition, physical activity has been shown to be neuro-protective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. For instance, it reduces the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that frequent exercise may reverse alcohol-induced brain damage.

Key Guidelines for Adults:•  All adults should avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate

in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.•  For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week

of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.

•  For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate intensity, or 150 minutes a week of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this amount.

•  Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or high intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.

The Godin-Sheppard Physical Activity Questionnaire is a self-report questionnaire that helps to assess whether or not adequate amounts of strenuous physical activity is undertaken per week to allow for optimal health and fitness benefits as described above by breaking down the amount of time spent doing strenuous (9 units per 15 minutes), moderate (3 unit per 15 minutes), or mild intensity exercise (1 unit per 15 minutes) into units.

Based on the physical activity guidelines, the amount of units per week should be:


Source: American College of Sports Medicine’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 6th Edition

Your BMI 25.1

13

BODY SHAPE There are numerous methods of estimating body composition, which is a measure of how much of your weight is fat and how much lean body mass. Scientific studies have shown us that your fat distribution is a very important measure when predicting disease risk. We know that the fat that accumulates around your abdomen (stomach) is much more dangerous to your health than fat deposited around the buttocks and thighs.

Your fat distribution is largely genetically determined, but stress and repeated dieting can encourage your body to store more around the abdomen. In terms of disease risk, a combination of Body Mass Index (a measure of your body density) and waist circumference (which gives an indication of abdominal fat), gives the best indication of risk for a host of serious chronic diseases, including Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer and Diabetes.

Disease Risk ModelThis table shows your risk of all-cause mortality for certain BMI’s and Waist Circumferences


Your VO2-Max 39.2 ml/kg/min

14

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS Cardiovascular fitness is a measure of your ability to carry out moderate-to-high intensity exercise for prolonged periods. This depends on the functional state of your cardiovascular, muscular and respiratory systems

Cardiovascular fitness is considered an important indicator of health because low levels of fitness have been associated with a markedly increased risk of premature death from various conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease. There is a well-documented correlation between cardiovascular fitness and longevity

Increased fitness results in higher energy levels, a better ability to cope with stress and higher overall levels of health and well-being.

VO2-Max

VO2max is the standard measure of cardiovascular fitness. It is the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can use during exercise. The HeadStrong Performance Assessment utilizes a highly sophisticated algorythm to estimate your VO2-Max from the information acquired in the questionnaires.


Men

Women

Your Resting Heartrate 68 Per Minute15

Resting Heartrate

Another indicator of cardio-vascular fitness is your resting heartrate. Research shows that fitter people have lower resting heartrates than people who are not so fit.

In fact, a high resting heartrate has been shown to correlate with high blood-pressure, heart-disease, decreased cognitive function, and even premature death.


Blood Pressure Reference Table

Your Blood Pressure

16

Normal

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. It is greatest when the heart contracts (systolic pressure) and lowest when the heart is resting briefly between beats (diastolic pressure). Blood pressure is affected by how hard the heart pumps, the amount of blood in the body, and the diameter of the blood vessels.

Blood in the arteries carries essential materials such as oxygen and other nutrients to every cell in the body, including the brain, and blood in the veins carries waste products away from the cells to be disposed of. This exchange of nutrients is critical to the survival of our cells and both blood pressure and concentration must be within certain levels for this to occur.

The World Health Organization recently defined high blood pressure as being greater than140/90. High blood pressure usually doesn't give early warning signs and for this reason is known as the 'silent killer', because it increases the risk for coronary heart disease and other forms of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

Nearly three in ten adults have high blood pressure and this figure rises to two in three among the elderly. Factors that contribute to high blood pressure include:

• Being overweight• Stress• Family history of high blood pressure• Smoking• Physical inactivity• Excessive salt intake• Excessive alcohol intake


Push Ups Reference Table

Your Push Up Estimate Repetitions

17

20 or More

PUSH-UPS Push-ups are a universally accepted test for upper body muscle strength and endurance and we know that having muscles with good strength and endurance is important for overall physical function later in life.

Physical FitnessJust as cardiovascular health and fitness has a direct impact on brain performance and leadership capacity, so too does our physical fitness.

Recent research shows that both our physcial strength, and our flexibility are directly linked to our brain performance.

The HeadStrong Performance Assessment Questionnaire explores whether or not a possible link may exist between your physical fitness, your brain capacity, and mental wellness.


Flexibiilty Reference Table

You Can Reach Your

18

Toes

FLEXIBILITY – LOW BACK AND HAMSTRINGS

Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through its complete range of motion. It is important both in athletic performance and in the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Just as muscular strength is specific to the muscles involved, flexibility is joint specific.

Poor lower back and hip flexibility may, in conjunction with poor trunk flexor and trunk extensor muscle endurance, contribute to the development of low back pain. At the very least, poor performance in these tests is highly correlated with incidence of chronic low back pain. The following table gives ratings for your score in a standard YMCA (Yardstick method) test.

Using the YMCA Yardstick Table as a reference, when bending over from the hips we can estimate our score.

- Touching our thighs is considered less than 0 Inches flexibilty.- Reaching our knees would be considered approximately 0 Inches.- Our shins would be considered approximately 6 Inches- Touching our toes would then be approximately 12 Inches- Being able to touch the ground would put us over > 12 Inches


Core Endurance Reference Table

Your Estimated Plank Seconds

19

61 to 90

CORE MUSCLE ENDURANCE

The core muscles are important for stability of the spine. As these are postural muscles, they are designed to be active for long periods in order to support the spine. Poor endurance of the core muscles has been strongly linked to low back pain, so endurance capabilities of these muscles is more important for the health of your back than their strength


Setting Goals and Making Changes It is extremely important to use realisIc strategies for achieving your health and fitness (and other) goals. Many people try to change too many things at once, but that dramaIcally increases your chances of failure. Using the following SMARTER acronym will help you to effecIvely set goals and develop a plan to achieve them. Specific – avoid using vague goals such as ‘I want to be healthier’. Instead, make the specific, such as ‘I want to lower my cholesterol/blood pressure’ or ‘I want to improve my Biological Age’. Measurable – you should be able to measure and monitor your goals (partly in order to recognize progress). Hence, it may be ‘I want to lower my blood pressure to 120/80’ or ‘I want to be 10 kilos lighter’ or ‘I want to make my Biological Age lower than my Chronological Age’ AWracXve – If you don’t really want to achieve the selected goal, you are much less likely to succeed. For instance, many smokers fail to give up because they feel they ought to, or are pressured by family/friends. OZen, it’s only when they want to give up smoking that they achieve. Therefore, try to choose a goal that would make you feel great if it happened. RealisXc – to ensure your goals are realisIc, you must be capable of achieving that goal. A confidence scale can be a useful tool. Rate how confident you are of achieving your goal, on a scale of 0-‐10 (0 = not confident at all, 10 = extremely confident). If you scored less than a 9 or 10, idenIfy what can help move you towards a 9 or 10; can you get help from friends or employ an expert. Breaking your end-‐goal down into small achievable ‘mini-‐goals’ that can be measured on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis is very helpful. Focus your a_enIon on these ‘mini-‐goals’, but have the end-‐goal in the back of your mind. Time-‐framed – try to be realisIc when se`ng a Ime-‐frame. If you plan to accomplish things too quickly, you will get disheartened and probably fail. Write a realisIc Imescale, then write down all the barriers to achieving your goals and try to come up with a plan to overcome them. Evaluate – It is crucial to measure, record, recognize and reward your progress. This will give you extra confidence and make you realize that all your good work is paying off. Re-‐set – once you have achieved your goals, set new ones based on your new internal standards. Achieving one goal can oZen be the catalyst for sustained success, so strike when the iron is hot.

headstrong+performance+ assessment · our coaching programs, like our assessments, integrate the...

Documents