Level of Physical Fitness among Physiotherapy Students a Study of Punjab and Haryana

Physiotherapists are desired to have a good level of physical fitness to meet their job demands. As educators of Physical Therapy profession, it is important to expose students to their professional physical fitness demands that they would face in employment setting. The students of Bachelor of Physiotherapy programme from various colleges of Punjab and Haryana participated in the study. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The data collected related to perception of students on physical activity required in profession, the physical activities of students and their involvement in sports during campus life. The data was also collected regarding presence of any kind of musculoskeletal pains among respondents. The self perceived level of fitness was also ascertained. The measured levels of physical fitness was determined by using toe touch test, shoulder flexibility test, BMI, push-ups, wall squat test and Harvard step test. Out of 250 students who participated in the study only 47.6 percent perform physical exercises regularly. More than 50 percent of the students reported the presence of musculoskeletal pains. The majority of the students considered their self perceived fitness levels as normal for their age. On measured fitness level, maximum number of students had poor endurance and 23 percent students were underweight. However, the students performed good on flexibility and strength testing. The physical fitness level of students is not satisfactory as compared to the physical demands of the profession. The measured fitness levels are less than the perceived levels. There is a need to improve the fitness of physiotherapy students by making changes in the curriculum and teaching methodologies.