Take the Dojiva physical exam - with video

First up, please note the above accompanying video

Over the last 35 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching many modalities and they all have one thing in common… they offer positive experiences that support physical and mental health.

So, when you join in with or click play on a Dojiva class, you get a fun combination of martial arts, yoga, Pilates, strength, fitness, flexibility, breath work, posture, body awareness and mental wellbeing.

My role is to keep producing content and your role is to keep committing to your body! 

This is part one of a series of clusters that aim to help you assess your own level of fitness, health and wellbeing. This week is about the physical body with a serious of movement tests. Next week, we’ll focus on body measurements such as girths (hip to waist ratio), calculation of body fat, breath holding and even the use of photos. Then we’ll get to general health screening with tests such as peak flow, blood pressure and oxygen. Finally, we’ll have a questionnaire to assess mental wellbeing questionnaire.

Even though I recommended these sort of tests at least twice a year, it’s been over two years since I sent out a reminder! Do you have your previous results saved?

I’ve always found it interesting how some people want to get fit before joining the gym. Or feel they need to hit the gym for six months before trying out a martial art.

My advice…

“get in there and commit... basically just get started”!

So, it doesn’t matter if you’re out of shape right now. That’s actually a good time to start training and to assess your fitness. As long as you match your fitness level, it’s all going to be positive progress from now on. If you are in pretty good shape already, you are likely ready for the next level or, to try something new.

You might ask…

“To get fit, do I need to test my fitness”?

Not at all, fitness testing is not a requirement to get fit!

And there are many simple things that let you know if you’re on track with your fitness. E.g. the fit of your clothes, comments from others, your capacity in life, photos now compared to say two years ago and even the feeling you have about your body.

However, the measurement of physical bio-markers does have advantages:

• They help give you direction of what to work on
• Help with goal setting
• The can reveal an area of fitness you didn’t know needed attention
• They provide a point in time for comparison
• They can help with accountability
• When you compare results in three months, you can see (and feel) the difference
• And that in turn can help spur you on for renewed vigour and inspiration for the next three months

Below is a written copy of a series of Dojiva physical assessments, but you can also join in with the above video in real time.

Also, when logged in head to the NEW TO DOJIVA tab and then sub-category Health and Fitness Assessments. On the right of the page click on the third one down - Movement tests.

Do you have a camera phone and a tripod (or somebody to hold the device)?

It would be great to take a video of yourself doing all these and then you can re-take the video and compare findings seven days and again three months from now.

Before you start, have a pen and paper ready and jot down today’s date and time. With each test, you can also make notes about your success. If you can’t complete a task, which body part or parts is it that stops you?

Here we go:

1. Can you stand on one leg for ten seconds without too much wobble?
2. How about with eyes closed for three to five seconds? 
3. Can you stand with good posture without effort? If not, which body part has to work unnaturally to find a good alignment?
4. Can you touch your toes with only a slight knee bend?
5. Can you reach both arms above your head without pain or stiffness? (Aim to touch your thumb tips above your crown and with only a slight elbow bend)
6. Can you crouch (a wide squat with feet the turned out) all the way down to the ground and back up)?
7. Can you get up from and down to the floor without using your hands?
8. Can you do a plank for 60 seconds plus?
9. Can you push yourself up from the floor?
10. Can you roll on your spine without a thud?
11. Can you complete most Dojiva HIIT classes?
12. Can you go for a 40 minute walk and maintain a good pace without getting breathless?

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to book me in for a private session to run through these with you and to create an exercise programme.

That’s it for this week, thanks for reading.

Take care

Danny

Members can login here and for the ten day Dojiva trial - click here

Below are this week's suggested Dojiva classes:

Sunday 16th Nov 2025 - Movement assessments - Watch, join in and make some notes with this video. It’s above as this week’s cluster and can be found permanently under the NEW TO DOJIVA tab and then sub - category - Health and fitness assessments.

Monday 17th - Mini fitness 123 - Depending on your time and how fit you feel, you could do one, two or all three rounds (of three grouped intervals). So, maxing out with up to nine in this 25 minute full body HIIT class.

Tuesday 18th - Mobility 53 - If your leg muscles are tight, it’s hard for the rest of your body become supple and free, so here is a great class of leg flexibility. For maximum effectiveness, we practice how to relax into stretches. Half the class is from standing and half from the mat. 

Wednesday 19th - Meditation 61 - This week’s guided meditation.

Thursday 20th - Workout 27 - Need to work on your balance? Any time you are unstable, there are natural muscles in your core that respond to help you recover equilibrium. This class tests your ankle, knee and hip stability with balance and leg strength challenges. We then enjoy yogic spinal bends with down-dogs, various planks, a kneeling balance and a (wall) handstand.

Friday 21st - Mobility 51 - We shift gears from most of our mobility class and enjoy a more dynamic approach to flexibility with swinging motions for the shoulders and hips.

Saturday 22nd - Mini fitness 101 - Today's class has some tough love to boost your energy! Each interval has a staggered intensity that gets repeated until fatigue gets the better of you (usually around the one minute mark). I also encourage the use of voice and you will hear me invite you to regularly resound a firm "yes"! It’s a more advanced version of HIIT training with plenty of bone building impact. As always, keep to your level.