Medical Exercise Assessment - Step 3 Functional Interview
Mar 11, 2026
The Functional Interview — Understanding the Client’s Real Goals
A structured conversation is a critical part of the assessment process.
Medical Exercise Training is not about isolated muscle strength.
It is about improving the client’s ability to live independently.
The functional interview helps identify:
- activities the client struggles with
• activities the client has stopped doing
• activities the client hopes to regain
For example, a client may say:
“I want to be able to walk to the mailbox.”
Or
“I want to be able to play with my grandchildren.”
These statements reveal meaningful functional goals.
Once those goals are identified, the exercise program can be designed to support them.
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