How Fit Are You?

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If you want to perform at your full potential, you need to take a comprehensive approach to your fitness. That means targeting areas of yourself that you may not normally pay attention to, like flexibility, balance, and mobility. I admit I am a total cardio junkie so when it comes to strength and flexibility, I am not as fit as I probably should be! So we have researched different fitness tests and came up with 5 areas for you to test and evaluate yourself! 

 

First of all, why take a fitness test?

 

This test will help you find a good starting point. It is really hard to know if you need improvement if you don't know where you stand right now or where you are beginning. You may think to yourself, like I do..."I know I am unflexible." or "I know my arms aren't very strong" but these simple steps will really help you discover your areas of weakness, but also your areas of strength! It can also help you pinpoint fitness programs to help you in the areas you need or want improvement. For example, I did this test and I need to work on my flexibility. So I am going to take 10 mins everyday to stretch and roll so I can hopefully improve my flexibility in my muscles, which will also help my joints! Your results on this test will be unique to you and you can decide how to act on them or what you are going to commit to do to improve.

How do you know if you "need" a fitness test?

 

No matter what your level of fitness is, a test like this will help you stay on track. But if you aren't really sure, here are a couple of signs that may indicate it's time to think about your fitness level:

• You're huffing and puffing up one flight of stairs
• You can't do a single push up
• You don't workout in public because you believe yourself to be "unfit"
• Activities of daily living make you tired: carrying groceries, vacuuming, cleaning, carrying children, playing with children, etc.

How often should you take a fitness test?

 

The nice thing about a self given test is you can do it whenever you want. However, I believe that a good timeline would be every few months, maybe even once a quarter. Take the test, set some goals, do the workouts, and retake the test in a month or two and be sure to celebrate your improvement. If you are consistent it will be really great to see the progress you make! 
 

There are 5 parts to this Fitness Test:

1. Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

 

The first thing to know about RHR is that, generally speaking, the lower the number the better. Why? Because the lower a person’s RHR, the more fit they are. And why is that? Well, without getting too technical, it’s because the more blood your heart can pump with each beat, the less number of times it has to beat each minute to keep the rest of your body well …resting. In other words, better fitness translates to larger heart capacity and lower RHR.

 

So how do you figure out your RHR?

• It's best to take your resting heart rate in the morning, before physical activity and before consuming any stimulants like caffeine.
• Take your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 (or you can count out a whole minute). There is also an ap that I have on my phone that allows you to test your HR and is pretty accurate. It is actually called "Heart Rate."
• Compare your resting heart rate to the following table:

1 Min Resting Heart Rate?	How Fit Are You?	Score Points
40-65 BPM	Excellent/ You are rocking it	2
65-85 BPM	Good but Keep working.	1
85-100 + BPM	Need Improvement.	0

2. Push-up Test

 

This is a test for upper body strength and endurance. Push-ups require strength and endurance mainly from the chest, shoulders, triceps and core, but also require total body stabilization throughout the entire movement. Me and push-ups have what you call a "Love/Hate Relationship". I know they are good for me but I really don't like doing them!!!

To do the test, get in push up position.  Guys-Toes, Ladies-Knees or Toes if you prefer. Place your hands shoulder width apart. Keep a straight line from the knees to the shoulders and lower down until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle and push back up. That is one! Now simply see how many you can do... with good form. The second you have to take a rest or lose your form, you're done. It's fine to go slow and controlled, just don't stop your cadence. Compare your results to the chart below and give yourself the according score.

Number of Push ups?	How Fit Are You?	Score Points
40+	Excellent/ You are rocking it	2
20-40	Good but Keep working.	1
< 20	Need Improvement.	0

 

3. Sit-up Test

 

To do the test, get down on the floor and tuck your feet under a couch or sit-up bar. That is right, these are old fashioned, full sit ups. We aren't joking around here! Place your hands at the base of your head and keep your elbows out wide to the side with your chin lifted. Press your belly button in toward your spine and lift all the way up until your chest is perpendicular to the floor. Do as many reps as you can without losing your form. The second your elbows pull in, your chin tucks to your chest, or you simply can't lift up any more, or if you stop to rest - you are done. Compare your results to the chart below and give yourself the according score.
 

Number of Sit ups?	How Fit Are You?	Score Points
35+	Excellent/ You are rocking it	2
15-34	Good but Keep working.	1
<15	Need Improvement.	0

4. The Squat Test

 

This test shows if you have basic strength and flexibility in your arms, core and legs.

 

 

To do the test, stand facing a full-length mirror with feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed straight ahead; raise your arms straight overhead. Squat down until your knees bend to 90 degrees. Do this three times and hold the pose at the lowest point in your third squat. Look closely at your body alignment and score your points accordingly.
 

How does your squat look?	How Fit Are You?	Score Points
Your knees and toes are pointing forward. Your arms are still straight overhead	Excellent/ You are rocking it	2
Your toes and knees turn outward or inward.	You need to stretch your calves, hamstrings and quads.	1
Your toes/knees turn out/in, your hands drop and you lean forward.	Poor. You need some full body stretching!!	0

5. Balance

 

To stay steady on your feet, no matter what you are doing, nerve endings in your joints and muscles sense changes in your body position. Improving your balance can enhance your ability to anticipate movement changes so your workouts are smoother and faster. Besides, studies show that balance naturally declines with age if you don't actively work on it.

 

 

 

You will need a stopwatch for this movement. Place your right foot against your left leg. Start timing. Stop timing when your left foot moves or you lose your balance. Repeat on the other side. Average the times. Give yourself the according points.

 

How long did you Hold? (secs)	How Fit Are You?	Score Points
> 50 seconds	Excellent/ You are rocking it	2
26-49 seconds	Good. Just need a little work.	1
<25 seconds	Poor. You need some better balance!	0

Now, tally up your score!!!

7-10 points: Share your passion!
You are rocking it, so keep up the good work and invite your friends and family to get fit with you. Keep setting new challenges to keep your fitness and also to take it to new levels. Fitness, flexibility, balance can also be lost so keep at it!

3-6 points: Keep working out!

Focus on the area that was weak, by doing that activity for at least 5 minutes every day. You will see improvement on these as you are consistent in your daily routines.

0 - 2 points: Make a positive change today!

Start with 10 minutes of something: stretching, cardio or weights… or all of it. Start small and work up to 30 minutes, most days of the week.

 

In addition to setting fitness goals, be sure to get enough sleep, eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of water for you to feel great each day! And as always, if you have specific questions on other ways to improve your fitness, leave a comment or drop us an email!!!

 

How did you do? Write down goals and share them with someone.

I for one am setting new goals of flexibility and balance!

 

Share this test with someone too and help them see where they are at and what they need to do to get to where they want to be!!!