How Fit You Are?

People, whether they are exercise freak or eat-sit-sleep type, are always interested to know how fit they are. Beyond the general purpose of inquiry, many persons want to know about their fitness level if they are planning to start on a fitness plan, are into middle of it, or have completed one and etching to know of their gains.

So if you belong in any of such categories or are just curious to determine your present fitness levels, go through following useful steps to know how fit you are.

Get Your Tool Box

Measuring your fitness level requires some basic equipment.

A watch with a second hand or a stopwatch
A cloth measuring tape
Heavy duty tape
A yardstick
A person to help you with the flexibility test

You will also need to maintain a record of your scores as you go through each part of the assessment.

Aerobic Fitness Test

Aim: To check the aerobic fitness level

Method: A one-mile walk indoors, outdoors or on a treadmill.

Procedure: Check the pulse rate before starting and record it. You can use your watch for this. Find the pulse at neck or wrist, look at the watch and count number of pulses in 20 seconds. Multiply it 3 to get your heart beat per minute. Take a walk, exactly noting the exact time when you start and complete it. Now check the pulse again. Make a table of readings for every day.

Muscular Fitness Test

Aim: To check muscular fitness

Method: Push Ups. Knee push ups for beginners and toe push up for veterans. Make sure to keep the back straight while lifting yourself up.

Procedure: One push up is completed when resume the starting position. Record the number of push ups you can do before you need to take a rest.

Flexibility Fitness Test:

Aim: To check flexibility of your back, hips, legs and lower backs

Method: Sit and reach

Procedure: Make two points on the floor at 15 inch distance and then place soles of your feet even with the points. Ask your companion to hold your knees from bending and then lean forward as much as you can. Hold this position for two seconds. Repeat it twice and note down the best of three reaches.

Monitor Your Progress

Checking the tables over a period of 6-8 weeks would help you to determine improvements in your fitness level. You will have a comparative database of your abilities which you can use even in forthcoming years as a standard base of your fitness.