Physical activity on a regular basis is important to your overall health. 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day will contribute to your strength and fitness as well as help you relax and reduce stress, increase your energy levels and ensure you get a good night's rest. In turn, your risk of heart disease will decrease as well as your risk for colon cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.
You may have an idea of your current health-related fitness level. However, a more accurate measure can help you establish some fitness goals and assist you in your efforts to monitor your progress and maintain your motivation. The following assessment guidelines are based on those developed by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The tests will help you gauge your aerobic fitness, muscular strength and your endurance, and your flexibility and body composition. The tests will also provide you the means to track your progress in each area as your level physical activity increases. Please note that you should always check with your doctor prior to undertaking any physical activity.
Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic fitness or cardiovascular fitness relates to the heart, blood vessels and the lungs and their ability to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles during exercise. Aerobic fitness leads to a lower risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. The one mile walk will measure your aerobic fitness.
One Mile Walk
1. Check your pulse over the carotid artery or over the radial artery. Record your pulse in your fitness journal. In order to check your pulse over your carotid artery, place your index and third finger on your neck adjacent to your windpipe. To check your pulse over the radial artery, place two fingers on your wrist between the bone and the tendon over the radial artery that is located on the thumb side of your wrist. For either test, when you feel your pulse, count the number of beats that occur in 10 seconds and multiply that number by 6. This is your heart rate per minute.
2. Take a brisk one-mile walk.
3. Check your pulse and record your pulse following your walk.
4. Continue walking at a slow speed in order for your body to 'cool-down'.
Muscular Fitness
Muscular strength and endurance are required to carry out daily activities. The push-up can be used to test for muscular strength and endurance.
Push-ups
1. Position yourself on the floor. Your body should be straight with your weight on your hands and feet or knees. Your hands should be flat on the ground and positioned directly under your shoulders.
2. Lower your chest until it reaches the floor and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
3. Keep your body straight and fully extend your arms at the end of each sit up.
4. Do as many push-ups as possible until you need to stop and rest. You can do classic push-ups or modified push-ups on your knees.
5. Count the number of times you return to the starting position as one push-up.
6. Record the number of push-ups you complete in your fitness journal.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to move all of your joints through a full range of motion. Flexibility is important to your ability to walk, lift, and step in a normal fashion. The sit-and-reach test will gauge your flexibility.
Sit-and-reach test
1. Place a yardstick on the floor and secure it with a piece of tape at the 15 inch mark.
2. Sit on the floor with the yardstick between your legs and place the soles of your feet even with the mark on the yardstick. Your feet should be about 12 inches apart.
3. Place fingertips on yardstick and reach forward slowly with both hands as far as possible and hold the position for two seconds. Note the distance you reached as measured by the yardstick.
4. Repeat the test two additional times.
5. Record the maximum distance of the three attempts.
Body Composition
The Body Mass Index is a number that is used to identify persons at risk for some health problems. A higher BMI reflects greater weight for a unit of height. A high waist circumference is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, elevated blood lipids, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Body Mass Index Measurement
1. Use a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference at its most narrow point which is frequently at the navel level.
2. Record this waist circumference measurement in inches in your journal.
3. Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply that number by 703 to determine your body mass index (BMI). As an alternative you can reference an online BMI calculator that can be located at www.shapeup.org.
4. Record your BMI in your journal.
Monitor your progress
Evaluating your current fitness level is the first step toward your fitness goals. These tests should be repeated six weeks after you begin your exercise program and then again on a periodic basis after that. Be sure and applaud your progress toward your fitness goals and share your results with your physician or personal trainer as need be.
Sources: Physical activity, Healthierus.gov
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