If you haven't been exercising regularly, it's useful to determine your current level of health and fitness before you take off running (or walking). If you are under 35 and have no health problems that might interfere, you can begin an exercise program this minute. However, if you are over 35, have health problems, or have been sedentary for years, check in with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will first applaud your new resolution. Then after you take a bow, he or she might want to perform a few tests, such as a blood-pressure check, and discuss any limitations you might have. After you've got the go-ahead, you can do some tests of your own to pinpoint where you need to focus your fitness efforts.
Determining Your Fitness Level
Fitness
These are the four basic components you need to evaluate to determine your fitness level:
Cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness How effectively do your heart and lungs deliver blood and oxygen throughout your body? Do you have the stamina to do the activities you enjoy?
Muscle strength How strong are your muscles? How well will they protect your joints and bones and let you perform daily tasks as you age?
Flexibility How flexible are you? The range of motion of your joints decreases as you age, or when you become sedentary, and this eventually can limit everyday abilities such as bending or reaching. A regular stretching program can keep your muscles loose and your joints flexible.
Body composition What percentage of your weight is fat? Do you carry too much body fat compared to lean tissue? Does the amount of body fat interfere with your health, activities, or quality of life?
Fitness testing is useful both before beginning your personal exercise program and to evaluate your progress. When you see that you are inching closer to your fitness goals, you stay motivated. Repeat your fitness tests every two to three months to track fitness gains and increase your motivation.
Fitness Testing Information Online
There are tests that you can do in the privacy of your own home to evaluate these four elements of fitness. However, be aware that your results are only general indications of your fitness level. You might not be doing the test exactly right, or there might be errors in the calculation of results. Also, the online test might not take into account other variables, such as whether you're exercising with asthma, rehabilitating from a back injury, or doing physical work in your daily life. So, use the fitness tests, but take them as indicators, not gospel.
How to Determine Your Fitness Level
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