Reminder: 30 Day Exercise Challenge
The Full-Body Fitness Test
Article By: Betsy Stephens
Think you're in the average or above-average category when it comes to being fit? Take our test and find out your true fitness level.
How fit are you really? We don't mean just in terms of running a sprint or lifting a heavy barbell. We're talking about well-rounded fitness. This six-movement test will identify your strengths and weak spot—in just 20 minutes—so you can eliminate your biggest vulnerabilities and prevent problems that might derail your weight-loss plan.
Perform each move below and, on a separate page mark the level of your performance (1, 2 or 3), then add all of your circled scores to get your final tally.
1. Balance
Having good balance lets you exercise with a lower risk of injury, says Juan Carlos Santana, director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida. You walk and run on one leg at a time, which becomes all too apparent if a stumble leads to a strain, sprain or fracture.
One-Leg Toe Touch
Stand on your left leg, keeping your right foot off the ground and behind you. Raise your right hand as if you were going to take an oath, keeping your left hand by your side without touching your body. Bend your left knee slightly, then bend at the hip and reach down to lightly touch your left foot with your right hand. Return to standing and repeat. Count how many times you can do this without losing your balance. Then stand on your right leg and repeat the test, touching your right foot with your left hand.
Score:
1. 5 or fewer repetitions
2. 6 to 15 reps
3. 16 or more reps
Do better: If you find it difficult to touch your toes, start here. Stand on one leg for 30 seconds then the other. Do this daily. When it becomes easy, bend down and touch your knee while balancing for 10 to 20 repetitions. Finally, progress to touching your foot.
2. Abdominal Strength
This test will tell you if your stomach muscles are strong enough to keep back pain at bay and help you breathe most efficiently during hard cardio workouts, says Alycea Ungaro, author of the Pilates Promise and founder of Real Pilates in New York City.
Belly Barometer
Lie on the floor and perform a basic crunch, allowing your shoulder blades to clear the floor. Hold for 5 seconds without sinking, and then try adding the variations.
Score:
1. You can hold your shoulder blades 2 to 4 inches above the floor for 5 full seconds
2. You can hold your shoulder blades off the floor for 5 full seconds or more with your arms by your sides
3. You can hold your shoulder blades off the floor for 5 full seconds or more with your arms extended above your head
Do better: You're already training your abdominals during your regular workout (if not, start!). To further condition them, contract your abdominals several times through the day as you do normal activities: standing at the coffee maker at work, walking to lunch, pumping gas, etc.
3. Leg Power
Strong legs will act as shock absorbers to prevent injuries to your lower back and knees, says Santana. Strengthen your legs, and you'll find it easier to add variety to your workout with sports like basketball and volleyball, which are fun but hard on weak legs.
Post-It Note Test
Stand with your right side facing a wall, and hold a Post-It note in your right hand. While keeping your heels firmly planted on the floor, reach up high and stick the Post-It to the furthest point you can reach on the wall. Next, get a second Post-It note and hold it in your right hand. Move one foot away from the wall, bend your knees fully, then jump as high and plant the Post-It at the highest point you can reach on the wall. Now measure the distance between the two Post-It notes. Repeat the test with your left side facing the wall while holding the Post-It in your left hand.
Score:
The difference between the two Post-It notes is:
1. 22 inches or less
2. 22 to 26 inches
3. 27 inches or more
Do better: Leg squats will build power even without using weights, says Santana. Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward. Bend your knees deeply, coming as close to 90 degrees as you can without allowing your knees to eclipse your toes, then return to standing. Work up to 30 squats in 30 seconds. When this becomes easy, add a little hop at the top of each squat. You should see improvement in two weeks, says Santana.
4. Flexibility
Keeping your body limber won't just cut down on muscle strain, it will make your workouts more efficient. Greater flexibility will allow you to perform exercises with a greater range of motion, recruiting more muscle fibers.
Leg Stretch Test
Get a beach towel, and lie down on your back with your legs extended straight, says Sara Ivanhoe, creator of Sara Ivanhoe's 20 Minute Yoga DVD series. Bend your right knee so you can loop the center of the towel around the arch of your right foot. Hold the ends of the towel in each hand, and return your right leg to the floor, extended straight alongside the left leg, keeping the towel in place. Bend your left knee slightly. Lift your straightened right leg off the floor, bringing your toes toward the ceiling, then toward your nose. Note how high you can comfortably raise your right leg (stop if you feel too much strain or any pain in your lower back). Repeat the test by raising your left leg.
Score:
You're able to extend your leg:
1. under 90 degrees
2. just to 90 degrees (pointing straight up).
3. beyond 90 degrees
Do better: Do a modified forward bend whenever you have a free moment during the day; perhaps while you're on a conference call or waiting for a microwave meal. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, bend your knees slightly, and bend your waist forward at the hips. Don't force the stretch. Hold on to opposite elbows and let your upper body hang forward so gravity gently pulls you down.
5. Cardiovascular Fitness
Cardio exercise—walking, running, anything that raises your heart rate and gets you winded—burns more calories than resistance training, so it's crucial to weight loss. The better your cardiovascular fitness, the longer you can go and the more calories you can burn, says Suzanne Meth, a manager for fitness assessment at Equinox Fitness in New York.
Step Test
Find a flight of stairs holding a stopwatch (or any watch with a second hand). Step up and down on the first step, alternating feet, for three minutes (if you're able; if not, work up to that time). At the end of three minutes, stop and take your pulse for one full minute.
To determine your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) use this formula: 220 – age in years = MHR
Your exercise intensity level is determined by your MHR.
• Low (or Light) is about 40-54% MHR.
• Moderate is 55-69% MHR.
• High (or Vigorous) is equal to or greater than 70% MHR
Score:
Your heart rate will depend on your age as indicated in the formula above, but for example, the MHR for a 50 year old individual would be 220 - 50, or 170.
• Low Intensity: heart rate is 68-to-92 beats per minute (40-50% MHR).
• Moderate Intensity: heart rate is 93-to-118 beats per minute (55-69% MHR).
• High Intensity: heart rate is more than 119 beats per minute (greater or equal to 70% MHR).
To determine where you fall plug your age into the formula and then see what intensity level you fall in.
Do better: Add a 30-minute cardio session per wee****il you build up to four 30-minute cardio workouts a week. Using the elliptical machine at your gym, riding a bike, walking or jogging.
6. Upper Body Strength
Your upper-body power is a big factor in almost any activity you do—even in running and other exercises that seem to involve only the lower body, says Meth. When she studied Olympic cross-country skiers, she found that their upper-body strength significantly affected their performance.
Push-up Test
This no-frills test is still the best. Do as many strict, military-style push-ups (remember high-school gym class) as you can in one untimed session. A refresher: Assume the push-up position on the floor, with your feet a few inches apart, and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Count how many you can do without stopping.
Score:
1. 10 or fewer
2. 11-24
3. 25 or more
Do better: Doing push-ups will help, naturally. Give yourself time to recover, then do a second round. Follow this with two sets of 15 bent-over rows using light dumbbells. Within 30 days, you'll have greater arm strength and you'll surely be hitting 25 or more push-ups at a shot.
Now add all 6 numbers above that you circled. If your total score is…
9 or lower
Your lack of strength, flexibility or cardiovascular fitness prevents you from getting the biggest benefits possible from your exercise sessions, and that can make it harder for you to keep losing weight. Zero in on the areas where you scored low, and add the "Do better" exercises to your regular workouts. Take this test again in 30 days, and you should see—and feel—a startling improvement.
10 to 15
Your overall fitness level is average. It isn't hindering your weight loss efforts. However, it's not helping as much as a higher score would. Target your weak areas, and your workouts will grow in intensity and effectiveness, which will help you keep shedding fat.
16+
Congratulations! Your overall fitness is excellent. Rotating the "Do better" exercises into your already intense workouts will help you keep your overall fitness level. Repeat this test every 60 days, and shoot for a perfect score of 18.
