Being fit is something that many people assume belongs to the realm of professional athletes, but this is far from the case. Just about anyone can become fit if they put their minds to it, and in fact, there might be many individuals who are fit and don't know it. Being fit isn't just something that allows people to run marathons or swim channels; there are much smaller markers that will help individuals determine whether or not they have reached this physical level, and all it takes is a few simple tests.

Bench Pressing

Strength happens to be one of the markers that indicate a sound fitness level, so individuals who want to find out whether they are fit might want to start out by testing their bench pressing abilities. As the experts of Men's Health explain;

Literally being able to throw your weight around-plus half that of the guy standing next to you-is the ultimate sign that you'll never have a problem hanging drywall, holding your ground in the post…or looking great in a tank top.

To determine whether you are fit, you need to attempt to bench press 1 and a half your weight. Before you undergo this test, make sure that your feet remain on the floor during the experiment so that you don't end up using extra muscle. If you are struggling to lift your own body weight, you still have a lot of work to do.

Run

Run is extremely taxing on the body because it not only uses so many muscles within the body, but it also works out the cardiovascular system. One of the best things about being fit is that it allows you to run hard and fast, so if you want to give your fitness levels a test; try to run 1.5 miles in ten minutes. This test will help you to determine whether your body can keep up with the pace of delivering oxygen to the muscles within your body, a sure sign of a fit physique. When you make the decision to undergo this test, make sure that you do so on a flat space, otherwise you might end up failing to keep up the pace even though you are fit.

Swim

You can test out your fitness levels by going for a swim; you simply need to get into the water and cover 700 yards in 12 minutes or under. Swimming is even more taxing on the human body than running because it puts your upper body strength and your aerobic ability to the test, which is why it makes such a great case for fitness.

Pushups

Another way to test your upper body strength is to get down and give yourself 40 pushups. This sort of test actually measures endurance, which is basically your ability to utilize your muscle strength over a longer period of time.

Flexibility

You might not realize it, but flexibility is actually a great marker for fitness, and this is evident, according to the contributors of http://connectedcongress.org/ because;

(Flexibility is) organic (natural) and… developed through exercise and training. Science has shown that improvements in…(this component) can be confirmed biologically (actually under a microscope) as you improve your training.

If you are not fit, your flexibility is going to struggle as a result, which is why you'll want to make sure that you use this as one of your markers.

Speed

When you are unfit, you might find that you are slow and even unable to balance properly, and while it might seem like these are traits that some people are born with, they can be improved upon over time. Speed is something that the body is able to work on and enhance through training and practice, and this is exactly the same with balance and coordination. Think of it this way; not all dancers are born agile and quick on their feet, but with enough training, many of them are able to become so. This is because these facets are neuromuscular and so they are developed as much within the brain as they are within the muscles.

Take a Walk

Even a simple walk can help people in determining whether or not they are fit, so if you want to test out your abilities in a flash, take a one mile walk, but do so briskly. You will want to make sure that you check your pulse before you take the walk, since this will aid you in measuring your fitness levels. To check your pulse, the experts of Mayoclinic.com suggest;

To check your pulse over your carotid artery, place your index and middle fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. To check your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery…

Count the number of heartbeats you feel within a span of ten seconds and multiply this number by six to get your beats per minute. Once you have walked the mile, do this again and record the results.

You will most likely want to measure your progress every six weeks, although you should keep in mind that every time you improve; you'll want to set new fitness goals so that you continue pushing yourself. In the beginning, you'll notice that your heart rate is fairly high after a brisk walk, but this will start to drop as you increase your fitness levels.

Testing your fitness levels isn't just something you should be doing at the gym; you can do it just about anywhere. Take the stairs and see whether you can reach the top with ease, or opt to carry your grocery bags instead of pushing them in a cart. All of these tasks can help improve your physique and allow you the chance to determine whether or not you are physically fit, particularly since fitness is all about being in a better position to keep up with the rigors that daily life demand of your body.

Posted by: fitandhealthy at 09:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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