How fit are you?

Do you think you are doing enough physical activities? Do you think your daily walkout routine has given a boost to your fitness level? Did you know that by meeting recommended levels of physical activity, your rate of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes is reduced by up to 50 per cent?

The Department of Health recommends that adults should do 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Those aged 18 and under should be doing an hour each day. Are you doing enough? Well, this simple assessment will help you understand what the recommended levels are and will assess how close you are to meeting them.

Cardio endurance

This will enable you to know how long you can hold on to activities that elevate your heart rate. It is also used to detect how healthy your heart is. Activities like running, jumping, cycling and so on are useful in this regard. For this assessment, run at a not too fast pace for 60 seconds and then take note of the distance you covered within that short time. Or, do jumping jacks for 60 seconds and take note of how many you were able to do within the period.

Muscular strength

This would determine your muscular ability to engage in strength and resistance activities. Activities like weight-lifting and resistance trainings are effective in this regard. For this fitness assessment, choose a weight you can lift comfortably and do shoulder press for 60 seconds and take note of how many you were able to do. Or, do push-ups for 60 seconds and take note of how many you did.

Flexibility

This tells how well or freely you are able to move your joints without pain or sustaining injuries. To assess your flexibility level, stand upright with your legs, shoulder width. Without bending your knees, slowly bend over and reach for your toes. If you can’t touch your toes, you can touch your knees, and with time, your fitness level will improve.

It is advisable to take this fitness test every three months to check your fitness level.

Culled from The Punch Newspaper