Easy Ways to Determine Your Fitness Level

Fitness level is a subjective measure and varies from person to person. In fact, there isn’t any perfect evaluating measure that could define your level of fitness. The results differ because it takes a lot to be holistically fit. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Even the best of bodybuilders, athletes, Olympians and gym enthusiasts may lack something, so how will you know at what level of fitness you are at? It might be simple to judge from taking visual cues but your muscles and fat percentage only give an approximation.

What qualifies as fit and what is unhealthy can be easier to determine by your daily routine but even if you are fit you need to know where you are lacking and what your strong points are. If you can lift a particular weight or do a certain number of pushups, your fitness can be evaluated from different aspects easily. However, that might not show you your accurate fitness level. In order to determine your honest and accurate fitness level, you can assess it using the following practices:

Run 1.5 Miles within 10 Minutes
If you can run for 1.5 miles within 10 minutes, it is a sign you have high aerobic capacity. It identifies your body’s ability to transport oxygen that keeps your muscles fueled with the required energy so they don’t collapse when extra pressure is placed on them. Regularly performing aerobic exercises can significantly reduce your cholesterol level and help you sustain it in an optimal range, which will not only minimize the body fat percentage but also eliminate the risk of any fatal diseases.

Just run 1.5 miles on a flat surface, as an uneven surface puts more stress on your muscles, thus they need more oxygen to perform their regular functions. If you can cover the distance within 10 minutes, you have great endurance. If you take a few minutes extra, i.e. up to 15 minutes, it’s normal. However, if you take more time, it means your body lacks endurance.

Leg Press 2.25 Times Your Weight
Leg press is the most challenging, yet fun, activity for gym goers. As your butt and leg muscles form the foundation of your body, it is important to measure their fitness level. An easy way to determine this is to see if you can leg press more than double your weight. So, if your weight is 160 pounds, you should leg press 360 pounds. Only if your maximum leg press is below 1.7 times your weight will your level of fitness be considered low.

Measure Up
The easiest of all methods is to measure by taking visual cues. If your belly is larger than your butt, it is time for you to understand you are not really fit. Stop taking tests to assess your fitness level. Your risk of developing a number of potentially severe diseases is higher. Take a measuring tape and note down the waist to hip ratio based on their circumference. You can take an average by taking 3 points from widest to narrowest. If the difference is around 1, you really need to leave the measuring tape, put on sweatpants and take the path that leads to the gym. If it’s between 0.8 and 1, it’s average but not good, obviously. Below 0.8 means you are in great shape.