Fit for the Ages

No Matter How Old You Are, It's Time You Checked Your

Performance Against These Fitness Yardsticks

Remember high school?

That's all right, neither do we. But if you think back really hard, you may remember that for years most kids, and probably you, were subjected to regular fitness tests in physical education classes, often under the auspices of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. The assessments varied, but they usually consisted of a run (e.g., the 600-yard "run-walk") and some mix of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, the long jump, maybe some kind of stretch.

Some students were humiliated. Many were annoyed. A few (let the bitterness go, man) excelled. But no one was spared. For worse or better, most high school kids received an annual fitness report card.
Adults, on the other hand, rarely have their fitness graded. Those "lucky" enough to have, or be at high risk for, a heart attack may have their aerobic capacity tested on a treadmill so the doctor can see how bad things really are. The rest of us are left in a sort of fitness fog, certain we've lost a step or seven since high school, knowing it's harder to bend down and pick up a quarter, but having no clue what kind of physical condition we're really in.

Fear not, we're here to help you figure that out no matter what your age. First we researched the measures often used by health and fitness professionals to assess adults' levels of fitness. They are used by physical therapists, rehab specialists, personal trainers and people who test the fitness of cops and firefighters. These tests are pretty demanding of time and gear, and the interpretation only slightly less complex than a Federal Reserve money supply report. One test involves suspending you under water; another has you breathe through a rubber hose for an hour; a third grips your flab with calipers.

But you don't want to get wet or hurt. So the fitness assessments we present here -- simplified versions of those used by the Cooper Institute in Dallas , the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise -- are easier to do and require less equipment.
We've also boiled down the charts of norms, so it's easier to determine how your results compare with those of your peers in age and sex. The result is a set of fitness assessments that, while far less precise than professional versions, are easy to administer, derived from authoritative sources and useful for creating a big-picture snapshot of your fitness level. To measure yourself via the more precise tests recommended by the groups, see the "Getting in Deeper" below.

Of course, we have to say this: Don't do any of the following until you get the go-ahead from your doctor. And before you perform any test, spend at least five minutes warming up: walking, doing simple calisthenics, swinging your arms, doing the funky chicken, anything to get your blood circulating and your muscles moving.

CARDIO FITNESS: One-Mile Walk

This is one of the least precise ways to measure aerobic capacity; the Cooper Institute recommends using it only for those who take medication that affects heart rate or who don't have access to a heart-rate monitor. But other tests require stethoscopes, treadmills or very precise measures of distance, so this one is the easiest by far.
How to Do It Measure a mile on a running track (usually, four laps) or on little-trafficked neighborhood streets (use your car's odometer to get the right distance). Using a stopwatch or a watch that counts seconds, walk the mile as fast as you can (don't run -- that's cheating -- and don't hurt yourself). Note elapsed time and compare your results with the chart.

STRENGTH: Push-Ups

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Down on the mat and give us . . . well, as many as you can.
How to Do It Guys: Up on your toes and hands, back straight, hands flat on the floor directly below your shoulders. Gals: Same position but support your body on your knees, not your toes.
Now, both of you: Lower your body, bending your elbows, until your chin grazes the floor. Push back up until your arms are straight. (We said, Keep your back straight!) Continue until you can't do any more. You can rest, but only in the "up" position. Record the number of push-ups completed. Compare your count to the chart.

STRENGTH: Curl-Ups

In case you haven't been paying attention for the past 20 years, we don't do sit-ups any more. They can hurt your neck and back. Curl-ups are often used instead to measure abdominal strength.
How to Do It Place two long parallel strips of masking tape on the floor, 3 1/2 inches apart. Lie on the floor, face up, with your body perpendicular to the tape, your hands palm down and fingers touching the closer of the two strips. Bend your knees at about 90 degrees, feet on the floor. Reach forward, your hands still on the ground, curling your spine and lifting your shoulders until your fingertips touch the second strip of tape. Return to the starting position. That's one repetition. Do as many as you can in 60 seconds.