How Fit Are You?

You can get a pretty good idea of your fitness level with the following quick self-assessment test. I read about it several years ago in one of Dr. Sears’s newsletters. And I still refer to it today.

1. How many push-ups can you do? (a) more than 40, (b) between 10 and 40, (c) 10 or less

2. How many chin-ups can you do? (a) more than 12, (b) between 5 and 12, or (c) 5 or less

3. How long can you hold your breath? (a) more than 1 minute, (b) 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or (c) less than 30 seconds

4. What is your resting heart rate (measured in beats per minute)? (a) less than 60 bpm, (b) 60 to 75 bpm, or (c) more than 75 bpm

5. How far can you reach down when bending at the waist? (a) hands flat on the floor, (b) to your toes, or (c) to your knees

6. Stand on one foot, close your eyes, tilt your head back, and touch your nose. How well did you maintain your balance? (a) no problem, (b) a little unsteady, or (c) began to fall

To calculate your score, give yourself 2 points for every (a) answer, 1 point for every (b) answer, and 0 points for every (c) answer.

If your score is between 10 and 12, you are in great shape. If your score is between 5 and 9, you are in good shape, but could benefit from further conditioning. If your score is between 0 and 4, you need to get serious about conditioning your body for health.

[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]