How to Measure Your Personal Fitness Level

Measuring your personal fitness level is an individualized process. Several factors play a role, such as muscle tissue, overall health, lifestyle and genetic makeup. Knowing what your personal fitness level is will help you determine how well your healthy diet and exercise habits are paying off. Here we will discuss how you can determine your personal level. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

The Components of Fitness

There are several components of fitness. If you have complete physical fitness, you will have cardiovascular or aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, good body composition, muscular strength and flexibility. When measuring your personal fitness level, you should measure all five of these fitness components. You should also be working regularly to keep all of these components in shape.

Getting Into Action

Once you have measured your personal fitness level, it is time to get into action and improve it. Your goal, after talking to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to exercise, will be to work on all five fitness components. You should begin by getting 2.5 hours of exercise a week, but spreading out this time so that you are exercising most days of the week. For example, five days a week at 30 minutes a day. Walking is a great way to get started, especially if you are not in shape. Make sure to get in strength and flexibility training as well.

Set goals for yourself and do not compare yourself or your progress to others. Comparing yourself to others is counterproductive. As long as you are hitting your personal fitness goals, you are on the right track. Everyone gets fit differently because we are all biologically different so keep this in mind and focus on yourself and your goals only.

Overexertion

This is a very real effect of a new fitness plan. It is important to start slow and gradually increase so you do not overexert yourself. If you start to notice muscle soreness that sticks around for more than a couple of days, you may be pushing yourself a little too hard. Cut back a bit and slow down. If you start to notice things like pain, swelling, bruising or other symptoms, give your doctor a call. When it comes to fitness, slow and steady wins the race, and also avoids injury. Your goal with a fitness plan is to improve your overall health, not hurt yourself or make things worse.

Resources

The Walking Site: Beginning a Fitness Walking Program