Apart form giving your current fitness levels, the value of these tests is even more, when performed periodically. You will know whether there is progress or not. A proper record should be kept of the following tests on a fortnightly basis. Each parameter will tell you how much you have progressed with REAL FITNESS.

BODY COMPOSITION and MEASUREMENTS:
First find out your height and weight and see if you conform to a height-weight chart.

Wait a minute!

Don’t jump to conclusions with this test alone.
You need to know how much fat you have on you.

1. A simple test to know your fat content is to pinch the excess soft tissue at your waist. The correct technique is to pick up the skin and the fat between your thumb and index finger. If the tissue is relatively mobile, you have picked up the fat correctly. Now measure the distance between the two fingers to know fat thickness.<[> An inch of pinch at the waist is approximately forty pounds of fat. If your pinch exceeds an inch there is work to do.
2. A more accurate method of determining body fat is by using a fat caliper. The caliper is used to pinch out fat at various sites in the body. The commonly used sites are: back of the arm, front of the arm, waist and upper back. The readings provided by the caliper are computed using simple arithmetic formulae, to find out the exact fat content in the body. It is worth buying a simple fat caliper to monitor your progress with fat loss.

   (There are more sophisticated methods of fat estimation, like the electronic method. A feeble current is passed through the body, with an electrode placed on the foot and another on the hand. The resistance offered by fat being different than the lean tissues, the fat percentage can be exactly determined. This test can be performed at any leading sports medicine centre.)

3. Waist and hip circumference are important indicators having great value in fitness assessment. Ideally the waist should be measuring less than the hips. The waist is measured at the level of the umbilicus and hips are measured around the maximum girth of the buttocks. As the fitness program progresses there should be a steady decrease in both the values. The waist to hip ratio should reduce to less than 1.

ENDURANCE:
The basic tests for endurance are measuring the pulse rate during rest and exercise. The pulse generally mirrors the state of cardiovascular fitness.

1. Resting pulse rate: Feeling the pulse and counting the rate is one of the most important self-examination tests.
   It is worth spending 10 minutes, in perfecting the technique of pulse checking.
   This story will tell you importance of pulse checking.

   We had conducted a class on cardio-pulmonary aid for some persons in the community. Here we taught them how to revive a person whose heart had stopped, by using cardiac massage and mouth to mouth breathing. The next day, Jaswant Singh who had attended the course, was all black and blue, obviously thrashed by somebody. I asked him what had happened.

   Very reluctantly he said " Sir, yesterday after the class I went to Juhu beach where I saw a rather young lady lying face down, just not moving. I called out to her and even shook her. She did not respond. I thought this was the chance to save someone’s life and practice what I had learnt. I turned her over and gave her cardiac massage. I had just started to give mouth to mouth breathing when she got up and started shouting. A crowd gathered and you can imagine the rest. I had made only one mistake sir, I had not checked her pulse."
   So pulse checking is very important. No live person likes to have cardiac massage on the beach that too in full view of the public. Jaswant realised painfully, the difference between cardiac arrest and relaxed sunbathing, is presence or absence of pulse.

   Technique of pulse check: The radial pulse is felt at the wrist easily. Put the tips of your index, middle and ring fingers of your left hand on the outer aspect of your right wrist. The outer aspect is the thumb side of the wrist. With a little probing your fingers will be able to feel the pulsating radial artery. Adjust the pressure of your fingers to get the correct feel of the pulse. Look at your watch and count the number of pulsations in a minute.

   If for some reason you are not able to feel the pulse at the wrist, the carotid pulse can be felt in the neck. Take your fingertips to a groove next to your voice box in the neck. Somewhere midway between the voice box and the angle of the jaw you will feel a pulsation of the carotid artery against your fingertips.

   If there is any difficulty, you could learn pulse checking from your family doctor.

   It is generally true, in otherwise healthy individuals, that lower the resting pulse rate the more fit you are. As the fitness levels improve, the resting pulse rate reduces quite dramatically.

RESTING PULSE CHART - MEN

RESTING PULSE RATE CHART - WOMEN

2. The step test: The three-minute step test is a simple measurement of aerobic fitness or endurance. It can be performed at home and does not require any sophisticated equipment. All you need is a sturdy stool or a bench 20 CMS high and a watch. The idea is to step up and down on the stool for 3 minutes. The rate of stepping is important. You need to climb up and down 24 times a minute or twice in 5 seconds. The technique: You put your right foot up and then your left to step up on the stool. This is followed by stepping down with your right foot followed by the left. A steady rhythm is maintained for the 4 steps.

   Right up Left up Right down Left down.
   After 3 minutes of continuous stepping sit down and rest for 30 seconds. After the 30 second rest count your pulse for another 30 seconds. Enter your 30-second pulse rate and refer to the table to know how you have fared.

RECOVERY PULSE RATE AT 30 SECONDS - MEN

RECOVERY PULSE RATE AT 30 SECONDS - WOMEN

The step test tells you how well our cardiovascular system responds to exercise and how quickly it recovers. Periodic testing is recommended as with other tests to find out the benefits of REAL FITNESS on your endurance.

FLEXIBILITY: Sit and reach test:

A very simple test is suggested for finding out your flexibility. Sit on the ground with your legs straight and toes pointing the ceiling. Now bend forward and try to reach your toes with your fingers. Do not jerk. Do not bend your knees.

If your fingertips are reaching beyond the toes ask somebody to measure the distance beyond in centimeters. If you are 2 cms past the toes your flexibility is +2.

If you are not able to touch your toes have the distance from your fingertips to the toes measured. If it is 3 cms, then your flexibility is -3.

If you can just manage to touch your toes then the flexibility level is termed 0.

There are other tests for flexibility like measuring the range of individual joints using goniometry.

MUSCLE FITNESS:
There are simple tests to determine muscle fitness.

The one-minute sit-up and one-minute push-up tests are simple indicators of muscle functions.
To get an idea of the upper body muscle fitness, the push up test should be performed as described. Your weight should be borne by the palms and balls of your feet. Keeping the torso horizontal, the chest should be brought to the floor and lifted up. Count how many push-ups you can do in a minute.

For beginners the push up may be performed with knees resting on the ground and reducing the strain on the arms and chest.

The abdominal muscle endurance can be known by the sit up test. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Ask somebody to hold your ankles. Place your hands behind your head. Now using the strength of your abdominal muscle lift yourself up to sitting position. Count how many sit-ups you can do in a minute.

REAL FITNESS CHART

DATE: ____________

NAME:___________________________________________________

AGE: _____________ SEX:_______________

MEASUREMENTS: