Exercise - Fitness Calculator

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Looking to set fitness goals and planning for a weight loss program? Use Medindia's new Exercise - Fitness Calculator to determine your fitness level and learn more about how greater physical fitness contributes to greater overall health benefits. A fit individual is one who demonstrates 'above average' performance in three different aspects - Stamina, Strength and Flexibility.

Tests to assess your fitness

Sit and reach test to assess your flexibility
Push up test to assess your muscular fitness
Coopers 12 minute run test to assess your aerobic fitness

Enter Your Details Here
Gender*	Male Female
Age*
You need to warm up for at least 10 minutes before taking up these 3 tests.
1. Flexibility - Sit and reach test
Place a measuring tape on the floor. Fix it by placing an adhesive tape across the measuring tape at exactly 15-inches (or 38.1 cm) mark as shown in the diagram.
Sit on the floor by stretching your legs (no shoes) with the measuring tape between your legs. Your feet should be about 12 inches or 30 cm apart. Make sure that "0" reading of the measuring tape is pointing towards you and place your feet touching the edge of the adhesive tape (at the 15-inches mark). Keep your knees close to the ground as much as possible or ask someone to hold your knees. Now bend forward as much as you can without straining yourself or your back and hold for 2 seconds. Ask someone to check how far you have gone and note down the measurement on the tape. Do it for at least 3 times and feed in your best result in the calculator.
How far have you been able to stretch?*
2. Strength - Push up test
Lie face down on the floor with your palms and shoulders apart. Keeping your body straight and toes on the ground, push up with your arms until your arms are fully extended.
Lower your body until your elbows reach 90 degrees with your upper arms parallel to the floor. Push your body up and go back to the original position. This is counted as one repetition (You may ask someone to count the number of repetitions). Continue the test until you get exhausted or completed about 55 to 60 push ups. Make sure your body is in a straight line throughout the procedure.
How many repetitions have you done?*
3. Aerobic Fitness
Enter your VO2 max value* ml/kg/min I don't know
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters that can be consumed in one minute per kilogram of body weight. It is directly proportional to the fitness level of a person.
VO2 max value can be measured when you walk or run on a treadmill or a specially calibrated exercise cycle wearing an oxygen mask with a breathing tube connected to an oxygen analyser to calculate the amount of oxygen consumed. Improve your VO2 max value by taking small breaks of 3-5 minutes between your workouts.
Coopers 12 minute run test Run as fast as you can on a flat surface for 12 minutes and note down the distance covered. (Don't give breaks in between. Follow a steady pace).
How much of distance have you covered?*	VO2 max test
* Required

Important Fitness Facts:

❖	It is shocking that an estimated 3.2 million deaths are due to physical inactivity, which is the fourth leading risk factor of global mortality.
❖	World Health Organization has estimated that physical inactivity is responsible for: 21-25% of breast and colon cancers 27% of diabetes 30% of ischemic heart disease burden
❖	Physical activities like walking, cycling and other sports activities are found to decrease the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, depression and colon and breast cancer.
❖	Risk of a hip or vertebral fracture can be reduced by adequate level of physical activity which also helps to control your weight.
❖	Health benefits of exercise include - Increased energy level and brainpower Reduced stress

References

http://www.who.int/topics/physical_activity/en/
http://www.cheu.gov.hk/eng/healthatwork/ymca_sr.asp
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/pressuptst.htm
http://www.peworld.org/fitnesstesting/coopers_run.htm

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