Some people think that weight is the only measure of their physical fitness, but this is not accurate. For example, muscles are denser than fat, so you may be persevering with exercise and gaining weight.
In addition, research indicates that body size does not necessarily correspond to indicators of health.
Experts identify more metrics that you can use to assess your health and physical condition, according to a report to The New York Times.
Heart health
From a physiological perspective, physical fitness can be defined as “how well the heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system are able to deliver and use oxygen”.
The easiest way to assess this is to measure your heart rate with a smart watch, or manually on your wrist or neck.
The better the cardiovascular fitness, the lower the resting heart rate because, in this state, the heart can pump more blood with each beat.
The normal resting heart rate for healthy adults is between 60 and 80 beats per minute. If your resting heart rate is higher than 80, regular aerobic exercise may help lower it over time.
You can also measure your heart rate after an exercise session, and track how it changes from week to week.
A test called VO2 max is the most accurate for cardiorespiratory health, and measures the ability of the heart and lungs to absorb and distribute oxygen throughout the body, converting it into cellular energy. VO2 max is usually done in a lab and requires special equipment, but there are home tests, such as: “step test” which gives approximate results.
exercise
You can also determine your physical fitness by doing strength, endurance, speed and distance exercises and testing your progress.
For example, if you want to increase your abdominal strength, you can limit how long you can exercise plank exercise It is an exercise based on leaning on the palms of the hands while the abdomen is raised.
In this case, repeat the test to see your progress, and as your strength and cardiovascular fitness improve, you should be able to complete more of this exercise.
It can also test how fast you can run a kilometer, and whether you can increase the distance covered from one week to the next.
It can also measure how difficult the exercise is for you, and see if you feel short of breath after exercise or feel rested.
Activities of daily living
You may just want to test how well you can do activities of daily living, such as holding your little one, or climbing three flights of stairs without getting tired.
And Jamie Karbo, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, says fitness starts with a question: Are you able to perform the functions that you want to be able to perform in your daily life?