Knowing your physical capabilities can help you determine what kind of exercise program you need to engage in to improve your physical well being. You may at least have a general idea of how fit or unfit you are. Once you have established your fitness level, you can re-test yourself later to see how much you have improved.
Step 1
Weigh yourself. Establishing your starting weight is important to measure how many pounds you lose when you start your fitness program and re-test your aerobic fitness level after one or two months.
Step 2
Find your resting heart rate. Measure it as soon as you wake up in the morning. Find your pulse either on your neck next to your Adam's apple or on your wrist. Use your first two fingers to count your pulse for one minute. Record your resting heart rate as it is needed to calculate your training heart rate.
Step 3
Calculate your target training heart rate. Subtract your age from 220. This is your maximum heart rate. Then multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.55 and 0.85 (55 percent and 85 percent) to determine your training heart rate zone to improve your fitness level or reach a goal you have set for yourself, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Step 4
Test your aerobic fitness. Walking or running for one mile is the standard. You may also use an aerobic step-up test for three minutes to test your aerobic fitness level. You will need to take your heart rate in one-minute intervals upon completing either test. If you are walking or running, time yourself from start to finish, marking your time to complete the test. For the aerobic step test, this is a three-minute test. You will need to take your heart rate at one-, two- and three-minute intervals.
Step 5
Record your heart rate intervals and add together to obtain the average. Based on your gender, your fitness level is determined. Exercise heart rates, from the County of Riverside (California) Wellness Program, for men: <71 beats per minute, excellent; 71-102, good; 103-117, fair; 118-147, poor; and above 148, extremely poor. For women: <97 beats per minute, excellent; 98-127, good; 128-147, fair; and 143-171, poor.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Scale
- Watch with second hand
- Athletic shoes
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