How to measure the peak level of fitness

There are many methods available for measuring somebody's fitness levels when it comes to leisure sport. Different methods measure different elements of the human body in order to determine fitness and not all of them require life fitness equipment. This article looks at the most common methods that are used.

BMI

Body mass index (BMI) is a simple ratio of measuring the correlation of somebody's height to their weight. BMI is useful because it allows for a reliable comparison of body weights among persons of different heights. For adults of average height, one BMI unit equals to approximately 3.1 kg (6.9 lbs) in men and
2.6 kg (5.8 lbs) in women.

The bleep test

The multi-stage fitness test, also known as the bleep test, beep test, pacer test, or 20-metre shuttle run test, is used by sports coaches and trainers to estimate an athlete's VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake). The test is especially useful for players of sports like squash, rugby, football, hockey, netball, handball, tennis and many other sports. It is also employed by many international sporting teams as an accurate test of cardiovascular fitness which is one of the all-important "Components of Fitness".

Measuring heart rate

Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time and is typically expressed as beats per minute (bpm). Heart rate can vary as the body's need to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes, such as during exercise or sleep. The measurement of heart rate is used by athletes who are interested in monitoring their heart rate to gain maximum efficiency from their training.

Simple endurance test

A simple endurance test can measure fitness and can also measure how much progression you have made in your fitness. Simply see how far you can walk in exactly six minutes. Write down how far you walked
(in feet, blocks, laps, miles, number of times you walked up and down a long hallway, or whatever is convenient for you). Do this test once every week. Your endurance will improve and you will find that you can walk farther in six minutes. If you find that this is not the case, then you know that you need to work harder in order to reach your peak level of fitness.