A dictionary would define fitness as good health. But is there something more to it? Most of them are under the impression that ‘being fit’ means to have an “incredible physique”. However, that is not the certificate of fitness. On the other hand, you cannot reject a person saying that he is unfit because of his lean frame. There may be various benchmarks to test your fitness at different levels. However, we have collected five easy ways to check how fit you are.
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Flexibility of the upper body
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Testing the flexibility of the upper body is the first method. In order to do this, you need to stand up and then bend your right arm over to your right shoulder and hold it on the shoulder plate. Now you have to bend your left arm behind your arm and then you need to try to grasp the fingers of the right hand. Congratulations to you, if you succeed! You can provide yourself with a shy smile if your fingers brush. However, if they are nowhere near each other, then it is not good new for you. You should also try the other way, too. Keeping your left arm over the shoulder and right arm behind the back.
Flexibility of the lower body
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The second method is checking the flexibility of the lower body. For this, you need to lie down with your legs spread out and your arms by the sides. Now, lift your right leg towards the ceiling, keeping it as upright as possible. As you advance the 90-degree mark, make sure that the left leg remains horizontal to the ground. If you manage to make the grade, or perhaps come closer to it, without bending the knee, then you can celebrate! If not, it is the time that you get up and start running, and stretch those hamstrings and attain more flexibility.
From ‘sit’ to ‘stand’
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For this, you need to sit cross-legged on the floor and attempt to stand up to an upright position without using your hands or any kind of support. You will be able to do this without any difficulty if you have core strength and excellent overall balance. However, if you don’t, and if you had to use your hands to get up, it means that you had been cheating on your regular exercises.
Push-ups
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This is the most efficient way to test your fitness. Though it might seem easy, it will be quite hard for those who are not really fit. To do this, you need to balance your body on the palms of your hands which are kept shoulder-width apart and the balls of your feet. Now, you have to lower your body and then raise it back once again. Make sure that the hip and the shoulders are in a straight line and the knees are not bent. Also, the elbows should face backwards, rather, at 4’o clock and 8’o clock positions. If you do it at least five times without sweating and feel good to do more, then you are perfectly fit! If not, then it is time for you to begin from scratch.
Overhead-squat
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The last method is the overhead squat. You have to stand up and lift both your arms right overhead. Now you need to lower your body to the squat position so that the thighs are parallel to the floor. It should look as though you are sitting on an invisible chair, with your arms over your head. If you can do upto five repetitions without sensing any pain on your knees or losing your balance, then you are a winner! If not, you have to work on your stability and muscle endurance.
