How Fit Are You? New Test Tells

May 14, 2008 -- Remember running the 600-yard dash as part of fitness tests in grade school? Now there's a grown-up version of that test for adults.

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports today launched its Adult Fitness Test to gauge aerobic fitness, strength, and flexibility. The council is an advisory committee of volunteers who advise the president through the secretary of Health and Human Services about physical activity, fitness, and sports in the U.S.

There's no P.E. teacher to make you take the test, which is designed for healthy people aged 18 and older. But the results could help you measure your overall fitness and set goals for a "healthier, more active life," Melissa Johnson, executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, says in a news release.

Here's what the test involves:

• Time yourself as you walk 1 mile or jog 1.5 miles.
• Count how many half sit-ups you can do in a minute. To do a half sit-up, lie on your back with your knees bent and curl your trunk off the floor toward your knees, keeping your lower back flat on the floor.
• Count how many push-ups you can do in a minute.
• Take the sit-and-reach flexibility test. Sit on the floor, legs extended in front of you, with a yardstick taped to the ground between your legs (your heels should be at the 14-inch mark on the yardstick). Slowly stretch forward, your fingertips on the yardstick. Do this three times, recording how far you reach on your farthest stretch.
• Measure your height, weight, and waist.

Plug the numbers into the Adult Fitness Test web site to get your results and tips for improvement.