Becoming Strong and Lean: Are You Meeting the Official Fitness Standards? Tips on How You Can

Physical fitness is a way of life — and it has been for centuries. Even so, most people don’t know what fitness goals to strive for so many find themselves wasting their energy and not seeing healthy results.

What you might not realize, however, is that there is an actual set of physical fitness standards for adults in the U.S. While you won’t be fined for not meeting them, they are recommendations that help keep you healthy and living life to your fullest.

It is important for adults to achieve optimum physical fitness; it not only helps them lose weight, but prevents them from suffering from injuries in the future.

The President’s Council has an Adult Fitness Test that lets you compare your own fitness scores with other adults in the United States. It helps determine your level of physical fitness and helps you figure out where to improve. You can find the test on the AdultFitnessTest.org site.

If you plan to take the test, here are the few things you will be evaluated on:

• Your Level of Aerobic Fitness —You should be able to perform moderate aerobic exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes and at least five days per week. You should also be able to handle vigorous exercise three to four days per week for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes. Just having this level of physical fitness will help your body burn more calories.
• Strength and Endurance — Your body needs at least three days per week of strength and endurance training. That means including three sets of 25 sit-ups and 10 to 20 push-ups. Strength training helps tone and improve the look of your body, but it also helps you burn more calories and strengthen the muscles and tendons supporting your body.
• Your Flexibility— Your body needs flexibility. You should be able to perform static stretches and hold them for up to 30 seconds. Stretching helps prevent injury, balances your muscles and can even reduce joint pain.
• Body Mass Index —Your body mass index, also referred to as your BMI, measures your body’s fat in comparison to your height and weight. For most people, a proper BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 — depending on height. While it doesn’t address all factors, a BMI could determine overall how healthy you are.

It is important to raise awareness about your health and how activities can affect your health. Exercises are only effective if they are done regularly as part of your routine. By measuring your performance and working up to particular benchmarks (like those listed above), you can put yourself on the right track for meeting the official fitness requirements for adults.

Before Engaging in Physical Activity

Before you start any type of workout or fitness program, you should consult a professional. You can have your body assessed for any injury prone areas and make sure you’re physically fit to take on any exercise. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Nicole Muschett (Bethlehem, PA) to receive a physical assessment. If you want to lose weight without injuring your body, you should be assessed by a skilled and fitness-trained Chiropractor.