President’s Fitness Now for Adults

By CARY ASPINWALL

Some may remember the President’s Fitness Challenge as dreaded torture from their school days, but others may remember it fondly.

So many baby boomers became nostalgic about the exercise challenge and its coveted medals that the government recently issued a do-it-yourself version for adults.

Those who long for the chance to test their ability to do sit- ups, push-ups and timed runs can delight in the test’s simple fitness challenges, write down their results and enter the data on the President’s Challenge Web site to see how they rank among their peers.

The adult version is shorter than the old-school gym class test launched by President Eisenhower in 1956. There’s no rope climb or flexed-arm hang; simply four tasks that measure three elements of fitness: aerobic capacity, strength and flexibility.

“It’s simple, easy to perform, and it’s a great starting point,” said Jonathan Conneely, a strength and conditioning coach who runs Bootcamp Tulsa. “It can really give someone a good idea of where they’re at.”

Getting your test results can help you set fitness goals and help with accountability in getting fit, he said.

How do you rank? There’s only one way to find out.

If your percentile ranking is lower than you expected, don’t be discouraged, Conneely said.

“Don’t go by where everybody else is,” he said. “Measure against yourself and compete against yourself.”

View the entire test booklet or enter your results at tulsaworld.com/adultfitnesstest. You won’t get any medals, but you can print out a certificate of completion.

Consider this your handy pretest study guide.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

You must enter your state, age and sex to submit your results. You will see where you rank among people of the same age.

AEROBIC FITNESS

This test measures your cardiovascular fitness, which is associated with lower risks of several diseases, including high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.

Enter either a 1-mile walk time and post-walk heart rate or 1.5-mile run time , recorded in minutes and seconds. It’s suggested that you don’t attempt the walking test until you are routinely walking for 15 to 20 minutes several times per week, and that you don’t attempt the run unless you run at least 20 minutes continuously three or more times a week.

The test can be performed on a treadmill, but keep the incline at zero and don’t hold the handrails. No treadmill or marked trail? A 1.5-mile run is about six times around a standard quarter-mile track, which are at many schools and some parks. Program officials recommend that you have a partner time you or keep track of your laps for accuracy.

How to score better: Increase the frequency of your walks or runs each week, and try adding an extra mile every few weeks. Or diversify your cardio workouts with dancing, cycling or swimming.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH

This measures both your health and your ability to carry out daily activities, from household tasks to fitness challenges.

Half sit-ups: These are crunch-type exercises performed with your back on the floor, knees bent and palms facing downward. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and shoulders up and forward. Record the number of half sit-ups performed in one minute.

Push-ups: Males should start in the standard push-up position, with the full body elevated on feet and hands, with the hands at shoulder-width apart. Females may start in the modified position with knees on the ground. Perform push-ups (with back and legs straight) until you can’t complete any more, and record the number.

How to score better: Try repeating the exercises regularly at home until your numbers improve, or try some regular sessions of strength training for your arms, shoulder, chest and core abdominal muscles.

FLEXIBILITY

Get out a yardstick. Remember the old sit-and-reach test ? That’s how flexibility is being measured, although the government admits in the test booklet that it’s not a perfect measure. But this simple stretch suffices as a basic measure of flexibility, because if the hamstrings are too short, they limit the ability of the pelvis to tilt, which directly affects the lower spine and can lead to lower back pain. Warm up with stretches and try the test three times, recording your best measurement in inches.

How to score better: Stretch on a regular basis, add some flexibility exercises to your routine, or try yoga or Pilates classes.

BODY COMPOSITION

Enter your weight, height and waist measurement to find out your Body Mass Index , a ratio that’s related to your risk of disease and death. The BMI calculation has limitations, because it may overestimate body fat in athletes and those who have a muscular build, and it may underestimate body fat in older people and others who have lost muscle mass. A BMI score between 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, more than 25 is overweight, and more than 30 is obese.

How to score better: Focus on increasing your activity level and decreasing your caloric intake, that time-tested formula for weight loss.

Cary Aspinwall 581-8477

cary.aspinwall@tulsaworld.com

Originally published by CARY ASPINWALL World Scene Writer.

(c) 2008 Tulsa World. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.