Alright, you got your doctor’s blessing to start exercising.
Great.
Now what?
Well, your next step is to see exactly what your level of physical fitness is. After all, you have to know where you are now in order to get where you are going. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to figure out your current level of fitness.
There are several ways you can go here.
First, you can hire a kinesiologist. This health professional assesses “human movement and performance and its rehabilitation and management to maintain, rehabilitate or enhance movement and performance.” That is quite a mouthful, and all it means is that a professional kinesiologist can quickly determine your exact level of physical fitness.
One other simple way to see exactly how fit you are requires briskly walking 1 mile (1.6 km).
You are going to record exactly how long it takes you to cover that 1 mile. Warm-up for 5 or 10 minutes first. Then walk 1 mile and time yourself. Walk as fast as you can without running, and then compare your results to those below for someone in their 50s.
Men over 50
Poor health – Over 16 minutes and 30 seconds
Fair health – 15 minutes 13 seconds to 16:30
Average fitness level – 14:25 to 15:12
Good shape – 13:24 – 14:24
Outstanding – under 13:24
Women over 50
Poor health – Over 18 minutes and 06 seconds
Fair health – 17:01 to 18:06
Average fitness level – 15:37 to 17:00
Good shape – 14:42 to 15:36
Outstanding – under 14:42
Maybe your are past this point. You are already walking and are doing other exercise? What are you doing and how you you measure if you are ‘fit’. Leave a comment below!
Got it? Great. Armed with this information, you know whether to start off with a beginner, mid-level or advanced physical fitness plan.
Disclaimer: This is just a guide. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.
