Tag Archives: fitness test

Personal Fitness Challenge – How Does Your Family Measure Up?

When I was at my daughter’s gymnastics class this morning, I started talking to one of the other parents. Our daughters attend the same kindergarten class together and we were doing what moms do – swapping stories about our children. We were talking about the fact that we encouraged our kids to participate in dance classes, gymnastics and more, not to make them into professional athletes but instead to promote an active lifestyle and the enjoyment of it. That got me to thinking. Fitness is Really a Family Affair In an effort to promote fitness for yourself, consider the example … Continue reading →

Measuring Your Strength – Lower Body

Measuring your lower body strength is done on a leg extension machine that targets the quadriceps (front thigh muscles). This is again a combination of strength and endurance. There are few actual guides to give you a barometer of whether you are in excellent, good or average condition. You can measure your lower body strength at home by doing squats. We’ve talked about squats here in the fitness blog before. For a little reminder, you need to stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lower your body as though you were going to sit down in a chair, hover … Continue reading →

Measuring Your Strength – Abdominals

Abdominal muscle strength and endurance are usually measured by crunches. As we measured our upper body strength earlier by push-ups. We use crunches to measure how strong and enduring our abdonminals are going to be. In order to do that, you want to lay flat on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You want to keep your arms flot and extended, palm down on the floor next to you. You should curl upwards in the crunch, raising your shoulders up and pointing your chin towards your feet. It’s important that you do not use your neck … Continue reading →

Fitness Test

Did I mention that there would be a test today? No? So sorry. This test is optional, of course, but it’s a great way to help you get motivated for the Spring Forward to Action Challenge that starts on April 2nd. So if you have a few minutes, take the following quiz and test yourself. Use these score numbers for your answers to the following questions: Always 4 Almost Always 2 Sometimes 1 Never 0 Exercise/Fitness I engage in moderate exercise such as brisk walking or swimming for 20 to 60 minutes, three to five times a week. I do … Continue reading →