So here's the test...
Push-ups Lie facedown on floor, legs straight with toes curled under (no dropped knees, sorry) and arms bent so palms are flat on the floor directly beneath shoulders. Press up, keeping body in a straight line from head to ankle. Do as many in a row as you can—no time limit—and note the number.
Sit-ups Keep your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Your shoulder blades should come up one third of the way to sitting upright. Do as many as you can in one minute or until you say uncle, whichever comes first! Write down the number.
Wall sit Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart about 12 inches away from wall. With feet planted, slide down until knees form a 90-degree angle. (Pretend you're in a chair.) Hold as long as you can, and time yourself.
Sit-and-reach Grab some masking tape and a yardstick. Place the yardstick on the floor, then take a foot-long piece of masking tape and stick it across the 15-inch mark to form a cross. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you on either side of the yardstick—the zero end facing you—so that bare heels touch the 15-inch tape mark. Keep feet slightly apart. Reach forward with both hands, bending at hips, and see the farthest mark your fingertips touch. Can you touch two inches past your heels? That means your reach is 17 inches. Measure your reach and make a note of the number.
1.5-mile dash Map out a 1.5-mile loop—at the high school track, toward the nearest Starbucks—and lace up. Your mission: Cover the distance as fast as you can by walking, jogging, running or some combo, and time yourself.
So what do you think now? This article is a testimony that many of us use the scale to measure how fit we are. You can lose 25 lbs. and believe you have a reason to celebrate, and yet you can't run a mile, do a wall sit for 1 minute, do 10 push ups, 50 situps, etc.
The next time someone asks you how fit you are, consider your physical fitness as the guidepost!
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