Do you feel like you're fit?

24

Replies

  • unrelentingminx
    unrelentingminx Posts: 231 Member
    I'm currently the fittest I've ever been but I know I still have a long way to go. I know people who can cycle longer than me, run further than me, lift heavier weights than me, and I know others who can't. Just last week I ran a 5 km race a whole 5 minutes faster than I ran this time last year (38:29 down from 43:30). Next year I want to run 10 km in the time it took me to run 5 km this year.
  • ljones27uk
    ljones27uk Posts: 177 Member
    I do yes, especially compared to where I was a year ago... How about resting heart rate as a measure of fitness, i think thats supposed to be a good measure?
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    If my standard of fitness is being able to consider being a fitness model (albeit an OLDER fitness model) then, no...I"m not "fit." But, if my standard is being able to reach certain physical exertion benchmarks or complete various challeneges (like races), then yes. I am fit....and on the way to being even more fit!
  • cleanbulk_hatersgfy
    cleanbulk_hatersgfy Posts: 31 Member
    I feel fit when..

    <3 I have energy to engage in all my sports and outdoor activities. And there are many of them.
    <3 I'm eating in moderation without deprivation.
    <3 As for strength training/lifting-- still trying to figure this one out! lol This doesn't make me feel unfit though, just overwhelmed and confused :smile:
  • sabrinacrandall
    sabrinacrandall Posts: 74 Member
    I definitely feel fit compared to a few years ago when I couldn't run a mile without being winded. Now I lift three times a week, and can run a few miles, and I'm definitely more inclined to do these things. However, I feel like I'll always be striving for a higher level of fitness. To be able to lift more and do more difficult exercises for longer periods of time, and run longer and better. To not be intimidated by running up those big hills and carry on after them and past the next big hill without stopping. To achieve a body fat percentage that makes me look fit as well as how I feel.

    This is an interesting question really. I mean, I've always been able to do really well on the fitness test that we had to take in school, so I feel like I've always been inclined toward fitness--now I'm just taking it in a more all-encompassing direction, in that I want to be able to do it all. Lift, run, cardio-weight routines, matches of tennis at a time, a whole day of snowboarding, two tank SCUBA dives, 18 holes of golf walking... So compared to my goal, I'd say I'm about 50% 'fit'. I have a long way to go, but I've also come a long way.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    I think I'm pretty fit. I try not to compare myself to others in my judgment. Yeah, I admire people for how much they lift, how fast/far they run, how lean they are, but I use myself as my basis. Not everyone has the same journey or goals. Some may be losing weight and exercising just for health while others may be losing fat and exercising to be able to compete. I don't think it's fair to compare apples to oranges.

    I can lift more now than I did less than a year ago when I started lifting.
    I can run further than I could a few years ago when I recommitted myself to running.
    I can complete 18+ hour endurance events when I couldn't do that a year ago.
    All of those things tell me I'm more fit than I was before, so based on that, I would say that for myself and my goals/journey, I'm a fit individual.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    No
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I do feel like I am fit but I don't feel like I am at a level where I consider myself an athlete. I consider fit to be a level where I can live my everyday life without physical hardship--run up stairs without panting, move bags of mulch without being sore for days, help move heavy furniture when necessary, run a couple of miles when I feel like it, etc. In comparison to the majority of people I see when I am out and about and who appear to be around my age (upper 30s, lower 40s), I seem decently fit.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
    I've lost 48 pounds over the last two years so I'm much more fit than I was carrying around all that weight. I'm working out 4xs per week lifting weights along with some cardio.

    The real question for me is further on down the road, in another 10-20 years, how can I maintain my general health, mobility, and fitness? I'm over 65 and I'm trying to plan what I can do to maintain all of the above when lifting weights and lots of cardio is no longer possible for me.

    I guess our ideas of fitness change as we age. Honestly, I never thought much about fitness when I was young. I was always active. The weight challenges started after I hit my 40's and began yo-yo dieting that did nothing but made my health worse. Stress and inactivity took also took its toll. It's just in the past five years that I've really focused on changing my activity levels and weight and making smart decisions about how to get and stay fit.

    It was well worth it -- I'm at a healthy BMI and weight now, sleeping normally, working out, and in a much better frame of mind.

    For me stress was a killer, and inactivity, and too much weight on my small frame. For me, balance is the key to fitness. It's not how fast you can run or how many pounds you can lift. It's balancing eating and exercise with the rest of your life's activities. I'm never going to be a gym rat like some of the women I see at my gym who do nothing but exercise 4 or 5 hours a day and look so unhappy doing it. But I'm also never going to let weight and inactivity rule or ruin my life either.

    So, to answer your question, yes -- I'm fit and doing my best to stay that way now and into my really, really, old age. :)
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I am getting fit. I am fitter than I was 6 months ago, not as fit as I was as a dancer and I don't think I'll ever be as fit as I was as a gymnast and that's okay!

    I'm overweight, a reasonable amount to lose but probably fitter than more sedentary friends because not only am I working out and pushing hard, I'm also hauling all that extra weight around while doing it, that's no easy task!

    So it's all relative really, compete with yourself in everything in life and you be far more content.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I haven't much thought of this. I don't really consider myself fit. But I don't consider myself "unfit"

    Actually quiet honestly I don't really use those words to describe myself- and I guess that's going down a different rabbit hole. I consider my self an athelete- and I consider myself strong.

    But if someone had to ask me to describe myself- I'd just say I'm a power lifter and a dancer and occasional runner. I don't say I'm a fit fur baby mom- or a fit state worker. it's not something I really thought of.

    Perhaps we should make a MFP Fit Test- or- use the military's PT tests LOL I like the idea of coming up with our own though- unfortunately it would probably look a lot like a CrossFit WOD in attempt to capture ALL angles of fitness- but it could be interesting!
  • Just_Ceci
    Just_Ceci Posts: 5,926 Member
    ljones27uk wrote: »
    I do yes, especially compared to where I was a year ago... How about resting heart rate as a measure of fitness, i think thats supposed to be a good measure?

    I think the resting heart rate is a good measure.

    Compared to 3 years ago, I am seriously fit. My resting heart rate is now in the 50's, where 90's were the norm before I lost weight. I couldn't run a minute without feeling like I was going to die. I couldn't ride my bike around the block easily. I ran my first half marathon in April and regularly ride 20+ miles easily. (62.5 miles on Saturday)

    Compared to the girls in the bicycle group I ride with, I'm not even close to the most fit ones.

    It's all relative.
  • run_cmc
    run_cmc Posts: 26 Member
    It's funny but...I definitely feel fit, but I feel fat as well. Does that even make sense? I know I can run, bike, and swim for hours. I know I can lift heavy things. I know when I try out a new exercise regimen, or when I do an unexpected new class (if mine is full at the gym, I'll pop into something else) and while I might be a little sore the next day, I'm capable of completing almost anything. I climb stairs and walk miles and lift my body weight comfortably, much more comfortably the lighter I get.

    So, yes. I feel really fit. I especially feel fit after sweating through a several-hour bike ride, switching shoes, and going on an hour-long run.

    But I need to lose weight. Sigh.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    nope but I'm working on it
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    At the moment, no. I am lifting again (after injury) but have completely lost my mojo on the cardio front. So I'm getting stronger and losing weight-but I don't "feel" very fit. I feel lazy.

    The last few years I would say I was very fit, and I am probably comparing myself to that time period. For me, I feel fit when I can run a few miles comfortably, sling some weight around, and be comfortable in my clothes. It's all relative. I think energy levels during daily life are a good indication.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    Yeah, I do.
    After a 5 month work out break I'm almost back at my old level at two months in.
    I now work out 3 times a week.

    Am I where I want to be? No. I'll probably never get there because my goal will keep shifting. But I'm damn happy where I am and can't wait to keep improving!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Yes, I feel like I am fit, unless I'm asked to run for a distance. I am strong, I have really good stamina for things like hiking, splitting or stacking firewood, yard or garden work, playing sports. But running does me in. I could probably run 5k if I was paid or being chased, but after 1 mile I start struggling. I can easily do a > 5k of run/walk intervals though. IDK what it is about sustained running, but it's the only thing that makes me feel not fit.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    If someone (who didn't know me) were to look at a few pictures of me and pick out an adjective to describe my body type, I would say that they'd probably pick slender and maybe athletic. I'm not a rail, but I've lost most of my curves. Without getting a body scan (so, guessing), I've estimated my BF% to be in the 21-23% range. This is just my appearance. If I were in the UK, people would call me fit. In the UK, 'fit' means attractive/hot.

    In term of practical application of fitness, I can lift heavier weights than someone who is "not fit." I have more cardiovascular endurance from dance than someone who is not fit. I have more flexibility than someone who is not fit. I lead a more active lifestyle than someone who is not fit.

    As far as I'm concerned, I am fit.
  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    Not at ALL.

    VO2max is 31.

    Not fit.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I don't think resting heart rate is a good measure! Some people naturally have high resting heart rates, even if they're very fit. I just had this conversation with a doctor the other day.

    I measure my fitness progressively. I don't think I'm objectively fit compared to some other people, but compared to what I used to be, I'm much fitter. I plan to keep working on it. The way I see it, there's always going to be a new goal I want to reach, so I don't know that I'll ever think of myself as having arrived at fitness since I'll always be reaching. I'm okay with that.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I consider myself fit.

    I quit smoking, lost almost 60lbs, can run a 5k, can lift some heavy weights and don't tire easily doing regular chores like gardening etc. which I used to.

    I am actually in better shape physically than I was in my 20's while in the military...funny odd.
  • musclegood_fatbad
    musclegood_fatbad Posts: 9,809 Member
    edited June 2015
    It all depends on who I am around. People at the office and most people I run into everyday make me feel fit. But once I get with some of the beasts I work out with at the gym or some of my very in shape friends, my fitness doesn't feel near as good but those are the people that drive me to get better and better.
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    I am relatively fit for someone with my medical conditions. I am relatively fit for someone without my medical conditions. Compared to where I was in my late 20's, I'm still kind of a trainwreck endurance-wise, but I am much stronger than I was then. My goals have shifted from being super lean to being super-strong. I'd like to work on my speed a bit, so that watching my baby sister run for 40 minutes at 6.0 miles per hour doesn't seem like an unattainable pipe dream, on the other hand I very much doubt her deadlift stats are anywhere close to what I've accomplished. (And this is easy to assume, because she doesn't lift. That's not her priority.) My flexibility is in the toilet, and I will probably end up spending more time focusing on that than I will on my speed, because my flexibility has more impact on my daily comfort and movement than my ability to run a 5k that I probably won't ever enter will.

    I am generally happy with my fitness level, because I'm working on it every day, and pushing myself to improve.
  • tedioustrainingap
    tedioustrainingap Posts: 78 Member
    I'm not fit but I'm more fit than I was and that's what matters to me.

    A month ago, I couldn't walk half a mile (thanks to a longish term health condition) and now I can walk for half day. Daily swimming has made a massive difference to where I'm at and seeing (and more importantly feeling!) that vast improvement, reassures me that a decent level of fitness is again within reach.
  • lalangela
    lalangela Posts: 23 Member
    Sure! I workout 4-6 days a week. I can run a 5k and my time gets better each time. I can deadlift more than my body weight and I'm improving all the time. Yeah, I'd say I'm fit!
  • moesis
    moesis Posts: 874 Member
    No, not even close. I am obese, my blood pressure is a bit high, I run out of breath fairly quickly when I run, my pulse recovery time is pretty long, and my resting pulse is much higher than it should be.

    Yeah, I think I'm in pretty rough shape.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    I feel fit compared to most of my friends and people at work, but not compared to lots of people. I get more fit everyday though.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    yeah...but it's all relative.

    I'm fit, but am I as fit as my coach? Hell no...he's a coach and a retired professional athlete...I will never be that fit because I have an actual job and can't workout 10 hours per day.

    I'm fit, but am I as fit as I was in the military? Hell no...I was paid to train and train and train when I was in the military. I don't have hours on end to train every day.

    But yeah, I'm fit...I can go knock out a decent 5K without issue (though running really isn't my thing so I don't practice it much)...I can hop on my bike and knock out 50 miles for *kitten* and giggles and then come home and work in the yard...etc, etc, etc.

    Fitness is relative...also, even if you're fit there are going to be some things you're better at and others you're not as good at, and a lot of that is going to depend on what you practice the most, but there are also other genetic limitations that come into play. Even at the height of my fitness as a track and field sprinter in high school and then my time in the military, I've always been a *kitten* distance runner...my body isn't built to do that well...but I could smoke people in the 100M.
  • Noelv1976
    Noelv1976 Posts: 18,948 Member
    I'm fit because the Army says so. I pass all the required physical training tests and height/weight measurements. BUT I feel like i am the best shape of my life.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    It is a good question.

    I always have a degree of self doubt. Being used to being unfit, this is different.

    I go by a few things. Blood tests and Dr reports. Time on my 5K loop on the treadmill. My resting heart rate and BP.

    Then.... There are the less scientific things. Opinions of others and how I am treated at the gym.

    The guys I workout with are a variety of ages, some 20 years younger to 10 years older. I do my workout and we don't compete per se. We push each other. A few have said I transformed over the last year and a half. One guy that is younger said I was as fit as anyone there. Obvious exaggeration. A trainer that is not mine said I would be in the top 10% of fit people there.

    People are nice. They exaggerate to be kind.

    So I feel I am on the way to being the best me. I'm more fit than ever, but not satisfied. There are many areas I need to improve on.

    One thing for sure... Eating less than I burn and exercising makes me more fit. It is a progress thing, not a destination.

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