What should be a minimum fitness level?

likitisplit

I've been thinking a lot about fitness lately, and what it means. Strength/endurance/speed/explosive power/mobility/balance.

For example, as a runner, I realize that maximizing strength needs to happen in parameters. There's a certain point where adding to that dimension can start to inhibit speed, explosive power and mobility. On the other hand, if I'm below a certain fitness level, adding raw strength benefits my ability to run faster and farther.

I did a little digging to see if I could come up with physical fitness "minimums" that the average healthy adult should be able to meet. I think the discussion could shed some light on contentious issues. Basically, you could say, "It doesn't matter what you do in the gym as long as you are meeting your goals. IF you can run a mile in under 9 minutes and squat your body weight. If you can't do that, then you need to make sure that you have a basic fitness level in each area."

I came across the State of California's fitness measurement: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/documents/healthfitzone09.pdf

This is the Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZs) to evaluate fitness performance. These zones are criterion-referenced standards established by The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, and represent minimum levels of fitness that offer protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.

This suggests:
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"

I would further add: being able to squat your body weight.

If you were going to suggest a general fitness standard, what would you add or take away from this list?

Lady_Bane

I don't think there is. I believe in trying to better yourself in all areas, because you can always better something. Idk...thats just me though.

micheleb15

That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.

Edited for punctuation

jwdieter

One of those fitness goals does not belong with the others.

likitisplit

That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.

I have 2 of the strength ones(able to run for at least a mile and the crunches...possibly the flexed arm hang too) and could meet the mobility measures.

This is, however, the minimum standard for people 17 and older. It really shows what low standards most of us set for ourselves.

micheleb15

That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.

I have 2 of the strength ones(able to run for at least a mile and the crunches...possibly the flexed arm hang too) and could meet the mobility measures.

This is, however, the minimum standard for people 17 and older. It really shows what low standards most of us set for ourselves.

I've got the mile run, curl ups and push-ups. I know for a fact that I can't do an unassisted pull-up (tried on Tuesday) and never tried the rest.

bumblebums

Good luck trying for 14 pull-ups That's not a realistic goal for a woman. Certainly attainable for some, but not for most.

saxmaniac

- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"

Could probably do all of those except the 8:30 and the pullups.

I'm not a runner, but wow, 8:30' seems pretty fast to me. I know people who run all the time and barely get there.

A single set of 14 (wide-grip, dead-hang) pullups also seems quite advanced. At my best I could do five or six, though I could do a bunch of sets of these. 14 chin-ups would be much easier.

jwdieter

The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.

It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up

GetSoda

15 bosu ball squats

10 reps of .25 body weight bicep curls

10 kipping pull ups

chrisloveslife

Hmm...I've got some work to do.

conniemaxwell5

This is why I was always so discouraged with exercise. In school we had to do the "President's Physical Fitness Test" every year, which had minimum requirements for a number of things like this. I couldn't do any of it and never earned the 'reward." I never got any encouragement from PE teachers and certainly not from my peers, who preferred to laugh at my failures instead. I don't mean this as a 'sob story,' I just think we need to work harder at encouraging people to move at their own ability and to push themselves to meet new challenges and goals, regardless of where they are in skill or physical wellness.

Thanks to a number of inspiring people who began encouraging me about a year ago, I've learned that it's never too late. I run 3 times a week and lift 2-3 times a week. I doubt I'll ever run a mile in 8 minutes (I'm currently at about 12 minutes per mile), but I'm more fit than I've ever been and continue to get stronger every day.

saxmaniac

The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up

Oh. Thanks for clarifying. That pull-up is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a pull-up.

bonniecarbs

An old decrepit woman like me loves reading about you young, strong folk. Awesome.

bonniecarbs

This is why I was always so discouraged with exercise. In school we had to do the "President's Physical Fitness Test" every year, which had minimum requirements for a number of things like this. I couldn't do any of it and never earned the 'reward." I never got any encouragement from PE teachers and certainly not from my peers, who preferred to laugh at my failures instead. I don't mean this as a 'sob story,' I just think we need to work harder at encouraging people to move at their own ability and to push themselves to meet new challenges and goals, regardless of where they are in skill or physical wellness.

Thanks to a number of inspiring people who began encouraging me about a year ago, I've learned that it's never too late. I run 3 times a week and lift 2-3 times a week. I doubt I'll ever run a mile in 8 minutes (I'm currently at about 12 minutes per mile), but I'm more fit than I've ever been and continue to get stronger every day.

GREATNESS!

QueenBishOTUniverse

Seriously, I've never in my life been able to do even 1 pull up, even when I was training to TRY to do a pull up I never got there. I had the highest bench and leg press on the lacrosse team, could do more sit ups and more push ups than anybody on the team could run a 5K in under 27 minutes (don't remember the exact time, but that was the cut off). But one pull up? Nope, never.

Oh, and it's embarrassing being the only person who can't haul their @ss into the boat with their scuba gear on, so I really WANT to learn how to do pull ups.

bumblebums

The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.

It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up

I remember doing those in elementary school.

They are to a pull-up as Prancercise is to a marathon.

saxmaniac

Seriously, I've never in my life been able to do even 1 pull up, even when I was training to TRY to do a pull up I never got there.

It's not something people can just whip off and start with "1". It took me nearly two months daily of sustained effort to get the full range of motion, through regressions. Maybe people in better shape could do it faster, but the people I know all took lots of time to get there.

Vailara

This is the Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZs) to evaluate fitness performance. These zones are criterion-referenced standards established by The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, and represent minimum levels of fitness that offer protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.

This suggests:
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"

I would further add: being able to squat your body weight.

If you were going to suggest a general fitness standard, what would you add or take away from this list?

I would take quite a lot away from that, especially for older people. I'm not wild about running, so I'd take that out. Brisk walking would be more feasible for a lot of people.

Push-ups and pull-ups were impossible for me even when I was young and very fit, so to have them as a minimum seems quite extreme to me. They are particularly hard for some groups, I think. Same with the flexed arm hang. Back saver and trunk lift, I'm not sure about - maybe more of a flexibility test? Again, older people might struggle as some people seem to be naturally less flexible. Squatting your own bodyweight would be particularly difficult with a high body fat %.

All of it seems really hard. It might be quite easy to achieve for a reasonably flexible, lean, healthy 20 year old man. For a fit, heavy, elderly woman? Probably impossible for most.

I'd think more of things like being able to walk briskly or go upstairs without getting breathless, if we're talking about a minimum rather than an ideal (and even that would still be difficult for some). It's hard to believe that improving fitness to this level would have no benefit over being sedentary.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I was training towards doing one at the time, just never was able to get there. We had an assisted pull up machine in the gym, I got really close.... I don't know, right now I do lat pull downs and am working on increasing me weight there. My fitness level right now is kind of sad.

likitisplit

The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.

It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up

Thanks for doing that! Wow. Not what I was thinking. Of course...I did those last night and was only able to do 6

I've also completed a 10k and I absolutely can't run a mile in less than 9 minutes.