Here are 3 simple tests to assess your fitness and cardiovascular strength

We know that it is essential to maintain good cardiovascular healthin order to reduce your risk of suffering from cardiovascular illnesses which are the leading cause of death among women in France according to Public Health France. Cardiovascular health depends on several immutable factors such as sex, age, or family history, but also modifiable factors such as the presence of certain diseases, eating habits, or even the amount of sporting activity. According to the Health Insurance website, it is important to know your own cardiovascular risk, in order to be able to act on your risk factors. But how can you measure your fitness and cardiovascular health yourself?

For this, there are numerous tests that allow you to assess your physical condition but also elements of your cardiovascular health, such as your endurance or your cardiorespiratory capacity. In order to see more clearly, physical activity experts have confided au New York Times THE 3 tests to do to measure with form and cardiovascular strength. “It is very important to know if what you are doing is working“, explains coach Matt Fitzgerald. Indeed, he added that “ensuite, you can correct the situation if what you are doing is not working”.

Physical fitness: 3 tests to do to assess your cardiovascular condition

How to measure your fitness and cardiovascular strength using physical tests? Here are 3 examples recommended by experts, who recommend do them every three to six months in order to follow the evolution of his physical form. Indeed, they argue that it is more efficient and accurate than analyzing daily performance, which can often vary significantly. Furthermore, these 3 tests designed to assess strength and cardiovascular fitness can be done by beginners and require little or no equipment.

Be careful, if your results from these tests do not seem satisfactory to you, you should not be fatalistic. “The result is not a judgment on you, it is a snapshot in time“, insists Luke Baumgartner, an expert in stress testing at the University of Memphis. Indeed, the experts interviewed by The New York Times have also delivered tips for gradually improve your performance to these tests.

The dead suspension

The first test is called “the dead suspension” and allows you to measure grip, that is to say the ability to grasp an object. According to experts, greater grip strength is “associated with lower rates of heart disease and respiratory diseases, cancers and a reduction in all-cause mortality”. They added that grip is also a good measure of overall strength. “As you train and improve the rest of your muscular conditioning, grip strength should follow.“, explained Luke Baumgartner.

Here is what the test consists of:

Find a horizontal bar which is not very high, which you can reach by standing on tiptoes or place a stable platform underneath.
Hold on to the bar and time how long you can hold.
To interpret your results, Mathias Sorensen, exercise physiologist at the Human Performance Center at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that “for men, a duration between zero and 30 seconds can be considered a beginner level, a duration between 30 and 60 seconds can be considered an intermediate level, and more than 60 seconds as an advanced level, while for women, it is between zero and 20 seconds for beginners, up to 40 seconds for intermediate and more than 40 seconds for advanced“.

To improve your performance on this test, experts recommend training by carrying weights while walking for 90 seconds.

Cooper’s test

Another test to assess your cardiovascular fitness and strength, the Cooper test which measures aerobic fitness, that is to say the ability of the lungs, heart and circulatory system to efficiently deliver oxygen to the muscles used during physical activity. The latter is quantified using VO2 max, that is to say the amount of oxygen used by the body during exercise, but you can also get an idea using the Cooper test. According to experts, aerobic fitness is “correlated with longevity and lower levels of cardiovascular diseasesall-cause mortality and cancer”.

Here’s how to perform the test:

You can perform the Cooper test on a track, a road, or a treadmill.
Run or walk for 12 minutes and measure your distance.
Adopt a moderate pace that you can maintain for the duration of the test, and speed up in the last two minutes if you find that you still have energy.
To calculate an estimate of your VO2 max, you must multiply your distance by 22.35 then subtract 11.29. If you don’t want to get bogged down with mathematical formulas, you can use an online calculator and then compare your results to those of your age group.

If you want to improve your score, Matt Fitzgerald recommends gradually increasing your training volume, which is the number of moderate training sessions over the course of a typical week.Spending more time training at a slower pace allows the body to fully recover before the next race, resulting in better overall performance.“, he explained.

The board

Finally, having good results in test of the board could prevent injuries, reduce back pain and help to do sport better according to experts. This test consists of testing the strength of your core by maintaining a timed plank position.

Here’s how to do the test:

Do a plank with your forearms on the floor, squeezing your glutes and keeping your back straight. Make sure your back doesn’t sag, and your hips aren’t too high. To work your muscles more, you can lean on your hands instead of your elbows.
Time your time spent respecting the position.
According to Luke Baumgartner, a good goal for men and women of all ages is to hold a plank for at least one minute.

To improve your time, you can do two or three sets of planks several times a week, adding 5 to 10% of your time each time, until you reach one minute. You can also incorporate into your workouts squats, push ups and bridges to improve your core strength, and try activities like cycling, kayaking, dancing, or even swimming.

However, it must be kept in mind that these tests remain indicative and do not give an overall view of the state of health. In fact, they do not replace a consultation with a cardiologistto be done regularly, especially after menopause for women.

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