A New Way to Test Fitness

I used to dread those Presidential Fitness Tests in elementary and junior high school gym class. Even though I was fairly average as a kid--not an athlete, but not a complete slob--I just hated "performing" physically in front of my classmates. I didn't want them to laugh at me if I couldn't do pull-ups or something.

Well, the President's people have come up with a new fitness test for adults. Fortunately, you can do it in the privacy of your own home or gym. According to the website, it's easier to do the test with a partner (Mr., that means you!) but you can do it alone, too. The Adult Fitness Test assesses your level of:

• aerobic fitness
• muscular strength and endurance
• flexibility
• body composition

Based on your results, you can track your progress in each area as you become more physically active.

I think I'll give it a try. I'm always interested in finding different ways to see how fit I'm getting (other than the scale). Stay tuned for the first round of results. I hope I pass!