3 Simple Ways to Test Your Fitness

How do you know if you are fit? Or, at least, fit enough? And how can you tell if your fitness is improving?

You have to test yourself. And while most people haven’t participated in a fitness evaluation since their high school Presidential Physical Fitness Test, it’s good to occasionally check in on your progress.

“It’s very important to know that what you’re doing is working,” said Matt Fitzgerald, coach and author of “Run Like a Pro (Even if You’re Slow).” “Then you can course correct if what you’re doing is not working.”

In fact, some experts say that testing yourself every three to six months can tell you more about your fitness than looking at daily performance, which often varies significantly. While fitness can be measured — and expressed — in many ways, here are three tests designed to track strength and cardiovascular fitness that can be done with little or no equipment.

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• The Dead Hang for grip strength

• The Cooper Test for cardiovascular fitness

• The Plank for core strength