How Fit Are You Really?

Total-Body Assessment

Until now, you probably measured how in shape you were the old-fashioned way -- by comparing yourself to others. You peek at the woman on the treadmill next to you or see how your side kicks stack up with the ridiculously well-toned DVD instructor's. "But that doesn't tell you anything about your own true fitness level," says exercise physiologist Suzanne Meth, who manages E, Equinox Fitness's private club, in New York City. That's why it's so important to establish a personal baseline by testing the four basic tenets of fitness: aerobic endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. "No matter what your overall level is, having a starting point can help you set tangible goals," says FITNESS advisory board member Michele Olson, PhD, a professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama.

FITNESS's brand-new, do-anywhere test will help you determine how strong, speedy, and flexible you really are. It takes only about 30 minutes; you'll even get a mini workout just doing it! Then you can set a new goal and retake the test every six weeks to track your progress. Guaranteed, in that time you'll reach a new personal best!