Getting Started – My Fitness Profile

This past weekend, our family went to The Medical Center Health & Wellness Expo.  Included in the expo were area businesses that serve the fitness needs of the community, alongside members of the healthcare industry.  I learned that I could start the preliminary stages of my fitness profile to baseline exactly where I stand in my fitness journey.

My Fitness Profile

I learned a few things I didn’t know about tools available in our community for monitoring and maintaining fitness.  Chief among them was a test at Bowling Green Parks & Recreation called a Microfit test.  They were doing the Biceps strength test at the expo.  The test was performed by having me stand on a platform and grasp a biceps curl bar that was tethered to the platform.  Then, I was asked to perform a biceps curl with as much strength as I could manage.  The entire apparatus was connected to a computer, and (I assume) a tensiometer.  They gave me a printout (shown here) of the results.  I was tickled to see these results, because I’m not exactly what anyone would call “buff.”

Turns out anyone can go down to their location and for $20, have an entire Microfit assessment.  They will measure aerobic fitness, body weight/% body fat, and back flexibility.  I’ll probably try to get this test done sometime in the near future.  I expect that I would do poorly on the back flexibility, as I’ve been struggling with tightness in the lower back for quite some time now, which is ironic since my wife teaches yoga, but there you have it.

I had a pulmonary function screening, which came out good.  These tests have generally gone O.K. for me, so no surprise there.  What did impress me though, was how the women at this booth handled my kids.  Both of the boys wanted to do this test, and the youngest (who is asthmatic) was timid about interacting with the operator.  She let my older child “help” give the test to the younger.  Both of them seemed to do O.K. on the test as well.  (Results are a little ambiguous for young children).  I always grab the chance to monitor lung function for my asthmatic child when it presents itself.

Finally, I stopped by the Body Fat Screening booth to see where I stand on that these days.  I listed in my 2009 Fitness Goals, a desire to have a % body fat of 17% by December 2009, so I needed to baseline that number at the beginning of the year.  I checked in at a weight of 189.5 pounds, with a measured body fat composition of 17.9%.  Yes!  I was a little concerned about this, because I’ve been doing less aerobic activity over the last year, in favor of strength training.  As a result, my weight has crept up by four pounds from an all-time low of 183 pounds (16.5% body fat).  To put this number in perspective, I went through the archives and found my % body fat from when I started this expedition into fitness.  On February 13, 2003 I weighed 232 pounds, and had 26.5% body fat.

Fitness Psychology

For my wife, the Zumba demonstration went well.  It was interesting to watch the reactions of the crowd.  I would describe Zumba as a combination of Latin dance and aerobics.  A lot of the women that were watching seemed to be intrigued.  Zumba is normally taught as a class.  There’s a bit of group psychology here that I don’t really understand.  It seems to me that, when it comes to fitness, women prefer working out in a “class” setting, whereas men lean more towards exercising alone, or in very small groups (2-4).  At least, the fitness classes I’ve seen are dominated by women.  It might be something to keep in mind when considering a fitness routine that you will stick with.

Related posts:

1. Keeping Your New Years Resolutions – Fitness & All
2. Setting Fitness Goals For 2009
3. Exercise and Fitness Goals — Finding Motivation
4. Personal Responsibility In Life And Fitness
5. Exercise & Fitness Goals — Finding Motivation For Change