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SPORTS & FITNESS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 5, 2024 


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.com. 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness Visit 
her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.


WHAT’S YOUR PHYSICAL 
FITNESS AGE?

Do people often think you look younger than your years? 
Or older? How you look and move is directly related to your 
fitness age. Physical fitness age is a measure of how fit and 
healthy your body is compared to others, regardless of your 
actual age. It’s all about how well your body functions in 
terms of strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall health. 
Even if you’re 40 years old, you could have the fitness of 
someone much younger—or much older—depending on 
how well your body is performing. So how can you figure 
out your fitness age? Simple. Here are 5 key tests.

1. Cardiovascular Health

One of the best ways to figure out your fitness age is by 
looking at your cardiovascular health. Your Resting Heart 
Rate (RHR) is a simple measure of how fit your heart is. To 
check it, count your pulse when you’re completely at rest, 
usually when you wake up in the morning. A lower heart 
rate generally means better fitness. Here’s what the numbers 
mean:

Excellent: Less than 60 beats per minute (bpm)

Average: Between 60-80 bpm

Below Average: More than 80 bpm

2. Body Composition

Next, let’s talk about your body’s makeup, or Body Composition. Body Mass Index (BMI) is one way to 
measure if you’re at a healthy weight for your height. Here’s how you figure it out:

BMI Formula: BMI = weight(kg) ÷ height(m²)

But BMI doesn’t tell the whole story. A better way to look at your body composition is through your 
body fat percentage, which can be measured using tools like calipers, bioelectrical impedance, or DEXA 
scans. If you’re a man, 10-20% body fat is good, if a woman, 20-30% is considered a healthy range.

3. Strength and Endurance Tests

Now, let’s test your strength and endurance. Two easy ways to do this are by seeing how many push-ups 
and squats you can do. Here are the norms based on age:

Push-ups, how many can you do total:

Push-Up Test Norms for Men:

20-29 years: 22-28 push-ups

30-39 years: 17-21 push-ups

40-49 years: 13-16 push-ups

50-59 years: 10-12 push-ups

60+ years: 5-11 push-ups

Push-Up Test Norms for Women:

20-29 years: 15-20 push-ups

30-39 years: 13-19 push-ups

40-49 years: 11-14 push-ups

50-59 years: 7-10 push-ups

60+ years: 5-8 push-ups

Squats, see how many you can do in one minute:

Squat Test Norms for Men:

20-29 years: 30-34 squats

30-39 years: 27-31 squats

40-49 years: 24-28 squats

50-59 years: 21-25 squats

60+ years: 19-22 squats

Squat Test Norms for Women:

20-29 years: 25-30 squats

30-39 years: 23-28 squats

40-49 years: 21-25 squats

50-59 years: 18-22 squats

60+ years: 16-20 squats

If you’re hitting numbers above the average for your age, your fitness age might be lower than your 
actual age. That’s a good thing!

4. Flexibility Test

Flexibility is another important part of fitness. To measure this, you can do the sit-and-reach test. Sit on 
the floor with your legs straight in front of you and reach toward your toes. The farther you can reach, 
the more flexible you are. Here’s what to aim for:

Excellent: Can reach beyond your toes

Average: Can touch your toes

Below Average: Can’t reach your toes

5. Functional Fitness Tests

Functional fitness is all about how well you can do everyday activities. A good test for this is the sit-to-
stand test, where you see how many times you can stand up from a chair in 30 seconds. Here’s what’s 
typical:

People under 50: 15-20 stands

People over 50: 12-17 stands

Once you’ve done these tests, you can get a good sense of your fitness age. If your numbers match or 
beat the averages for younger age groups, you’re likely younger in fitness age than your actual age. On 
the other hand, if you struggle with the tests, your fitness age might be older.

By working on improving areas like cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and endurance, you can 
lower your fitness age. Over time, small changes in your daily activity can make a big difference in how 
old or young your body feels. Lowering your physical fitness age can increase your energy level, reduce 
the risk of many diseases, boost your mental health and help you enjoy a longer life!

The City of Sierra Madre is excited to be making progress on the Sierra 
Vista Park Tennis to Pickleball Court Conversion. The residents asked for 
more diverse recreational opportunities, and with future funding from the 
Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District, Sierra Madre is 
working towards providing those opportunities. Be on the lookout for more 
information coming soon!

HUDDLE UP

With HARVEY HYDE


IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE 
AND HARVEY WILL BE ON 
HIATUS FOR THIS COLUMN FOR 
A WHILE. FOLLOW HIM ON 
SUNDAYS ON AM830


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com