London - You get a reasonable amount of exercise, can fit into last summer’s jeans and have the willpower to avoid the biscuit tin. But when it comes to being physically active, are you really as fit as you think?
In fact, there can often be a mismatch between perception and reality, explains Mike Gleeson, professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University.
“Some people, for example, think walking to the station every morning is more than enough. But being fit means being able to exert yourself physically - say, running for the bus - without getting terribly breathless or breaking out in a sweat.
“Getting enough exercise and staying in good shape - which is how we define fitness - is vital to reduce the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
To see just how well our perception of our fitness matches the reality, we put six people who think they do enough exercise to the test. They took three standard fitness tests.
First, a treadmill test to see how far they could run in 12 minutes, an indication of their stamina and heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness.
They also had to do as many press-ups as they could in 60 seconds, to test their muscular strength and endurance in the upper body; and sit-ups for another 60 seconds, to measure the same in abdominal and hip muscles.
Their performance was then rated based on their sex and age.
Our fitness guinea pigs also underwent medical tests, including body fat percentage - a clearer measure of fitness than Body Mass Index (BMI), because it shows the amount of fat you have compared with muscles, bones, body water and organs; regardless of what you weigh, the higher your body fat, the greater your risk of disease.
They also had their lung function tested. This measures the amount of air you take in with the deepest possible breath; the better your lung function, the more effectively you exercise, and your heart and body benefit.
Professor Gleeson and GPs Dr Jude Gunasekera and Dr John McCulloch, who work for BMI Healthcare, analysed the results.
THE WORKING MOM WHO DOES YOGA ONCE A WEEK FITNESS RATING 5/10
WENDY SHAMED, 39, runs a family holiday website. She lives in Stanford, Lincolnshire, and has three children. Wendy is 5ft 3in and weighs 9st 12lb (62.4kg). Her BMI is 24.2, “normal”.
WENDY SAYS: I was always the sporty one at school and was school sports captain so played in a lot of teams.
Exercise has always been a part of my life. But I now have so much going on - running my own business and raising a family - it’s hard to find the time for formal exercise, though I hardly ever sit still and I’m roughly the same size I’ve always been.
I do an hour of yoga once a week and walk for about half an hour every day.
I don’t feel unfit. I don’t, for example, get breathless going up the stairs.
My husband and I play tennis a lot with the children, so staying in shape is very much part of family life. The only time I feel physically challenged is when I’m chasing after the children when they’re on their scooters. I don’t smoke and rarely drink.
RESULTS:
Treadmill test: Ran 1.3 km in 12 minutes, very poor.
Press-ups in 60 seconds: 15, average. Sit-ups in 60 seconds: 22, average.
Body fat percentage: 26.3, good.
Blood pressure: 106/67, good.
Cholesterol: 2.9, very good.
Lung function: 82.23 per cent, very good.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Wendy’s treadmill test shows that she needs to do more dynamic exercise - yoga and gentle walking won’t really do the trick.
Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, brisk walking and cycling, forces the heart and lungs to work harder and is critical in preventing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. She needs to do 30 minutes at least three times a week, getting slightly breathless in the process.
Wendy’s body fat percentage was normal for her age and sex - the range varies according to how old you are and whether you are male or female. This is also true of the treadmill test and the press-up and sit-up tests.
Her BMI is at the upper end of normal, but you can be big and fit, so it’s not a worry necessarily.
But as she hits 40, blood pressure rises naturally and excess weight can aggravate this. She should lose about 3lb, which she’ll do with a more energetic fitness programme.
THE VEGAN WHO THINKS GOOD DIET IS ENOUGH FITNESS RATING 4/10
Tony Bishop-Weston, 52, works with his wife, who runs a nutritional consultancy. They have four children and live in the New Forest, Hampshire. Tony is 5ft 6in and weighs 12st 5lb (78.5kg). His BMI is 28.2, “overweight”.
TONY SAYS: Being married to a nutritionist and working with food, I’m very aware of the healthy options. I think I’ve used my diet - I’ve been a vegan for 20 years - rather than exercise as a marker for my fitness.
I was fit as a young man - I liked swimming and jogging. Now I go through phases - maybe playing badminton or taking our eight-year-old son, Johannes, swimming once a week - but nothing formal.
In London I walked everywhere, but having moved to the New Forest a couple of years ago, we’re a bit more cut off, so I drive more. I’m confident I’m pretty fit, though. I feel pretty virtuous since I gave up smoking ten years ago.
RESULTS: Treadmill test: 1.69km, average.
Press-ups: 14, poor.
Sit-ups: 11, poor.
Body fat percentage: 27.3, bad.
Blood pressure: 170/140, bad.
Cholesterol: 4.8, good.
Lung function: 86.98 per cent, very good.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Tony’s lung function is very good, which shows how the lungs can recover when you stop smoking.
He also did surprisingly well in the treadmill test, considering he doesn’t do much formal exercise at all and that his BMI is on the high side - this shows how well his lungs are working, good for long-term health.
But that weight in the middle could account for his poor performance in the press-ups and sit-ups compared to Wendy, for example. Men often think they’re better at press-ups. It’s not just brute strength but stamina and fitness. The more weight you carry, the more effort it takes.
His body fat, which should be 16 to 20 percent for his age, was over the limit. Losing a stone would bring that down.
Tony could improve his muscular strength and fitness by doing flexibility exercises such as sitting on the floor with his legs out in front of him and then trying to reach his toes.
He should start doing five to ten a day, building up to 30 to 40. His blood pressure is also too high - it’s common to feel fit yet have raised blood pressure.
If he loses weight and does 20 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise every day, that should sort him out.
THE EX-SMOKER WHO’S TRYING TO BE GOOD FITNESS RATING 8/10
Jan Warner, 52, a personal assistant, lives in Whitefield, Manchester, with her husband. They have three grown-up children. Jan is 5ft 5in and weighs 9st 2lb (58kg). Her BMI is 21.4, normal.
JAN SAYS: I’ve always hated formal exercise and never did it, but five years ago I felt that I needed to take myself in hand because I was getting older.
But rather than doing this through lots of exercise, I approached it through my diet and I also quit smoking.
I probably don’t eat more than a 1 000 calories a day during the week. I go to a Pilates class a couple of times a week and walk at least once a week.
I did do a 10k charity run a few years ago, but didn’t train much for it and it took everything out of me, so never again. I do feel pretty good, though - I don’t seem to get out of breath if I have to run up the stairs.
RESULTS:
Treadmill: 1.58km, average. Press-ups: 38, excellent.
Sit-ups: 30, excellent.
Body fat percentage: 28.4, good. Blood pressure: 130/84, good. Cholesterol: 7.6, bad. Lung function: 74.45 percent, good.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Jan looks in great shape - her BMI is ideal and her body fat is within the recommended 22-30 percent for a woman of her age.
Her lung function as an ex-smoker is good, which shows the benefits of quitting.
Certainly, Pilates has helped her fitness levels in terms of muscle strength and endurance, since her results are all excellent, especially as she is one of the oldest here.
It’s possible that this, together with her BMI, is why she doesn’t get breathless running up stairs.
But as she approaches the menopause, it’s important to do weight-bearing exercise such as jogging to maintain healthy bones. This will also improve her aerobic fitness - important for heart and lung function.
Her cholesterol is high - she needs to keep to a low-fat diet even at weekends and get her cholesterol checked in six months.
Increasing her fitness through aerobic exercise may help - it moves “bad” LDL cholesterol to the liver from where it is expelled from the body.
THE SLIM DANCER WHO LOVES A LAMBADA FITNESS RATING 7/10
Lisa Ronchetti, 32, works in marketing and lives in London with her son. She is 5ft 7in and weighs 9st 1lb (57.5kg). Her BMI is 20.5, normal.
LISA SAYS: I consider myself really healthy - I do classes such as Lambada (a fast Brazilian dance) once a week. I don’t smoke, only occasionally drink and I eat really healthily. That said, I do get out of breath when I run for the bus sometimes.
I don’t really have the time or money for the gym. I probably do less exercise than I did in my 20s, but I am pretty slim, so I see that as a marker of my fitness.
RESULTS:
Treadmill test: 1.85km, average. Press-ups: 30, good. Sit-ups: 21, poor. Body fat percentage: 24.7, very good. Blood pressure: 106/65, very good. Cholesterol: 6.3, bad. Lung function: 79.71 percent, good.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Lisa’s treadmill test reflects how dancing can be an excellent form of aerobic exercise. To improve even more she should up her classes to three times a week.
But a healthy diet and being slim don’t make you fit and her sit-ups were just below average, which shows she isn’t using her muscle groups as much as she could.
She could start doing sit-ups every day - starting with 15 in a minute and then seeing how long she can keep going, for up to three minutes, aiming for around 50.
“One way to improve sit-ups is to do the plank position every day: lie on your stomach and, keeping your body straight, lift up on your forearms and toes. Maintain this as long as possible, starting with 60 seconds and working up by 15 seconds a day until you can hold the position for three minutes.”
Lisa seems to have an exemplary lifestyle, and most of her tests were excellent. It’s surprising her cholesterol was 6.3 - it should be 5 or less. Increasing her levels of exercise and fitness could well help.
THE FORTYSOMETHING WHO JOGS FITNESS RATING 6/10
Natalie Bor, 49, an administrator, lives in Manchester with her husband. They have four children. Natalie is 5ft 10in and weighs 12st 3lb (77.5kg). Her BMI is 24.6, normal.
NATALIE SAYS: I really enjoy the social side of exercising. I do a mile?and-a-half run with a friend three times a week, play netball once a week and go to a weekly Zumba class.
Exercise has always been important to me. I’m also married to a complete fitness fanatic - my husband has completed marathons and Ironman challenges.
In fact, as a family we’re pretty sporty. I’ve never been a drinker or smoker and I watch what I eat. I think for my age I’m really quite fit.
RESULTS:
Treadmill test: 1.38km, poor. Press-ups: 21, good. Sit-ups: 20, good. Body fat percentage: 29.9, borderline bad. Blood pressure: 106/70, very good. Cholesterol: 4.9, very good. Lung function: 80 percent, very good.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Natalie’s treadmill test was surprisingly poor considering she jogs and does a fairamount of exercise. Possibly this is because she isn’t pushing herself hard enough when exercising to get the full benefits and improve her aerobic fitness. Unless you push yourself to become slightlybreathless, your workout is of less benefit.
Her general health is excellent. However, her BMI is at the very upper end of normal. And her body fat percentage is slightly over the upper limit of 28 percent for a woman of her age.
But she needs to lose only 3lb of fat to get it to the recommended amount - all of which will help improve her fitness.
THE ASTHMATIC WHO’S NOW A GYM BUNNY FITNESS RATING 9/10
Dean Hough, 33, lives in Salford and works in sales and promotions. He is 5ft 10in and weighs 12st 1lb (76.6kg). His BMI is 24, normal.
DEAN SAYS: I was diagnosed with asthma at seven, and had to use three different inhalers a day. I also used to get several chest infections a year. Things got better after I was 14, though I sometimes still use an inhaler.
I’ve always been determined that asthma shouldn’t hold me back, and at school I was in the athletics team and played basketball and football - if I got breathless I’d just have a puff of my inhaler. I am now a qualified fitness instructor and used to play professional football for Stoke and Yeovil.
I go to the gym three or four times a week, running three miles as well as doing weight and resistance exercise.
RESULTS:
Treadmill: 2.54km, good. Press-ups: 62, excellent. Sit-ups: 39, excellent. Body fat percentage: 8.6, very good. Blood pressure: 128/74, good. Cholesterol: 4.1, very good. Lung function: 61.63 percent, poor.
EXPERTS’ VERDICT: Dean is in excellent shape, and clearly all that exercise is paying off since he has a very low body fat percentage.
Given his asthma history it was no surprise that his lung function result was low - it should be at least 75 percent. Yet he has shown that through a fitness programme he can stay in shape and compensate for this. - Daily Mail
* The fitness tests were performed at Virgin Active Gyms (virginactive.co.uk).
* The health screenings were done by BMI Healthcare (bmihealthcare.co.uk).
* Wendy Shamed’s travel website (totstotravel.co.uk).