How to Measure Your Physical Fitness

What you measure and monitor, you can improve. Regularly tracking your fitness metrics lets you see progress, set realistic goals, and stay focused on your health journey.

The key lies in using the right tools and techniques. To simplify this process, consider these seven key measurements that will guide your progress and provide a clear understanding of your overall fitness.

7 Measurements to Track Your Fitness

1. Body Composition

Body composition includes three major elements: skeletal muscle, body fat, and bone mass.^{1, 2} Tracking these consistently reveals your physical fitness and overall health. Tools like the Oxiline bioimpedance scale or Renpho bioimpedance scale make it easy to measure these components at home or on the go, helping you track your progress regularly.

Start by taking baseline measurements of your muscle, body fat, and bone mass—all of which your body-composition scale should measure. Over time, your skeletal muscle percentage should increase if you’re building strength and endurance.

Your body-fat percentage, on the other hand, should drop. As it does, you may notice a leaner appearance and more defined muscles.

While changes in bone mass might be subtle, a stable or slightly increasing bone mass indicates better bone health. This improvement reduces the risk of injuries and conditions like osteoporosis.

2. Waist-to-Hip and Waist-to-Height Ratios

Your waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios reveal how fat is distributed in your body, which can be linked to serious health risks like heart disease and diabetes.^{3, 4} To calculate these ratios, use a reliable tape measure, such as Myotape, for easy tracking.

Establishing baseline measurements at the start of your fitness journey is crucial. A healthy waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8 or lower indicates a balanced fat distribution between your waist and hips. For the waist-to-height ratio, aim for a range between 0.4 and 0.49, which compares your waist size to your height and offers another view of how fat is distributed in your body.

Tracking progress is simple. Aim for a steady decrease in your waist-to-hip ratio, moving closer to the 0.8 target. A shrinking waist relative to your hips shows you’re losing harmful belly fat, which benefits your overall health.

For the waist-to-height ratio, progress comes from moving toward or staying within the ideal 0.4-0.49 range. As your waist circumference decreases relative to your height, you’ll know you’re effectively reducing abdominal fat.

3. Steps

Meeting your daily step goal boosts your fitness by enhancing cardiovascular health, burning calories, and increasing overall endurance. It also helps improve mood, strengthen muscles, and maintain a healthy weight. Participants in one study who walked 10,000 steps daily showed improved mental health (with lower anxiety, depression, and fatigue) and better physical health (including reduced weight and waist circumference).⁵

Start with an activity audit by tracking your daily steps using a fitness tracker like an Oura Ring, Fitbit, or Apple Watch. Wear the tracker for a week to establish your average steps and then gradually increase your step count by about 10% every few days until you consistently reach 8,000-12,000 steps per day.

Aim to get half of your daily steps before noon to avoid playing catch-up, and consider incorporating an after-dinner walk to lower blood sugar, improve digestion, and promote better sleep.

Find simple ways to add more movement throughout your day to boost your step count. You can park farther from your destination, take the stairs, or use a walking pad or treadmill during work calls. Walking with a friend or joining a walking group can help keep you motivated, and your fitness tracker will hold you accountable by setting daily goals. Even small changes, like opting for a walk instead of sitting during coffee dates or taking short walking breaks, will gradually increase your daily activity and improve your physical and mental health.

4. VO2 Max

VO2 Max is a vital indicator of your cardiovascular health and endurance. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, reflecting how efficiently your heart and lungs deliver oxygen to your muscles.One of the easiest ways to estimate your VO2 Max is using the Rockport Walk Test. This test involves walking one mile as fast as possible while tracking your time and heart rate to assess your fitness.^{6, 7}

To perform the Rockport Walk Test, you’ll need a flat one-mile course (like a track) and a way to measure your time and heart rate. Start with a 5-minute warm-up walk, then walk one mile as quickly as possible—without running. Record the time it takes to complete the mile and your heart rate immediately after finishing.

Your initial measurement will include two key numbers: your time to walk the mile and your heart rate at the end. For example, you might finish the walk in 16 minutes and 10 seconds with a heart rate of 120 beats per minute. You can use these numbers, along with your age, gender, and weight, in online calculators to estimate your VO2 Max.

To track your progress, focus on two areas:

Faster 1-Mile Time: A quicker mile walk time indicates improved cardiovascular fitness. Keep a log of your times over several weeks or months to see your long-term progress.
Lower Heart Rate: A reduced heart rate at the end of the walk shows better cardiovascular efficiency. Track your heart rate regularly after each test to see if it consistently decreases as you get fitter.

If you have the Oura Ring, it will provide an estimated VO2 max reading as well as tracking your steps. For a more precise VO2 Max measurement, consider getting a DEXA scan. However, the Rockport Walk Test offers a simple and reliable way for most people to estimate and track their VO2 Max. Improvements in VO2 Max take time, so be patient and consistent. As your VO2 Max increases, your endurance and cardiovascular health will improve, making it a key metric in your fitness journey.

5. Strength

Strength is a key part of physical fitness. By strength, I mean the ability of your muscles to exert force, which helps you perform everyday tasks, improve athletic performance, and maintain overall physical health.⁸ Two simple tests can give you insight into muscle function: hand grip strength and push-up endurance. These tests help track your upper body strength and endurance over time.

Measuring Hand Grip Strength
Grip strength is often measured using a hand grip dynamometer, a device that gauges how much force your hand can exert when squeezing. This measurement indicates hand and forearm strength and provides insight into your overall muscle strength and physical health.⁹

Testing each hand separately is essential because strength levels often vary between dominant and non-dominant hands. Since you use your dominant hand more frequently, it becomes stronger.

To track progress:

Look for consistent increases in grip strength for both hands, which signals overall improvement in upper body and forearm strength.
Aim for balanced strength between your hands. Large differences may point to imbalances that need attention through targeted training.

Push-Up Endurance Test
The Push-Up Endurance Test measures your upper body strength and muscular endurance by counting how many push-ups you can complete while maintaining proper form.¹⁰

To do this, start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line. Lower your chest to the floor, keeping your elbows at about a 45-degree angle, and then push back up to the starting position. Continue performing push-ups until you can no longer maintain proper form. This test helps gauge your muscular endurance and provides a baseline for tracking strength improvements.

To track progress:

Monitor the increase in push-ups you can complete without losing form, indicating both strength and endurance gains.
Track improvements in maintaining proper form for longer periods, reflecting better muscular endurance.

Strength improvements take time, so be patient and consistent with these tests. As you track these metrics, you’ll likely notice enhanced performance in other physical activities and everyday tasks, showing the impact of your progress.

6. Balance

Balance is a key aspect of physical fitness, yet it often gets overlooked. Good balance not only prevents falls but also improves coordination and body awareness. Incorporating balance exercises into your routine enhances stability, strengthens core muscles, and supports overall movement efficiency in daily activities and athletic performance.¹¹

The single-leg balance test is a simple way to assess and improve your balance at home without equipment.¹² To perform the test, stand with your feet hip-width apart, lift one foot slightly off the ground, and close your eyes. Time how long you can balance on one leg without touching the ground or opening your eyes. Repeat on the other leg to compare stability between sides. A normal range is 4.6-10.2 seconds, but don’t worry if you’re below that—balance improves with practice.

Here’s how to track your progress:

Increased Balance Time: Aim to gradually increase the time you can balance on each leg with your eyes closed. As you approach or exceed the normal range, you’ll see improvement. Keep a log of your times to track progress over weeks or months. Even small gains reflect better balance.
Improved Stability: Pay attention to how steady you feel during the test. Reduced wobbling and better control while balancing are signs of improving your coordination and muscle control. As balance increases, you may find daily tasks like standing on one leg to put on shoes or walking on uneven surfaces easier and more natural.

7. Power

Power is a key part of physical fitness, showing how strong and fast your muscles can work together. The vertical jump test is a simple way to measure the power in your legs and how well you can use that strength quickly. It helps assess your lower body power and overall athletic ability.^{13, 14}

To conduct the test, you’ll need a clear area and a way to measure your standing reach height and maximum jump height. Begin by measuring your standing reach. Next, perform a jump and record the highest point you reach. Your vertical jump score is the difference between these two measurements. For example, if your standing reach is 76 inches and your jump height is 92 inches, your vertical jump score is 16 inches. Focus on these two aspects to track your development:

Increase in Vertical Jump Height: Consistently measure your vertical jump and track any improvements in the difference between your standing reach and jump height. An increase in this score reflects enhanced lower body power and explosiveness.
Consistent Gains Over Time: Regularly track your vertical jump scores. Even small improvements over time show progress in your power-generating capabilities. This indicates that both your muscle strength and ability to apply force quickly are improving.

As your power improves, you may notice benefits in other aspects of athletic performance, such as faster sprints, better agility, and greater explosiveness in sport-specific movements.

Resistance Training is Your Ticket to Boosting Overall Fitness

Resistance training is a powerful way to enhance overall fitness and health by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat, which improves body composition and key health metrics such as waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios. It boosts energy levels, leading to more daily activity and steps, and enhances VO2 Max through better oxygen efficiency. Resistance training also improves functional fitness measures like hand grip strength, push-up endurance, balance, and coordination, while explosive movements can significantly elevate power metrics like vertical jump performance.

Ready to start seeing noticeable improvements in strength, endurance, and overall quality of life? My Resistance Training Cheat Sheet includes home gym essentials, an 8-week workout plan, and a progress tracker to help you monitor your sets, reps, and weights.

Get your FREE Resistance Training Cheat Sheet here.

References:

Pomeroy E, Macintosh A, Wells JCK, Cole TJ, Stock JT. Relationship between body mass, lean mass, fat mass, and limb bone cross-sectional geometry: Implications for estimating body mass and physique from the skeleton. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2018 May;166(1):56-69. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.23398. Epub 2018 Jan 18. PMID: 29344931; PMCID: PMC6178563.
NCAA: Body composition: What are athletes made of?
Medical News Today: Waist-to-hip ratio: How does it affect your health?
Shen S, Lu Y, Qi H, Li F, Shen Z, Wu L, Yang C, Wang L, Shui K, Yao W, Qiang D, Yun J, Zhou L. Waist-to-height ratio is an effective indicator for comprehensive cardiovascular health. Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 21;7:43046. doi: 10.1038/srep43046. PMID: 28220844; PMCID: PMC5318865.
Yuenyongchaiwat K. Effects of 10,000 steps a day on physical and mental health in overweight participants in a community setting: a preliminary study. Braz J Phys Ther. 2016 Jul-Aug;20(4):367-73. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0160. Epub 2016 Jun 16. PMID: 27556393; PMCID: PMC5015672.
Healthline: VO₂ Max: Definition, How It’s Measured, How to Improve
Health and Fitness Education: One-Mile Rockport Walking Test – Fitness Assessment
Healthline: Muscular Strength: Benefits, Exercises, and More
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials: What Grip Strength Says About Your Health
Verywell Fitness: Push-Up Test for Upper Body Strength and Endurance
Hinge Health: Importance of Balance Training
Khanal P, He L, Stebbings GK, Onambele-Pearson GL, Degens H, Williams AG, Thomis M, Morse CI. Static one-leg standing balance test as a screening tool for low muscle mass in healthy elderly women. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Jul;33(7):1831-1839. doi: 10.1007/s40520-021-01818-x. Epub 2021 Mar 13. PMID: 33715139; PMCID: PMC8249245.
Harvard Health: Power training provides special benefits for muscles and function
Santos CAF, Amirato GR, Jacinto AF, Pedrosa AV, Caldo-Silva A, Sampaio AR, Pimenta N, Santos JMB, Pochini A, Bachi ALL. Vertical Jump Tests: A Safe Instrument to Improve the Accuracy of the Functional Capacity Assessment in Robust Older Women. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Feb 8;10(2):323. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10020323. PMID: 35206937; PMCID: PMC8872295.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern.

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