How Fit Is Your Heart

Most reputable clubs perform something called a submax test. That’s short for submaximal test, fitness jargon for a test that evaluates your heart rate when you’re working at less than your maximum effort. Typically, this test takes you to about 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. A maximal test — in which you go all-out — should only be performed by a physician or in the presence of a physician.

Submaximal tests are usually performed on a stationary bicycle, treadmill, or step bench. (If you’re a runner, request a treadmill; if you’re a cyclist, ask to be tested on a bike. You’re best at what you practice most.) The test usually lasts about 15 minutes. During this time, you increase your intensity every three or four minutes while the tester monitors your heart rate and blood pressure. The test shouldn’t be very hard. On a bike, the worst it should feel like is pedaling up a moderately steep hill for a few minutes. If you don’t belong to a health club, you can test your aerobic fitness using a watch with a second hand and a course that’s exactly 1 mile long. Warm up with a slow walk for five to ten minutes, and then time yourself as you walk or run the mile as briskly as you can. Take your pulse right before you stop, and make a mental note of the number. Also note your time as you complete your mile.

One minute after you finish the mile, take your pulse again. See how far it has dropped from the pulse check you did right at the end of your walk. Try this test again in two months and see how much faster you can complete the mile and how much more quickly you recover. If a mile sounds like too much for you right now, do a half-mile or even walk around the block. Just choose a distance that you can measure again at a later date. Schedule a second fitness evaluation in six weeks. Those first weeks of training can bring about some dramatic changes, and it’s really motivating to see how well you’ve done. After that, changes tend to be steady but somewhat slower. Get tested again every three to six months. Don’t go longer than a year without reevaluating your progress. You don’t want to waste time with a workout program that’s not getting results.