Advocacy Project:

Hey fellow bloggers!  I'm looking forward for you guys to try out today's challenge!  We have been talking about the amount of physical activity in adults- we should be getting a solid 30 minutes of moderate exercise for at least 3 times a week.  


So here's your challenge: How Fit Are You?  What better way to measure your own fitness level than by going out and doing it!  This shouldn't take too long, but make sure you do schedule some time to jump around at home or head to a gym near by.  The quiz at the end will ask questions that also pertain to your daily life in order to help you get 'the big picture.' Now grab a friend, roommate, or go ahead and try the following 5 tasks by yourself! 


Ready Begin:

• Push-ups Lie facedown on floor, legs straight with toes curled under (no dropped knees, sorry) and arms bent so palms are flat on the floor directly beneath shoulders. Press up, keeping body in a straight line from head to ankle. Do as many in a row as you can—no time limit—and note the number.

• Sit-ups Keep your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Your shoulder blades should come up one third of the way to sitting upright. Do as many as you can in one minute or until you say uncle, whichever comes first! Write down the number.

• Wall sit Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart about 12 inches away from wall. With feet planted, slide down until knees form a 90-degree angle. (Pretend you're in a chair.) Hold as long as you can, and time yourself.

• Sit-and-reach Grab some masking tape and a yardstick. Place the yardstick on the floor, then take a foot-long piece of masking tape and stick it across the 15-inch mark to form a cross. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you on either side of the yardstick—the zero end facing you—so that bare heels touch the 15-inch tape mark. Keep feet slightly apart. Reach forward with both hands, bending at hips, and see the farthest mark your fingertips touch. Can you touch two inches past your heels? That means your reach is 17 inches. Measure your reach and make a note of the number.

• 1.5-mile dash Map out a 1.5-mile loop— or we have an excellent indoor track here at UMD or feel free to head toward the nearest Starbucks—and lace up. Your mission: Cover the distance as fast as you can by walking, jogging, running or some combo, and time yourself.

Now to finish- please visit the following link and take the short quiz: How Fit Are You?  Make sure to read your results at the end!

________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations!  I'm proud of you and want to thank you for giving these tasks a try!  I hope you feel energized and hope that you learned a little bit of what your bodies can achieve. Push yourselves and keep on exercising! :o)