Am I Fit?
Your OptiHealth Coach will help you answer this question.
Sedentary-Related
Health Risk Analysis
The 10-Minute Walk/Jog Test
For free assistance regarding the tasks outlined below, contact your OptiHealth Coach.
The 10-Minute Walk/Jog Test is a valid measurement of an individual's functional fitness level, which closely estimates cardio- (heart), pulmonary- (lung), and vascular- (blood vessel) health risks, as well as the risk for other sedentary-related chronic diseases, such as: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, colon and breast cancers, and osteoporosis.
To measure your level of functional fitness (and to help you figure out what to do about it), follow the instructions outlined below and use the worksheet linked above to Record your responses.
Pre-Test Preparation:
Pre-Test Preparation:
- After reading all the instructions, submit the online "Informed Consent" form linked below.
- *Determine a location where you can walk/jog 50 meters (55 yards or 1/32 mile). Record
- The edge/sidewalk of a very lightly traveled street in a safe neighborhood or a local public park is ideal.
- Find a stretch of road or play field that is relatively level for the length of half a football field.
- Schedule a time (1 hour) as soon as possible, preferably on a Sunday, to conduct your fitness test. Record
- Your OptiHealth Coach or Club may have a designated place and time for conducting their fitness tests.
- Do not do the test alone. Have a friend or relative accompany you. (Encourage them to do the test, too.)
- Your friend or relative can help you set-up your course and assist recording your test results. Record
- Collect 6 wash cloths (yellow, orange, or red, if possible) for you to mark the test course.
- Be sure you have a pair of sturdy, but comfortable walking/jogging ("tennis") shoes.
- Create a 10-minute Timer (a feature on your smart phone clock) for when you do your test.
- *Optional: Also create a Timers for 2 minutes and for 0:15 seconds, if you want to measure your Heart Rates.
- Make sure you will hear the alarm when you use your Timer.
- Familiarize yourself with the 3 Charts at the bottom of this page, especially the RPE Chart.
- *Optional: Learn how to take your pulse, if you choose to measure your Heart Rates.
Test Day:
Fitness Assessment:
Post-Test Analysis (this can wait until you get back home):
- Weigh yourself in the morning of your test. Record
- Dress appropriately for the weather, and wear your walking/jogging shoes.
- With your 6 wash cloths in hand, find an appropriate starting point.
- Drop the first wash cloth at your starting point.
- Mark your course by taking slow, larger-than-normal strides in as straight a line as possible.
- Drop a wash cloth at each 11th stride. (11 strides = 10 meters)
- Drop the last (6th) wash cloth to mark the "end" (turn-around-point) of your course.
Fitness Assessment:
- *Optional: Use your Timer to take your pulse for 15 seconds (x4) to get your Pre-Exercise Heart Rate. Record
- Start your 10-minute Timer and start walking/jogging your 50-meter course.
- Walk/Jog the 50 meters back-and-forth (like a shuttle) until the alarm goes off on your Timer.
- Be sure to count your laps. (50 meters out and back = 1 lap = 100 meters)
- Be careful NOT to overexert yourself. You should be breathing "heavily," but never "out-of-breath."
- Pace yourself to maintain a Rating of Perceived Exertion around 6 or 7 (stay out of the Orange and Red Zones).
- Slow down or even pause if necessary to catch your breath, but keep the Timer running.
- Do not sprint at any time, including the last minute.
- When you hear the alarm on your Timer, STOP walking/jogging. Mark the spot where you stopped.
- Do not lay down. Walk slowly "in place" as your heart rate and leg muscles recover.
- *Immediately rate your perception of exertion (RPE) using a scale of 0 (at rest) to 10 (fully exhausted). Record
- *Optional: Use your Timer to take your pulse for 15 seconds (x4) to get your Post-Exercise Heart Rate. Record
- *Determine the total Distance in meters that you covered during your 10-minute test using the formula below:
- (Lap Count x 100m) + (Marker Count of your last partial lap x 10m) + (Stride Count past the last Marker x 1m) Record
- *Optional: Use your Timers to take your pulse for 15 seconds (x4) after 2 minutes to get your Recovery Heart Rate. Record
Post-Test Analysis (this can wait until you get back home):
- *On the Worksheet, you should have recorded:
- 1) Optional: Your Pre-Exercise, Post-Exercise, and 2-minute Recovery Heart Rates (if you took your pulse).
- 2) The Distance in meters that you walked/jogged during the 10-minute test.
- 3) Your RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) between 0-10 (refer to the chart below).
- Fill-in the remaining blanks on your Worksheet as instructed using the Functional Fitness Charts below.
- Discuss your test results with your OptiHealth Coach to help you interpret your fitness test results.
Now that you have read through all the instructions above, read and submit the online form linked below.
Functional Fitness Charts
After completing the fitness test, use the charts below to fill-in the remaining blanks on your Preparation Worksheet #3.
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Chart
Rate your perception of your post-exercise exertion level on a scale of 0-10.
Age-Factor Chart
Find the Factor in the chart below for your Age to calculate your age-adjusted Fitness Level.
Age-Adjusted Fitness Level Formula
Health Risk by Fitness Level Chart
Use your age-adjusted Fitness Level in the chart below to determine your sedentary-related Health Risk.