Fitness is not just measured in how fast, how much, or how long you can go ... a 'better' measure of overall wellness, fitness and cardiovascular efficiency is believed to be how quickly you recover.

Want to know where you are on the scale? Try this test:

1. Accelerate your heart rate through running, biking, or other method to an anerobic level (this is your hardest effort - a pace you can do for only 20-30 seconds... such as a full sprint. make sure you build up to it with a good warm up of your muscles as well as your heart & lungs!)
2. Measure your heart rate with a monitor at the end of the sprint. Or take your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
3. Recover for 60 seconds by walking or biking slowly (do not stop moving!)
4. Measure your heart rate again after 60 seconds and subtract that number from the peak.

The key:
POOR less than 12 Beats Per Minute (BPM) recovery
FAIR 12-20
Good 20-30
Excellent 30-40
Over 40 is outstanding.
The recovery rate is important because this is a measure of the soundness of your cardiovascular system, not just our heart health.

A recovery rate of greater than 35 BPM indicates almost no risk of sudden death from heart disease.12 or less increases the risk dramatically. If this is you, please consult a doctor before exercising further!




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