Ashley's Fitness Exam Results

Last year, I had a Polar Body Age assessment (that picture to the right was taken around the same time). This is a test that that measures your fitness levels, like your body’s age, weight, composition, blood pressure and Cardiovascular Max VO2 (this is really a fancy term for endurance). Taking the test was extremely motivating, because the results pointed to a clear path: I really needed to take charge and get in shape. When I left the room last year, I was scared. I had been told that my body was 34 years old (my actual age was 23), that I was overweight, and that my blood pressure was too high.

When I walked into to the exam center this year, I was pretty confident, but also nervous. While I’m enjoying some of the benefits of being smaller—like looking less scary in swimsuits, and buying clothes in smaller sizes—I know I still have some work to do to do before I reach my optimal fitness level. And plus, I know that for me, working out and being healthy will be a lifelong challenge. I will have to continue to maintain my healthy lifestyle so that I not only look great, but feel good too.

Now to the exciting parts, the results!

Today, my body age is 27, which is just slightly older than its real age of 24. According to the test, my body has the ability to get down to the age of 18, so I’d really like to take this test one more time next year and see how much more progress I can make.

Of course, stepping on the scale was the most nerve-wracking part of the assessment. I knew that I had done a good job, but since scales can be unreliable, I was excited to get an accurate reading. After a year’s worth of work, the scale said I lost 29 pounds (a pound short of my goal). It was close enough for me to get very excited. I really never expected to lose more than ten pounds—and even that would have been amazing. To get down to my ideal weight, the test said I’d have to lose 16 more pounds. While that does sound daunting, my goal is to reach that weight by my 25^th birthday!

Now to the juicy part of the exam. When I first came in for the test, my body fat percentage was at 40%. Today, I am at 30.7% body fat, which is still slightly over where I should be. Ideally, I would like to be in the 20-25% range. I am still happy with the 10 percent drop, though! I'm going to ramp up the cardio a bit to kill the fat.

In terms of blood pressure, I won’t bore you with numbers and figures, but this is what scared me the most when I went in for my first exam. I was told I had high blood pressure. This made me feel like a very mere mortal. Now, after months of healthier eating and exercise, I had what’s considered very normal—maybe even better than normal—blood pressure.

It looks like my fitness levels have greatly improved! They measured my Cardiovascular - Max VO2. I wasn’t even sure what that was until I went home and Wikipedia’ed it. Apparently, it is “the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual. The name is derived from V - volume per time, O2 - oxygen, max - maximum.” According to the results, I previously had a low Cardiovascular - Max VO2. I now fall into the “elite category.” I’m still not really sure what this means, but I’m glad I’m good at it. The test in general measured my overall fitness level. At my heaviest, I was at a 41.9, which is in the Fair category (what was considered fair about my exercise, which consisted mostly of walking to and from my car, I’m still not sure). Now, my Overall fitness level is at 62.8, which falls into the Good category. I think if I amped up my cardio a bit, I could obtain Excellent fitness levels.

And now, saving the least impressive figure for last. During my first exam, I had my flexibility measured. At my heaviest, when I did a sit-and-reach, I could get to 11.1 inches, which is poor. Now, 29 pounds lighter, I can only sit and reach to 8.9 inches. The trainer says this is because I am lifting lots of weights, so my joints are all tight, but that is still embarrassing. I am about as flexible as piece of wood. I could try taking yoga, but I’m not a huge fan. I guess one thing I need to work on is stretching before and after my workouts.

I was very excited with my results. Losing 29 pounds was a big deal for me! Now that I am on a roll, I would really like to achieve it all and lose 16 more pounds. Losing a total of 45 pounds would be a dream come true, and such a personal accomplishment for me. Don’t get me wrong, I am plenty proud of what I have accomplished so far—it has made me so much more happy and confident. I can’t even imagine what another 16 pounds would feel like, but I am ready to find out!

We're proud of Ashley! Are you? And have you ever met your weight loss goals?

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