It is important for everyone to have a personal wellness plan. There are many factors involved when it comes to fitness and wellness. Upon creating my health assessment I did tests and workouts for the following: Blood pressure, Cardiovascular, Strength, Flexibility and Body Composition.
Blood pressure is the force, or pressure, utilized by the blood on your arteries. There are two diverse measures of blood pressure: systolic, which is a greater number, and diastolic, a lesser number. Systolic pressure acts like a shield or defensive barrier to protect your arteries from when your hart contracts, forcing a large amount of blood into your arteries. Diastolic pressure is the force on your arteries when the ventricles are relaxing and your heart is refilling with blood. My blood pressure is 112/61 mmHg, which is considered to be in the normal range. When your systolic blood pressure is <121 and your diastolic <81 you reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Alternatively, when you systolic is >120 and your diastolic is > 82, you are in the danger zone for a heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) endorses having your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. (View My Results Here)
Cardiovascular is the workout and function of your heart, lungs and circulatory system. Cardiovascular is to supply nutrients and oxygen to allow your muscles to function properly while running, walking, swimming or biking. Cardiovascular, frequently known as aerobic fitness, is reflected to be the most important of fitness components. I tested my cardiovascular strength by doing a timed mile run. Out of three categories of grading (Participant >11:40, National 9:24 – 11:39 and Presidential <9:23) I received Presidential with the time of 7 minutes and 22 seconds. (View My Results Here)
Strength, overall, is a major element to a person’s health and fitness. Everyday routines always require muscular strength such as doing things at home or in the workplace without excessive fatigue or stress. Higher levels of muscular activity also reduce injuries or back pain. Strong muscles also help in your cardiovascular system by helping obtain a balanced physical activity. In a test for my bicep strength I ranked in Excellent (>52 lbs.) with a score of 72 lbs. (View My Results Here)
Flexibility is the art in which a joint can move in its complete range of motion and is crucial to one’s health and physical fitness. When muscles become short and tighten up, your flexibility is reduced, allowing a greater possibility for injury or strains. I tested my flexibility with a sit and reach test. Unfortunately, I am not at all flexible and received my score in the Needs Improvement scale with a score of only 7.5 inches. (View My Results Here)
Body Composition is the body’s proportion of lean body mass and body fat. Lean body mass is the weight of your muscle, bone, internal organs, and connective tissues. Body fat is the remaining weight on one’s body. According to Polar’s Tri-Fit software, body fat serves three important functions:
- Insulator to conserve heat
- Metabolic fuel for the production of energy
- Body fat serves as padding to cushion your internal organs
It is necessary to maintain a portion of body fat, but an over amount can lead to minor or major health risks. An overabundance of body fat are associated with high blood pressure, increased level of cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even some case of cancers. Alternatively, low, or not enough body fat can cause heart damage, shrinking of internal organs, immune system breakdowns, disorders of the reproductive system, loss of muscle tissue, damage to the nervous system and can even cause death. Body fat is conveyed as a percentage of total body weight. My results show that I have 10% Fat Mass and 90% Lean Body Mass. In the categories of Excellent, Good, Moderate, Overweight and Obese I was place in the Excellent group, with my fat mass only 10% and my body mass 90% with my total weight of 115 lbs. (View My Results Here)
Last is BMI (Body Mass Index). BMI is a measure of body fat based on a person's weight and height. My BMI is 19.1. According to the chart below, I am listed as Normal.
I come from a non-smoking and a non-drinking home. As a family we try to stay active and fit. I believe if I keep doing what I'm doing and throw in a few stretching exercises into my daily routine, my body should be functioning as it should many years down the road.
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| All Results Were Given Using Polar's Tri-Fit Software |