Can You Pass These 5 Everyday Fitness Tests?

You may not need a gym membership if you can pass these everyday health tests. See how many you can answer "yes" to.

1. Do you: Feel energized 14 hours after waking up? (If you woke up at 7 a.m., you should still feel awake and active at 9 p.m.).

Exercise is a known energy booster, and if you feel completely zonked at the end of the day, chances are an overly sedentary lifestyle is at least partly to blame. One large study, which analyzed 70 papers on exercise and fatigue that involved more than 6,800 people, found that sedentary people who followed a regular exercise program had less fatigue than people who didn’t work out, according to WebMD.

2. Can you: Carry large containers of milk or water in each hand without feeling strain?

Being able to tote a gallon (which weighs about 8 pounds) isn’t just about the size of your biceps. That strength also comes from your shoulders, back, chest, knees, and more—all important muscle groups to keep strong as you get older. A lack of strength can make you more vulnerable to injury, as well as conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis and even depression and dementia. One Tufts University study found that after older adults with arthritis followed a strength training program for 16 weeks, their pain levels decreased by 43 percent.

3.Can you: Jump up and down 10 times, without causing your heart to race?

This is a sign of a well-controlled heart rate (and good cardiovascular fitness). A gym class or workout routine that emphasizes interval training is a great way to boost your endurance and lower your resting heart rate. A lower resting pulse means your heart has to beat less—and should in turn last longer.

4. Can you: Trim your toenails standing up—without any discomfort from the bending?

Shocked at how inflexible you are? Well, let’s work on that. Being able to stretch without pain is important not only for bone and joint conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis, but it may also be a clue about other issues like heart health. One study in the American Journal of Physiology found that the inability to stretch past your toes was associated with arterial stiffness, a precursor to heart disease. Incorporate stretch-and-strength yoga-style exercises into your weekly workout regimen.

5. Can you: Raise your foot as high as your hip when kicking?

Another example of flexibility and strength; if you have trouble with this exercise, yoga-style classes and moves that stretch your hips will help you improve.

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