#31 – 5 Fitness Metrics That Matter More Than Weight
Are you a slave to the number on the scale?
Does your mood soar when you lose half a pound only to crash down when you gain a few ounces?
Friend, if you worry that you can't do the things you want to because you haven't reached your goal weight, here's a secret.
Your weight actually doesn't mean much when it comes to health and fitness.
The truth is, you can improve your health and fitness at any size.
So how do you know that's happening?
In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through five fitness numbers to know that actually tell you much more than weight.
Ready? Let's do this!
Links/Resources Mentioned
- Runner's World article about Rachele Schulist
- Cardiio app
- (Blog) Review of Sarah's favorite heart rate monitor
- (Blog) More on the aerobic threshold test
- (Video) Learn to squat for beginners
- Age norms table for the body weight squat test
- Mountain Fit Course
- Backpackers and Mountaineers in Training Facebook Group
- Sarah's Instagram (@missadventurepants)
Correction
[18:41] When you're on long hikes and goal climbs, try to pace yourself and stay in your AEROBIC metabolism. (Not ANAEROBIC.)
Episode Sneak Peek
[3:41] How our obsession with weight hurts us. The triumphant story of collegiate runner Rachele Schulist.
[7:13] Why weight is not the most important health metric, even though so many of us obsess over it. Some things to keep in mind when you weigh yourself.
[9:44] The simple fitness metric you can check every morning in your bed. What your resting heart rate can tell you about your fitness level. How to respond to an elevated resting heart rate.
[13:09] Why your waist circumference tell you more about fat loss than your weight. Interesting statistics about waist size and heart health. How to measure your waist the right way.
[15:27] How heart rate recovery improves with fitness. How to measure your heart rate recovery the easy way. What heart rate recovery looks like in elite athletes — and the rest of us.
[17:28] The magic of knowing your aerobic threshold heart rate. A quick tutorial on aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. How increasing your aerobic threshold can make you a better hiker. A simple field test to estimate your aerobic threshold heart rate.
[23:17] Why the squat is a magic exercise that should be part of every athlete’s strength training. How to squat with proper form. Tips for beginners who are learning to squat. A simple protocol for the body weight squat test.