How Fit Are You?

Take this quiz to see how much exercise you get in your daily life. If you become just a little more active, you can shed unwanted pounds.

1) How many flights of stairs do you typically climb each day?

� none: 0 points
� 1 to 5: 1 point
� 6 to 9: 2 points
� 10 or more: 3 points

2) How many hours a week do you do household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.)? Give yourself 1 point for each hour up to 5.

3) When you take your children to parks and playgrounds, how often do you run, climb, slide, and swing with them?

� Never: 0 points
� Sometimes: 1 point
� Usually: 2 points
� Always: 3 points

4) How many miles do you walk each day (1 mile = 20 city blocks)?

� Less than 1: mile 0 points
� 1 mile: 2 points
� 2 miles: 4 points
� 3 miles: 6 points
� 4 or more miles: 10 points

5) Do you have trouble opening jars?

� Often: 0 points
� Sometimes: 1 point
� Rarely: 2 points

Scoring:

0-3 points. Uh-oh, you're out of shape and probably gaining weight. To control your weight, and get healthy, you need to become more active starting right now. Take a walk. Mow the lawn. Do something physical--anything.

4-7 points. You're moderately active, and probably don't have much trouble maintaining your current weight. But you're not losing much, if any. You would lose more weight and reap major health rewards by picking up your pace.

8 or more points. Congratulations! You're active enough to add to your health and well-being. If you sustain this level of activity, and eat a low-fat diet, you should lose weight--about a pound every week or two.