How Do You Measure Stamina?

Physical stamina is an assessment of individual muscular fitness, aerobic fitness, body composition and flexibility. These factors combine to determine how long an individual can complete physically demanding tasks without tiring. Establishing the level of physical fitness can help set goals to improve stamina and overall fitness. There are a few methods of determining stamina, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Check and record your pulse by placing two fingers on the inside of your wrist right underneath the hand. Once you feel the pulse, count the number of beats that you feel in 10 seconds. Multiply the number by six. This is your heart rate in beats per minute (BPM). Write it down.

Start a stopwatch and then walk briskly for one mile. After completing the mile, stop the stopwatch and record the time it took to complete the walk. Check and record your pulse again.

Complete as many push-ups as possible until you feel that you need to stop. Write down the number of completed push-ups.

Put a yardstick on the floor and tape it at the 15 inch or 38 cm mark. Sit down and put the soles of your feet at the mark and ask someone to hold your knees down. Reach forward toward your feet as far as you can reach and hold for two seconds. Repeat two more times and write down the furthest distance you were able to reach.

Measure your waist by wrapping a cloth measuring tape around the smallest area of your waist. Write down the measurement. Then divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Multiply this number by 703, which will give you a number that is your body mass index (BMI), which indicates your total overall body fat.

Keep these measurements and repeat the fitness test six weeks later. Improvement in any or all of the areas indicates an improvement in overall physical stamina.