Harvard step test

An accurate way to assess fitness is to complete a maximal aerobic test which records and measures the heart rate and oxygen consumption using breathing apparatus and oxygen / carbon dioxide measurement software.

Of course this scientific approach is outside the reach for many people and is both impractical and improbable for many health clubs and gyms to cater for.

Sub maximal aerobic tests

Thus, many fitness professionals test aerobic capacity using sub maximal tests which estimate the maximal aerobic capacity using extrapolation - assuming totals based on know values found at lower levels.

One such test is the Harvard Step Test.

Performing the Harvard Step Test

The Harvard Step Test is based on heart rate recovery following a given work load. The Harvard Step Test consists of 3 or 5 minutes of stepping up and down using a stable box or step measuring 46 cm in height.

The rate of stepping is set at 30 steps per minute.

The pulse rate is then measured at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd minutes of recovery after finishing the step test.

Advantages and distadvantages of the Harvard Step Test

The Harvard Step Test has its pros and cons, including:

Advantages of the Harvard Step Test:

• Minimal equipment
• Easy to conduct
• Can be self administered

Disadvantages of the Harvard Step Test:

• High stress levels
• Inappropriate for children
• Influenced by variations in maximum heart rate (HR)
• Only 60 to 80% correlation with the VO2 max test

Assess your Harvard Step Test results

Use the YMCA standards (see table below) to see how your fitness levels stack up to expected results.

Step Test Pulse Count (Using a 60 second pulse count)
	Age	Good to Excellent	Average to Above Average	Poor to Fair
Men	18–25	84 or lower	85–100	101 or higher
	26–35	86 or lower	87–103	104 or higher
	36–45	90 or lower	91–106	107 or higher
	46–55	93 or lower	94–112	113 or higher
	56–65	96 or lower	97–115	116 or higher
	Above 65	102 or lower	103–118	119 or higher
Women	18–25	93 or lower	94–110	111 or higher
	26–35	94 or lower	95–111	112 or higher
	36–45	96 or lower	97–119	120 or higher
	46–45	101 or lower	102–124	125 or higher
	56–65	103 or lower	104–126	127 or higher
	Above 65	105 or lower	106–130	131 or higher

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