The 3-Minute Step Test

Where do you find a 12" step? I don't have anything NEAR that. I had to pile 9 very thick books up to get there - way too unstable for me to do this test. Plus, I'm rather short, so that height seems rather high. Any suggestions? - 5/8/2013 10:35:58 AM

There is no BEFORE HR. The test is exactly correct per the directions.
1) With a beat of 96 beats per minute you will step up and back down 24 times per minute for 3 minutes.
- Right foot up, left foot up, right foot down, left foot down.
2) After 3 minutes sit down and within 5 seconds start counting your heat beats for 60 seconds.

Your heart rate slows as you recover so while they may be fast as soon as you stop they will slow before the 60 seconds is up.

If your resting heart rate is 80 then you are out of shape - a fit person has a resting heart rate of 60 or less. - 12/10/2012 11:47:26 PM

Loved this test. It was easy to do at home, and showed I'm in excellent cardio health. Thanks SparkPeople! - 10/20/2012 7:38:37 PM

It would be great if you posted a sample video of the exercise. I can't understand how to do it right yet. - 8/30/2012 10:42:52 AM

Forgot to say that the point of this article is to compare your results to future tests -not to anything in the same test on the same day. I think some people may be getting confused with another HR test that tests actual recovery time. This test is simple -You test your heart rate after that kind of excercise, then your goal will be to be in better shape and have a better test result next time. You work out to get in better shape, then in a week or a month, you do the same test again. If you have worked out enough, you will see that your test results will be better. They might be in the same category (poor etc.), but your heart rate should be a little lower (generally speaking, of course -there are always things that can affect it, but the more you do it over time, you will see the HR continue to get lower). - 8/14/2012 2:58:29 PM

Although I agree with those saying that our resting heart rates are all different so a rating of Resting HR + 10 would be excellent and so on, I don't think that anything was missed or unedited in this article. I think this was a very basic and simple test. It is true that those in good shape will end up with a lower heart rate than those who are not in good shape. You will be able to easily see this right after doing the steps. Measuring only right after the excercise will not change the fact that you will see results over time if you are working to get in better shape. For this purpose, there is nothing wrong with this article! Since the test offers a range of heart rates for each level, this should compensate for not taking a before (resting) heart rate. Yes, you can also test again to see how fast recovery actualy is by waiting 30 seconds or so. That is additional testing which can offer more information about your heart. For a basic testing, the steps in this article are fine! - 8/14/2012 2:43:11 PM

Apparently I am excellent! This explains why people half my age and half my size can't keep up with me.

Now if I could only actually lose those last 30 pounds... - 8/5/2012 7:02:53 PM

This test might work for an "average" or tall person, but not a shortie like me. I'm 5'2" - because I'm short, there's no way I can use a 12-inch step without hurting my knees.
It takes more effort for a shorter person to raise their body that high than it does a taller person, just like it takes more steps for me to cover a mile than my 6'2" husband.

Not only that, but the test does not take the "before" resting heart rate, so there is nothing to compare it to.

- 8/5/2012 3:54:07 PM

I questioned the fact that there was not a BEFORE heart rate and many other things about this article. then, after reading the comments, I found more helpful information... Go SparkPeople! - 8/5/2012 11:47:42 AM

This article is timely. I just completed a fitness assessment at my gym and did this exact test yesterday. My score was "excellent" for my age group. They took my resting pulse and then took it a second time right after I completed the 3 minutes. Then we waited 30 seconds and they took it a third time. I have been working out just over seven months now. My personal trainer advised me that based on my cardiac conditioning, it was time to incorporate high intensity intervals into my workouts to avoid plateauing. - 8/5/2012 11:19:08 AM

I was going to say... my normal heart rate is in the high 80's before doing anything, which is still within a normal range of healthy, normal heart rates! Perhaps there should be something added about ranges for what is "Excellent", "Good", etc. because that is also going to vary from person to person too. There's no way mine would get down to 81 even after a 3-min step test, and I'm fairly fit! - 8/5/2012 10:05:30 AM

Not only did they leave out the Before heart rate reading, they left out the step of waiting and counting again. That's the part of this test I don't remember. How long after testing do you check again? How fast SHOULD you be recovering? I did this test when I was in physical therapy school, but not since. In order to know how quickly you recover, you need to check your heart multiple times until it's down to normal or near normal. - 8/5/2012 9:34:32 AM

This is so poorly written and explained. The commentors have explained it much better than the author. Definitely left out the "take your pulse BEFORE" step. Doesn't anyone edit these articles? - 8/5/2012 8:28:30 AM

Our hart rate can differ greatly... So, evaluation table shouldn't be something like following?

Excellent: (personal resting HR) + 10
Good : (personal resting HR) + 20
Normal : (personal resting HR) + 30
... - 8/5/2012 1:33:46 AM

This test can't be right. You mean to tell me that a 63-year-old like me is supposed to march up and down a 12-inch step for three minutes real fast without her heart rate exceeding 92 BPM's. Oh come, come. This is supposed to test your recovery time, but no time is allowed for recovery. - 7/31/2012 5:33:29 PM