The Harvard step test is a cardio vascular fitness test. It is also called aerobic fitness test. It is used to measure the cardio vascular fitness or aerobic fitness by checking the recovery rate.
Equipment required: A gym bench or box of 20 inches high for man and 16 inches for woman, stopwatch and cadence tape.
Procedure: The athlete stands in the front of the bench or box. On the command “GO” the athlete steps up and down on the bench or box at a rate of 30 steps per minute. Stopwatch is also started at the start of the stepping.
Calculation of the scores: Calculate with the help of following formula “fitness index score = (100 × test duration in seconds)/ (2 × sums of heartbeat in recovery period)”.