Health & Fitness
What is Your Fitness Age?
How fit your body is at any age is a combination of genetics, diet, lifestyle habits, mental outlook & exposure to environmental toxins.
How fit your body is at any age is a combination of genetics, diet, lifestyle habits, mental outlook and your exposure to environmental toxins.
It can therefore be difficult to estimate your longevity based on your chronological age alone, as someone in their 80s could be much healthier than someone in their 60s.
A better indicator of longevity than your chronological age, according to researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, may be your fitness age.
Your Fitness Age May Predict Your Lifespan:
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Fitness age is based on the concept of VO2max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in while exercising. Your VO2max can be used as a measure of cardiovascular endurance. If yours is below average compared to other people your age, it means your fitness age is actually greater than your chronological age.
On the other hand, a better-than-average VO2 max for your age, means that your fitness age is younger than your chronological age. It is possible to improve your VO2 max, which means your fitness age can actually get younger as you get older!
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The primary problem with this method of using VO2 max to gauge your longevity, is that very few people know what theirs is and finding out typically requires high-tech testing on a treadmill.
The Norwegian researchers, however, were able to develop an algorithm based on the aerobic capacity, waist circumferences, heart rate and exercise habits of nearly 5,000 people. This has yielded a method for estimating, quite accurately an individual’s VO2 max.
Next, the researchers explored whether or not VO2max actually correlated with lifespan. They analyzed the VO2max, fitness age and chronological age of more than 55,000 adults and found a strong association.
The authors believe that fitness age may predict premature death better than risk factors like being overweight, having high blood pressure, or smoking.
Use This Online Calculator to Determine Your VO2max & Fitness Age:
By inputting some information, such as your age, gender, waist size, height, and exercise habits, the calculator will estimate your level of fitness, giving you both your estimated VO2max and fitness age.
Online Calculator For Determining Your Estimated VO2max & Fitness Age