We all have a chronological age, but we also have a physiological or biological age, which is based on the age of your body’s systems. You may look one age on the outside and an entirely different age on the inside.
Your biological age does not progress like a steady clock. It can move forward slowly, quickly or even go in reverse!
The pace of your biological clock is influenced daily by the lifestyle choices you make, including exercise, diet, stress, sleep and more. How your body and mind work at the age of 60, 70, 80, and beyond is the result of a small part, genetics and a large part, lifestyle habits, particularly those that have persisted over the years.
Find out what's happening in Ramseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Most people are actually biologically younger or older than their chronological age.
One way to find out where you fall on the scale is to measure your fitness age. Your fitness age is part of what makes up your biological age and it’s said to be a better indicator of longevity than chronological age.
Find out what's happening in Ramseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
How Is Your Fitness Age Measured & What Does It Say About Your Lifespan?
Fitness age is based on the concept of VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in while exercising. Your VO2 max 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 could mean your fitness age is younger than your age in years. Even better, it’s possible to improve your VO2 max, which means your fitness age can actually get younger as you get older.
The primary problem with 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.
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 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, a person’s VO2 max. Next, the researchers explored whether or not VO2 max actually correlated with lifespan. They analyzed the VO2 max, fitness age, and chronological age of more than 55,000 adults and found a strong association.
How Fit Are You? Take This Online Test to Find Out!
By inputting information, such as your age, gender, waist size, height, and exercise habits, it will estimate your level of fitness, giving you both your VO2 max and fitness age. The good news is that if you don’t like what you see, you can do something about changing it.
Take The Test Here
Don’t start any exercise program without first consulting your physician.