My Internet … Personal Solutions, February 2014

Determine Your Fitness Age Quickly

Measurement of your aerobic fitness level can be difficult, if not impos­sible, on your own. But researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology came up with a simple, low-tech way to esti­mate your “fitness age,” which is how well your body functions physi­cally relative to how it should work given your age. Researchers sought to find measures that would replicate a person’s peak oxygen intake (VO₂ max), usually gauged by running on a treadmill, which studies have found closely correlate with someone’s fit­ness age. The researchers analyzed a wide range of data on 5,000 Norwe­gians, ages 20 to 90, and found that five measurements would closely predict a person’s VO₂ max – waist circumference, resting heart rate, frequency and intensity of exercise, age, and gender. They then used this information to come up with an on­line calculator for people to deter­mine their VO₂ max, which can be accessed at www.ntnu.edu/cerg/vo2max.

Log in below to access this content: