This week we are looking at cardio fitness, measured by VO₂max; this is the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can supply and use.  Top athletes have a value in the 90’s, for a good 20 year-old it is 40, a 60 year-old 25.  You can see that it declines as you get older, typically about 10% per decade.

Why does this matter if you are not an athlete?  Well, every task that you do requires a certain amount of fitness.  Standing up from sitting in a chair for example, it is not much but a little.  A brisk walk requires a bit more, running a parkrun even more, a VO₂max of 35 is typical.

So you can see that if you wanted to run a parkrun in your 20’s you could probably do that with not much thought.  But get to your 30’s onwards and you might struggle or not even manage it.

You might not want to spend your Saturday morning running around Long Meadow in Taunton or climbing Glastonbury Tor, but I expect you would like to get out of your chair.  There is a concept known as the Frailty Threshold.  This is the fitness level you need to be able to carry out your daily activities without struggling, the VO₂max value for this is about 17.  Once you are in your 80’s then you could be around this level.  How many people of that age do you know who struggle?

A decline in your VO₂max looks to be a predictable and grim prospect, but you can do something about it.  It is possible to slow down that gradual decline, and also reverse it.  Last week I asked the question “When should you start on your fitness journey?”.  If you want to slow that decline in fitness then the sooner you start the sooner you can slow down that decline.  This diagram illustrates that well.

Apart from helping you remain active for longer as you age, it has been known for a while that exercise can reduce the risk of cardiac diseases and type-2 diabetes.  There is also growing evidence that it can also help prevent some types of cancers and dementia.

So what do you have to do to get more cardio fitness?  Exercise of course is the answer, and this often involves getting out of breath.  For some this will mean a brisk walk, for others it will be going flat out at the parkrun.

I will mention now though, that everything I talk about in these articles is general advice and opinion.  Before starting on any fitness program it is wise to speak to your doctor, or work with a personal trainer, like myself, who will be able to give you the right exercise routine to keep you safe.

The only true thing of value that you have is your health and I am passionate about spreading the message and helping people get fitter and healthier.