How to Determine Your Fitness Age and Why it’s Important

3 min read

Determining your fitness age can provide valuable insights into the true state of your physical health, extending beyond the number of years you have lived. This concept, developed within the past two decades, focuses on the biological age of your body and cardiovascular well-being, offering a glimpse into your overall fitness and health.

What is fitness age?
Fitness age is a prediction of your body’s biological age compared to your chronological age. It is primarily determined by VO2 max, which measures the body’s ability to consume and utilize oxygen during physical exercise, serving as a strong indicator of aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health. The concept and calculation of fitness age were developed as a straightforward method to gauge cardiovascular fitness by experts at The K. G. Jebsen Center of Exercise in Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

How to calculate your fitness age
You can calculate your fitness age by utilizing the official fitness age calculator provided by World Fitness Level. This involves inputting personal details such as age, gender, height, weight, maximum heart rate, and exercise frequency and intensity. These factors are taken into account to determine your fitness age, offering valuable insights into your cardiovascular health.

Why does fitness age matter?
Understanding your fitness age is significant, as it can provide a more accurate prediction of your overall health and susceptibility to premature mortality. Individuals with a lower fitness age are more inclined to engage in regular exercise, maintain a healthy weight, and exhibit good respiratory capacity, all of which can decrease the risk of serious medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Moreover, having a lower fitness age is advantageous for those pursuing athletic advancement, as it aids in setting realistic goals and monitoring fitness progress.

How to improve your fitness age
Enhancing your fitness age involves integrating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your regular exercise routine, increasing the frequency of cardiovascular workouts, and including strength training exercises targeting major muscle groups. By concentrating on these areas, you can work towards improving your VO2 max and overall fitness age.

What does fitness age mean on Garmin?
Garmin’s fitness age feature offers a comprehensible interpretation of your VO2 max estimate, serving as a valuable reminder that healthy choices and regular physical activity can have a substantial impact. Other options for tracking fitness age include devices by Polar and Fitbit, which also take into account factors such as heart rate, fitness level, and BMI to estimate fitness age.

In conclusion, determining your fitness age can offer valuable insights into your cardiovascular health and overall well-being, providing you with the opportunity to take proactive steps to enhance your fitness age and lead a healthier life.

Source:
Grace, D. (2021, December 23). Experts reveal how to calculate your fitness age – and why it matters. Retrieved from [insert source here]

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