Fit and Healthy? Find Out!

So at last another article from me, and in this one I thought I’d wrap up a subject that I started a while ago, that was the one about physical fitness and training. This one details how at home you can determine how fit you are, with some very easy metrics that you can log at the start and then just jot down the progress week by week and also a few tips on how to improve your performance. So let’s get to it.

Blood Pressure and Heart Rate:

First of all there is so much information about blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol, online from GP’s, relatives, friends and Bob at the pub, most of it complete and utter junk. An absolute normal blood pressure will be around 120 / 80 and this counts if it’s done at home or by a medical practitioner. You can allow a bit of variability but five points either way on the top number (Systolic) and the bottom number (Diastolic) is not disastrous.

A bit of further information: Systolic is the measurement of pressure when the heart beats, so you could call this the strength of the heart, and Diastolic is the pressure in the arteries between the heart beats, this could indicate the condition of the arteries and veins, but as usual it’s not as simple as that. High blood pressure would be in the range 130 to 139 over 80 to 89 and stage 2 high blood pressure would be over 140 / 90. If you get a reading of 180 / 120 seek medical treatment immediately.

Heart rate is very important and in general will indicate a level of fitness. Most people will have a heart rate, beats per minute, of around 70 to 75 which really is a high average. To demonstrate a good level of fitness then the first number really needs to be a 6. So sixty something is the target to aim for.

Now just a few words of caution here, many things can affect the readings discussed above and if you have any doubt, seek medical advice immediately. Also just a few tips on taking readings. The intake of food, drinks, activity and general stress levels can give false readings so a good way to take a reading is to follow this little tip. Take the reading first thing in the morning, get up move around a bit doing the normal stuff, cleaning teeth, toileting, let the dog out, feed the cat, you want about ten to fifteen minutes of slow normal movement, then take the reading before you consume any food or drink or carry out any more dynamic or stressful activity, then the most important bit, log the result. Take the reading once a week at the same time, using the above protocol and keep a record of the weekly readings detailing the date, over a period of time you get a good average and if exercising can see how your training program is contributing to the results.

A little tip to improve blood health and blood pressure. If you know anything about liquids you’ll know that the viscosity of the liquid hugely affects the way it reacts i.e. how well it flows, just try putting the toothpaste in the freezer for ten minutes and see how easy it is to squeeze out. The viscosity of your blood will massively affect your blood pressure and heart rate.

Hydration is key. A good proportion of the liquid you consume daily is used by the body to keep your blood at the correct viscosity so staying hydrated is so important. That doesn’t mean forgetting about hydration and then downing two litres of water at five in the afternoon because most of that won’t be absorbed and you’ll spend the next two hours rushing to the toilet.

Taking on board a little bit of water at regular intervals throughout the day will transform not only your blood / heart health but your overall health. Just two pints a day, forget the nonsense of two to three litres, just two pints will be transforming. Take one pint little by little throughout the morning and a second pint throughout the afternoon. Simple. The bad news is that tea and coffee don’t count. Shame Shame!!

And if you really want to double the affect of the water add a quarter of a teaspoon full of pink Himalayan salt. This contains a wealth of nutrients and trace elements that help water absorption, feed the bodies cells, improve nerve function and help with metabolism. All that and you can buy it in any supermarket for around two pound and it replaces all those expensive additives that are sold to improve the quality of your water.

A lot of simple info for such an important subject, simple, easy to manage, easy to change and easy to track. At this point I am going to say that I’m not going to comment on Cholesterol. Any one who knows me will know my thoughts on this subject, but just two things. Don’t have your Cholesterol measured, ask the GP or medical practitioner to measure your Homocysteine levels, this is the only true measure of your complete Cardiovascular health i.e. your risk of heart attack or stroke. Secondly the control of Cholesterol can be done in a whole range of ways: exercise, diet, hydration, peptides to name just a few.

Final thoughts on this section. I’m available to help anyone with this and secondly if you have any doubts, seek medical help immediately.

Broad Jump:

So this is a very simple measure of strength and fitness, it’s basically a standing long jump and indicates strength, power and fitness in the lower body.

Very simple to carry out, So you start with a line and you stand with your toes on that line and all your going to do is to jump forward as far as you can from a standing position. No run up, feet side by side. The best way is to make it a dynamic movement so stand tall, then move to a crouch position and then spring up, swinging your arms and leap forward as far as you can, no run up, dynamic steps or any other movement. Then measure from the starting line to the point where your heals touched the ground, it may be easier to have someone else measure where you landed.

What you’re looking for is to be able to do a static long jump that is as long as you are tall, so for instance if your 5ft 9ins your jump should be measured around that sort of mark, any further than your height is fantastic. Any shorter and your lower body strength needs some real improvement.

Vertical Jump Test:

This is very similar to the previous test but this time you’re going to jump up and you will need someone else to mark / observe where your hands touch the wall.

So you’re going to stand in front of a wall and clasp your hands together and reach up, then mark where this point is that you can reach up to, the hands must be clasped together. Then you’re going to jump straight up and touch the wall as high as you can. The reason that you clasp your hands together is to stop you reaching up with one hand and theoretically “cheating” the result.

Clasped hands keeps the shoulders square and gives a true reading. As before you can swing your arms, squat down and make it a dynamic jump but no stepping into the jump, running or other movement, the feet must be static until you jump.

When you’ve jumped you’ll be left with two marks on the wall, one from where you statically reached up and one from the result of the jump. What you’re looking for is a distance of 24 inches between the two marks.

This jump measures strength, power and fitness in the lower body and also combining with the core muscles. If the distance jumped is less than 24 inches you’ll need to work on lower body strength and core strength.

VO2 Max:

VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake, measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during exercise. It is a standard measurement used to establish an athlete's aerobic endurance before or during training. It is one of several tests to determine an athlete's cardiovascular fitness and performance capacity.

VO2 max is measured in milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min). It is based on the premise that the more oxygen athletes consume during high-level exercise, the more the body will generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy in cells. ATP is often referred to as the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy,

VO2 max is typically conducted in a sports performance lab. It is often graded, meaning the intensity is carefully calibrated and increased over time. Either a treadmill or stationary bicycle may be used.

Before the test, you would be fitted with a face mask connected to a machine that can analyze your respiratory rate and volume alongside the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in inhaled and exhaled air. A heart strap would be worn around your chest to measure your heart rate.

The test usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes. To prepare for the test, you would need to:

• Dress in comfortable workout clothes.

• Refrain from exercise or training 24 hours before the test.

• Avoid food, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine for at least three hours before testing.

• 
  

VO2 max is reached when your oxygen consumption remains at a steady state despite an increase in the workload. At this plateau, the athlete moves from aerobic metabolism to anaerobic metabolism. From there, it is usually not long before muscle fatigue sets in and forces the athlete to stop exercising.

What the Scores Mean:

The VO2 max values can establish your baseline fitness level before starting a training program and track your progress. The algorithm used to calculate your score can vary, although the one widely used for commercial applications is the FirstBeat method.

Introduced in 2012, the FirstBeat method measures your VO2 max value based on a linear relationship between oxygen consumption and running (or cycling) speed.

Other calculation methods include the Cooper test, designed for the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, and the Uth-Sørensen-Overgaard-Pedersen estimation, which factors in your resting heart rate (RHR) and maximum heart rate (MHR). Broadly speaking, VO2 max values are characterized in men and women as follows:

VO2 Max Norms for Men
Age	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	Superior
13-19	Under 35.0	35.0-38.3	38.4-45.1	45.2-50.9	51.0-55.9	Over 55.9
20-29	Under 33.0	33.0-36.4	36.5-42.4	42.5-46.4	46.5-52.4	Over 52.4
30-39	Under 31.5	31.5-35.4	35.5-40.9	41.0-44.9	45.0-49.4	Over 49.4
40-49	Under 30.2	30.2-33.5	33.6-38.9	39.0-43.7	43.8-48.0	Over 48.0
50-59	Under 26.1	26.1-30.9	31.0-35.7	35.8-40.9	41.0-45.3	Over 45.3
60+	Under 20.5	20.5-26.0	26.1-32.2	32.3-36.4	36.5-44.2	Over 44.2
VO2 Max Norms for Women
Age	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	Superior
13-19	Under 25.0	25.0-30.9	31.0-34.9	35.0-38.9	39.0-41.9	Over 41.9
20-29	Under 23.6	23.6-28.9	29.0-32.9	33.0-36.9	37.0-41.0	Over 41.0
30-39	Under 22.8	22.8-26.9	27.0-31.4	31.5-35.6	35.7-40.0	Over 40.0
40-49	Under 21.0	21.0-24.4	24.5-28.9	29.0-32.8	32.9-36.9	Over 36.9
50-59	Under 20.2	20.2-22.7	22.8-26.9	27.0-31.4	31.5-35.7	Over 35.7
60+	Under 17.5	17.5-20.1	20.2-24.4	24.5-30.2	30.3-31.4	Over 31.4

Factors That Influence VO2 Max Values:

The average sedentary male will achieve a VO2 max of approximately 35 to 40 mL/kg/min. The average sedentary female will score a VO2 max of between 27 and 30 mL/kg/min. These scores can improve with training but may be limited by certain factors. Among them:

Age plays a central role, with VO2 max scores typically peaking by age 20 and declining by nearly 30% by age 65.

Gender also contributes with elite female athletes typically having higher VO2 max values than their male counterparts. However, when values are adjusted based on body size, blood volume, and hemoglobin content, a man's VO2 max will generally be 20% higher than a woman's.

Altitude contributes simply because there is less air to consume at higher altitudes. As such, an athlete will generally have a 5% decrease in VO2 max results for every 5,000 feet gained in altitude.3

Higher VO2 max scores are associated with certain endurance sports, specifically cycling, rowing, distance running, and cross-country skiing. Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain's VO2 max was reported at 78 mL/kg/min during the peak of his conditioning, while cross-country skier Bjørn Dæhlie reportedly achieved a VO2 max of 96 mL/kg/min.

It is important to note, however, that VO2 max values are not inherently linked to sports excellence. While they can certainly contribute to one's success, particularly with endurance sports, other factors arguably play a more significant role, including skills training, psychological preparation, lactate threshold training, and nutrition.

How to Measure VO2 Max at Home:

There are methods that measure VO2 max outside of a laboratory setting. For instance, some smartwatches, such as those made by Apple, can measure V02 max. There are also formulas you can use to get a good estimate at home.

You can use a 1-mile walk test. Start walking as fast as you can without running, and use a stopwatch while you walk exactly 1 mile. When you've finished walking 1 mile, stop the stopwatch right away and count your pulse / heart beat immediately you stop. Then use this link to plug in your data and find your VO2 Max reading.

https://vo2maxcalculator.org/

When you click on the link, page down to Method 2 – 1 mile walk test and simply enter the data and then compare your results with the charts above. Another good tool for charting your fitness progress, based on science and fact.

Knowing your VO2 max can inform you of your current fitness level and any improvements you make with training. A lab setting will provide the most accurate measure of your VO2 max, but you can also use a smartwatch or a formula and a 1-mile walk test. If you are concerned about your VO2 max or how to improve it, see a healthcare professional or contact me for help and advice.