{"id":524242,"date":"2026-07-13T18:16:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T18:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/524242\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T18:16:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T18:16:21","slug":"the-intriguing-link-between-longevity-and-cardio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/524242\/","title":{"rendered":"The Intriguing Link Between Longevity And Cardio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past two years, I have committed to\u00a0strength training<\/a>\u00a0with unwavering dedication\u00a0\u2013 so much so that I\u2019ve been neglecting cardio, all in an effort to do the \u201chealthier\u201d thing.<\/p>\n

Recently, however, I threw in a cardio class on a whim and was left utterly exhausted by the end. I realised I had been overlooking an important component of a balanced routine, and my workout regime was all out of whack as a result. As\u00a0Dr Vicente Mera<\/a>, a longevity expert, points out, to get the most out of physical exercise: \u201cYou need to work on strength, cardio and stretching without prioritising one over the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

To hammer the point home, Mera also shares this ffact: several scientific studies confirm a direct link between VO\u2082 max<\/a>, the metric that measures cardio effectiveness, and\u00a0longevity<\/a>. \u201cThe higher the VO\u2082 max, the longer the life span, in both men and women,\u201d Mera explains. \u201cIn fact, in middle-aged men, VO\u2082 max is a protective factor against mortality, independent of body mass index and certain healthy lifestyle habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Higher levels of VO\u2082 max = longer life expectancy<\/p>\n

\u201cVO\u2082 max\u201d\u00a0might sound like something out of a physics or chemistry class (or maybe even a sci-fi film), but it refers to something simple and essential: the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during intense exercise.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s your body\u2019s power based on oxygen consumption, and thus a high value indicates greater endurance and aerobic capacity. \u201cIt\u2019s like how we assess a car\u2019s power based on its fuel consumption. A more powerful vehicle obviously consumes more gasoline, diesel, or electricity,\u201d explains\u00a0Mera, noting\u00a0that stronger bodies have a higher value for this indicator because they consume more oxygen\u00a0\u2013 and that\u00a0also means better health and greater cardiovascular capacity.<\/p>\n

Factors likely to bring this figure down include a\u00a0sedentary lifestyle<\/a>\u00a0and inactivity, which \u201cincreases chronic diseases associated with ageing and death, as well as the quality and quantity of life,\u201d says Mera. \u201cIn fact, former athletes, who have higher VO\u2082 max levels, also live longer than their control groups with lower VO\u2082 max,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

How to measure and increase aerobic capacity<\/p>\n

That said, there is some good news: you can easily measure your own VO\u2082 max. Most wearable devices (like the Apple Watch, Whoop or Samsung Galaxy ring<\/a>) are able to easily track VO\u2082 max when you\u2019re walking briskly, hiking or running.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

As a benchmark, Mera suggests aiming to improve your average VO\u2082 max to at least 35 for men and 27 for women (in ml\/kg\/min). To increase this, it\u2019s important to do more intense cardio training on a regular basis. Think skiing, running, cycling, swimming<\/a>,\u00a0boxing, skating, dancing or team sports. You can also work out on gym machines, such as elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines, and stationary bikes.<\/p>\n

The benefits of cardio<\/p>\n

Of course, you needn\u2019t rely on a fancy wearable device to track your cardio health. To maintain optimal cardiovascular health, the\u00a0NHS<\/a>\u00a0generally recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. To know if you\u2019re working hard enough during \u201cmoderate\u201d cardio sessions, the general rule of thumb is that you should be able to comfortably hold a conversation while also breaking a sweat and breathing faster.<\/p>\n

The benefits of cardio go well beyond getting sweaty. Not only does it\u00a0bring a glow to your face\u00a0\u2013\u00a0what the French call a\u00a0\u201cbonne mine\u201d \u2013\u00a0it trains your heart and lungs to work more efficiently, improves energy levels, and can even boost mood and mental clarity thanks to the release of\u00a0endorphins. In other words, regular cardio helps you feel better now while also investing in your long-term health.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the past two years, I have committed to\u00a0strength training\u00a0with unwavering dedication\u00a0\u2013 so much so that I\u2019ve been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69,1243,5510],"class_list":["post-524242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shopping","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}