{"id":672529,"date":"2026-07-03T23:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/672529\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:58:10","slug":"the-connection-between-longevity-and-cardio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/672529\/","title":{"rendered":"The Connection Between Longevity and Cardio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past two years, I have devoted myself to strength training<\/a> with unwavering dedication and conviction. So much so that I\u2019ve been neglecting cardio\u2014all in the attempt to do the \u201chealthier\u201d thing.<\/p>\n

Recently, however, I joined a cardio class on a whim and left utterly exhausted\u2014and almost unable to breathe. In that moment, I realized I had been overlooking a very important component of a truly healthy workout routine. As Dr. Vicente Mera<\/a>, an expert in longevity, points out, to get the most out of physical exercise, \u201cyou need to work on strength, cardio, and stretching without prioritizing one over the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

To hammer the point home, Mera also shares this compelling fact: several scientific studies confirm a direct link between VO\u2082 max, the metric that measures cardio effectiveness, and longevity<\/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 has been shown to be 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

Although the phrase VO\u2082 max might sound like something out of a physics or chemistry class\u2014or maybe even a science fiction film\u2014it refers to something simple and essential: the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise. In other words, it\u2019s your body\u2019s power based on oxygen consumption, and 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 Mera, noting that stronger bodies have a higher value for this indicator because they consume more oxygen\u2014and that also means better health and greater cardiovascular capacity.<\/p>\n

As you might expect, the enemy of this is a sedentary lifestyle<\/a> and inactivity, which \u201cincreases chronic diseases associated with aging 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 (smartwatches like the Apple Watch, fitness bands<\/a>, and rings) are able to easily track VO\u2082 max when you\u2019re walking briskly, hiking, or running.<\/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 cardiovascular training on a regular basis. Among the most recommended sports for this are skiing, running, cycling, swimming, boxing<\/a>, skating, dancing, and 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 American Heart Association<\/a> generally 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

If, like me, you have also been neglecting your regular cardio sessions, it might be helpful to remember that the benefits of cardio go well beyond getting sweaty. Not only does it bring a glow to your face<\/a>\u2014what the French call a bonne mine\u2014it 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 endorphins<\/a>. In other words, regular cardio helps you feel better now while also investing in your long-term health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the past two years, I have devoted myself to strength training with unwavering dedication and conviction. So…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":672530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[8681,6647,102,6958,56,54,55,7268,1169],"class_list":["post-672529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-body","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-longevity","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wellness","tag-workouts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}