That finding is supported by a JAMA Network Open study of 122,007 adults<\/a>, which found progressively lower mortality as cardiorespiratory fitness increased. Researchers concluded that fitness was a \u201cmodifiable indicator of long-term mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: What Really Happens to Your Heart Rate When You Exercise, According to Experts<\/a><\/p>\n Why VO\u2082 Max Matters More Than Your Mile Time Photo by Getty Images<\/p>\n VO\u2082 max measures the body\u2019s maximum ability to take in, transport, and use oxygen during demanding exercise.<\/p>\n The encouraging part is that aging doesn\u2019t make decline inevitable. The NSCA review highlights trained older women averaging a VO\u2082 max of 37.5 mL\/kg\/min versus 24.1 among untrained women. It even cites an exceptional case of an 80-year-old whose aerobic capacity rivaled that of a much younger adult.<\/p>\n The authors argue this suggests \u201cage-related declines in cardiorespiratory fitness may be more adaptable to evidence-informed training programs than previously thought.\u201d<\/p>\n Next: Shed Fat With Breathing Squats<\/a><\/p>\n You Don\u2019t Have to Train Like an Athlete<\/p>\n For beginners, the prescription can be surprisingly accessible. The review notes that brisk walking can improve VO\u2082 max in untrained people, while fitter adults may require harder efforts.<\/p>\n Zone 2 isn\u2019t the only answer, either. The authors highlight the Norwegian 4\u00d74: four four-minute intervals at 85\u201395 percent of maximum heart rate, separated by three-minute active recoveries. In one study, already-fit runners increased VO\u2082 max by 7.2 percent after eight weeks.<\/p>\n The larger message is progression, not punishment. The authors recommend selecting intensity based on \u201cgoals, training history, recovery capacity, medical history, and preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: I\u2019m a Trainer: Cold Plunges Are Everywhere, but Lifters May Want to Make One Simple Change<\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published by Men’s Journal<\/a> on Sep 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health<\/a> section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new review from the National Strength and Conditioning Association is putting a familiar fitness measurement in a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":848210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":["post-848209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/00530fc0-6004-4143-9630-7f23c903e11e.jpg\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n