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FITNESS
Mortality Test - how far can you run in 12 minutes?
Can your fitness level predict how long you'll live? Research suggests that V02 max — or how much oxygen your body uses during exercise — might be one of the best predictors of mortality and disease.
In fact, your VO2 max might be a better indicator of mortality than your cholesterol, BMI, or blood glucose. One study found that people with a stronger VO2 max (the top one-third) had a 45 percent reduced risk for all-cause mortality compared to those with worse scores (the bottom one-third).
That’s because VO2 max is possibly the best way to assess cardiovascular health and strength. It measures how efficiently your body delivers oxygen throughout your body and to your muscles.
But it goes deeper than that. Your VO2 max lives on a continuum, meaning that even small improvement can make a big difference in lifespan. Research found that improving from a low VO2 max to just below average could lead to a 50 percent reduction in mortality over a decade.
A VO2 max test typically requires a lab, expensive equipment, and a willingness to push through an intense workout that feels like hell. While it might seem like punishment (and feel like it, too), it’s a good test of overall health.
But there’s a simpler way that requires no equipment. If you run for 12 minutes and track how far you go, you can measure your VO2 max.
The following link allows you to simply calculate how you perform, whether you run on a Track or a Treadmill, and shows where you are on a scale of “poor” to “Excellent”.
12 minute run Mortality Fitness Test link
The easiest way is to find a track to measure how far you go (each lap is .25 miles). Once you run for 12 minutes, measure your distance, multiply the distance you ran (in miles) by 35.97, and then subtract 11.29, and you have your estimated V02 max. Or, you can use this VO2 max calculator.
If you use the calculator, you’ll also see a MET score, which estimates the amount of energy you use when sitting and doing nothing. One study found that for every 1-MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness, you can reduce your risk of death by up to 17 percent and your risk of heart disease by 18 percent.
Good luck, have fun!
