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Arete Warriors – spirit, mind, body strong
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VO₂ Max: The Number That Could Add Good Years To Your Life
Most women obsess over the wrong numbers: weight on the scale, calories burned, the circumference of a thigh.
But there’s one number that most women don’t even know exists – and it might actually be the most important one of all.
VO₂ max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It’s basically your engine size.
The bigger and more efficient your engine, the stronger, more energized, and more resilient you are.
This isn’t just a “fit people” stat. It’s one of the best predictors of how long, and how well, you will live!
Read that again. It’s one of the strongest predictors of longevity AND the quality of those years.
Multiple studies show that VO₂ max is a stronger predictor of long-term survival than traditional risk factors like smoking, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Women with higher VO₂ max scores have dramatically lower rates of chronic disease and mortality.
That’s a pretty good reason to care about yours but if you need another, it keeps your energy up.
You know that “I’m running on fumes” feeling you get by 3pm? A better VO₂ max helps your body use oxygen more efficiently, so you don’t hit the wall so hard.
VO₂ max naturally declines by about 10% per decade after your 30s if you do nothing. But with the right kind of training, you can slow or even reverse that decline.
Women who maintain their cardiorespiratory fitness age stronger, not just longer.
So now that you know WHY it’s important, lets talk about HOW to boost it.
Let’s Prepare – the warm up
Interval Training. Short bursts of high-intensity work followed by recovery can supercharge VO₂ max. There are many different ways to do this but a simple example would be 30 seconds of hard effort followed by 90 seconds of easier movement. Repeat.
I have been incorporating the Norwegian 4×4 method once or twice a week for the past month or so. After a good warm up, I go hard (usually treadmill or elliptical) for 4 minutes, followed by 3 minutes at a recovery pace. I do this 4 times.
I use a WHOOP and my Apple watch (because I’m a bit obsessed and like to SEE the numbers). As you can see, it is HARD for me to get into Zone 5 (HR > 166).
But you don’t need any sort of tracking. Just go HARD. I actually love the freedom of deciding what I’m going to do each workout. Sometimes, I do shorter intervals.
A few points worth adding.
- Steady-State Cardio Still Matters. Enjoy your longer walks, runs, or rides. Zone 2 training (moderate, conversational pace) improves your aerobic base.
- Strength Training Supports It. Better muscle = better oxygen utilization. Even though strength work doesn’t directly raise VO₂ max as much as cardio, it enhances the body’s ability to use that oxygen efficiently.
- Daily Movement Counts. You don’t need two-hour gym marathons. Even 20–30 minutes of movement, done consistently, builds fitness that adds up.
Let’s Work – the exercise
This is your invitation to get uncomfortable. 🤩 The good news is, it doesn’t have to last long. Little BITS of HARD work go a long way.
Forget chasing smaller jeans ladies. Start chasing a bigger engine.
When you increase your VO₂ max, you don’t just add years to your life—you add life to your years.
