Want to know how strong your heart is for your age?
There’s no need to embark on a complicated tests, like running on a treadmill at top speed wearing all sorts of sensors.
Instead, it’s a case of going for a 12 minute run — and seeing how far you get. You can also do this walking at a fast pace, or jogging.
The scientific tool is known officially as The Cooper Test, and is designed to measure how much oxygen your body uses while exercising, known as the VO2 max.
The higher your VO2 max, the more efficiently your heart is said to be pushing blood out to your organs and tissues, indicating that the organ is healthy.
Studies have shown that those with a high VO2 max for their age are less likely to die from heart disease than those with lower scores.
The test was developed by US doctor Kenneth Cooper in 1968, who originally designed the tool to measure aerobic fitness in the US military.
It can be carried out on a treadmill, a running track or on any flat and hard surface.
The Cooper Test , originally developed for the US military, is a science-backed way to measure your level of fitness.
You run, jog or walk quickly for 12 minutes without stopping and, using a distance-tracking app such as Strava or Apple’s health feature, track how many metres you cover.
A results table shared by the fitness website Very Well Fit reveals the distances that are considered excellent, above average, average, below average and poor.
The figures are stratified by gender and age yp to 50 years-old.
Men in their 30s should be able to run 1.9 kilometres (1.1 miles), while women of the same age should manage 1.7K, or roughly a mile.
If a man can cover 2.6K, or 1.6 miles, in his 30s, his VO2 is considered ‘excellent’. The same is true for women in their 30s who manage 2.5K or a mile and a half.
For mid-lifers, the threshold is a little lower. The average man in his 50s can cover a distance of just under a mile, or 1.6K in 12 minutes. If he reaches 2.4K, or a mile and a third, his performance is ‘excellent’.
The average distance for a woman in her 50s can cover 0.8 miles or 1.4K, while anything over 2.2K, or over a mile, she’s excellent.
Anything below between 1.1K and 1.6K is considered poor, depending on the age group.
| AGE | EXCELLENT | ABOVE AVERAGE | AVERAGE | BELOW AVERAGE | POOR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male 20-29 | over 2800 metres | 2400-2800 metres | 2200-2399 metres | 1600-2199 metres | under 1600 metres | |
| Females 20-29 | over 2700 metres | 2200-2700 metres | 1800-2199 metres | 1500-1799 metres | under 1500 metres | |
| Males 30-39 | over 2700 metres | 2300-2700 metres | 1900-2299 metres | 1500-1999 metres | under 1500 metres | |
| Females 30-39 | over 2500 metres | 2000-2500 metres | 1700-1999 metres | 1400-1699 metres | under 1400 metres | |
| Males 40-49 | over 2500 metres | 2100-2500 metres | 1700-2099 metres | 1400-1699 metres | under 1400 metres | |
| Females 40-49 | over 2300 metres | 1900-2300 metres | 1500-1899 metres | 1200-1499 metres | under 1200 metres | |
| Males 50 | over 2400 metres | 2000-2400 metres | 1600-1999 metres | 1300-1599 metres | under 1300 metres | |
| Females 50 | over 2200 metres | 1700-2200 metres | 1400-1699 metres | 1100-1399 metres | under 1100 metres | |
| Source: Verywell fit | ||||||
Balancing on one leg continuously for more than 40 seconds is a key sign of strength and mobility among 18 to 39-year-olds, the health service says
The test does not include scores for those aged over 50, although older adults can use a digital calculator to compute their VO2 Max result.
The VO2 Max score is not the only simple measurement that indicates how healthy you are for your age.
Experts also say that the number of push ups an individual can manage is a good indicator of strength and endurance, which studies show can signal how long a person will live.
That’s because the exercise engages most major muscle groups throughout the entire body, including legs, abs, shoulders, back and arms.
According to Mayo Clinic, young men should aim for 28 push ups, and women 20.
Fast-forward 10 years to 45, the Mayo Clinic says women should be able to do 14 push ups, while the count stands at 16 for men.
For 55 year-olds, the count decreases to 10 push ups for women and 12 for men.
For the oldest age the Mayo Clinic lists, both 65 year-old men and women should be able to do 10 push ups at a time.
Research has also shown that older people who can balance on their leg for more than 10 seconds are at a vastly reduced risk of dying within the next decade.
That’s because how well a person can balance indicates their level of general strength, and ability to prevent trips and falls, which is a leading killer in elderly people.
