Age obviously affects your state of health, but a more important indicator is your biological age. This is closely connected with maximum oxygen uptake (condition). Jan Helgerud, professor of medicine at NTNU, tells how you can improve your health.
"Your biological age can be lowered with exercise, and the app Myworkout GO tells you how" - Jan Helgerud, Professor of Medicine at NTNU
Biological age
The biological age is a good measure of how big a risk you are of getting lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes type II - so-called lifestyle diabetes.
The best way to influence the biological age is through endurance training which increases the maximum oxygen uptake. Increased oxygen uptake leads to better endurance and work capacity.
Oxygen uptake and health risks
Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) is mainly determined by the heart's pumping capacity, and is a measure of how much oxygen the body is able to absorb and utilize within one minute. Many people think that oxygen uptake is primarily important in terms of performance in sports, but more importantly it is about your general health.
How to lower your biological age
You get the best training of the heart when the heart is completely filled with blood and the pulse is 10-30 beats/min below the maximum. You achieve this after 3-5 minutes of relatively high-intensity activity, and the activity should then be repeated at intervals for the best effect. It normally takes 8 to 10 weeks of two training sessions a week to reduce the biological age by 7-10 years.
Effective training method: 16 minutes of High-Intensity Work
Central to the Myworkout training program is interval training in the form of 4x4. The method is based on research-based exercise physiology and was developed by professors Hoff and Helgerud at NTNU. The interval method is documented to have a very good effect on the heart and circulation.
4×4 in summary:
- 6 minutes warm-up at moderate intensity (talking speed)
- 4×4-minute intervals
- At least 5% incline on the treadmill or outside
- You have the right intensity when, after 1-2 minutes, you breathe heavily, without discomfort or stiffness (equivalent to 85-95% of maximum heart rate)
- 3-4 minute active breaks between intervals, at speaking speed (approx. 70% of maximum heart rate).
- 3 minutes tapering after the intervals