11/26/2025
Hello Walkers of Lebanon!!
We had a fabulous November walk a couple of weeks ago. Our topic was VO2 max and longevity. VO2 max has been promoted by some as THE metric which best predicts longevity and healthy final years of life. There are some researchers that rank VO2 max as more valuable than blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or smoking status, when it comes to predicting longevity and the quality of the last years of our lives.
So what exactly is this golden elixir and how do we get it?? Simply put, VO2 max is a measure of the efficiency with which our bodies utilize the oxygen we breathe in; or how much oxygen our bodies can use to fuel our muscles for movement and our organs to function optimally. The higher the VO2 max, the better.
How do we get a high VO2 max? You guessed it: exercise! Any aerobic activity that gets our hearts pumping hard will do, whether it is running, biking, swimming, or even walking. The key is to incorporate INTERVAL training into our regular exercise, meaning, whatever form of exercise you participate in, alternate between high intensity movement, where you heart is pumping at near its maximum capacity, and lower intensity movement, where you are able to keep up a conversation. For example, in a 30 minute walk, you would start out the first 3 minutes at your regular walking pace, then walk as fast as you can for 3 minutes, then regular walking speed for 3 minutes, then as fast as you can for 3 minutes, etc. for 30 minutes.
Give this a try next time you go out for a walk. Maybe after your Thanksgiving meal tomorrow!
Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful for the Walk With a Doc community. 🙂
