Your iPhone and Apple Watch are amazing devices for tracking many health measures, including your cardiovascular fitness level.
However, if you are just starting out, you may not know what this really means. Don’t worry; it’s an easy and helpful step to keep you healthy now and in the future. Here is everything you need to know.
What is cardio exercise?
You’ve probably noticed that your iPhone keeps track of your average cardiovascular fitness levels in the Health app. This measurement calculates the VO2 max levels in your body.
And what is VO2 max, I hear you ask? This is the maximum (maximum) amount or volume (V) of oxygen (O2) that your body can use during an exercise. Simply put, this number represents the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume while exercising.
The higher your VO2 max, the more oxygen your body can use during a workout. And the more oxygen your body can use, the better it can handle intensive exercises.
With the help of your Apple Watch, your iPhone can track your cardio or cardiorespiratory fitness levels and alert you if your average level is too low.
How to View Your Cardio Fitness Levels on iPhone
Accessing your cardio fitness levels on your iPhone couldn’t be easier. This is all you need to do:
- Open the Health app.
- tap on the Browse tab in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Select Heart.
- Scroll down and tap cardiovascular exercise.
You will immediately see your cardiovascular fitness levels for the current month. You can switch to see your levels for the day, the week, the month, the last six months, and the last year.
It can be hard to understand what you’re seeing at first, but if you touch the i button Near the top right corner of the screen, you’ll see the average cardio fitness levels for men and women and the average level by age range. And if you scroll down, the Health app will give you more information on cardio exercises.
Why is your cardiovascular fitness level important?
It goes without saying that the higher your average level, the better. As we mentioned before, the higher your VO2 Max levels, the better you are at handling workouts. However, that’s not all your cardiovascular fitness level does.
This measurement can also indicate your current physical health and help predict your long-term health. As the Health app says, having a low level of cardiovascular fitness can predict future health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and Alzheimer’s.
In short, the higher you maintain your VO2 Max levels today, the more you will have an impact on your health today and in the future.
How to improve your cardiovascular fitness levels
While it’s not ideal if your cardio activity levels are low right now, you can still do something to raise your average levels. Remember that the older you get, the harder it is to maintain a higher VO2 Max level, so try to do something about it as quickly as possible.
You can increase your average cardiovascular fitness level by adding more intensity to your daily workouts. Or, if you don’t exercise often, you can increase the frequency of your workouts.
Walking, running, or swimming are good exercises to increase your cardiovascular fitness levels. And, if you’ve subscribed to Apple Fitness+, you can try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to get your heart pumping. If not, there are also many health and fitness apps that you can try.
But, above all, remember that you can and should consult your doctor. Your iPhone and Apple Watch are great devices, but they can’t give you specific advice for your current situation.
Talk to your doctor if you think there may be other reasons why your cardiovascular fitness level is low, or you just want to make sure everything is working properly.
Keep track of your health
Tracking your cardio activity levels is just one of the ways your Apple Watch and iPhone can help you live a better, healthier life.
Remember that while it’s not the end of the world, you may want to improve your cardiovascular fitness levels as soon as possible. And don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. After all, it’s your health we’re talking about.
