So you think you're fit, huh?!

...have you ever tested your fitness though?! How do you know when you have made progress if you have no way of measuring it? The Cooper 12-minute run test is one way...

It basically predicts your VO2 max which is a measure of cardiovascular fitness (specifically cardiorespiratory endurance). All you need is a treadmill (or track) and a stopwatch. 

The aim of the game is to see what distance you can cover in the 12 minutes at a sustainable pace. SO, there's no up and down in speed throughout; you are permitted to increase or decrease the speed at the 6 minute mark only. Once you have reached 12 minutes, record the distance to the nearest 100 metres (along with age and gender) to calculate an estimate of aerobic capacity (VO2 max). 

p.s make sure you do a short warm up and cool down before you do the full 12 minutes. You can use the warm up to maybe gauge which speed you will work at during the test.

Here is the equation (it's an easy one!)

VO2 max = (distance in metres - 505) / 45 

Now check out the table below to work out where your distance places you...

Age		Very good	Good	Average	Bad	Very bad
13-14	M	2700+ m	2400 - 2700 m	2200 - 2399 m	2100 - 2199 m	2100- m
	F	2000+ m	1900 - 2000 m	1600 - 1899 m	1500 - 1599 m	1500- m
15-16	M	2800+ m	2500 - 2800 m	2300 - 2499 m	2200 - 2299 m	2200- m
	F	2100+ m	2000 - 2100 m	1700 - 1999 m	1600 - 1699 m	1600- m
17-20	M	3000+ m	2700 - 3000 m	2500 - 2699 m	2300 - 2499 m	2300- m
	F	2300+ m	2100 - 2300 m	1800 - 2099 m	1700 - 1799 m	1700- m
20-29	M	2800+ m	2400 - 2800 m	2200 - 2399 m	1600 - 2199 m	1600- m
	F	2700+ m	2200 - 2700 m	1800 - 2199 m	1500 - 1799 m	1500- m
30-39	M	2700+ m	2300 - 2700 m	1900 - 2299 m	1500 - 1899 m	1500- m
	F	2500+ m	2000 - 2500 m	1700 - 1999 m	1400 - 1699 m	1400- m
40-49	M	2500+ m	2100 - 2500 m	1700 - 2099 m	1400 - 1699 m	1400- m
	F	2300+ m	1900 - 2300 m	1500 - 1899 m	1200 - 1499 m	1200- m
50+	M	2400+ m	2000 - 2400 m	1600 - 1999 m	1300 - 1599 m	1300- m
	F	2200+ m	1700 - 2200 m	1400 - 1699 m	1100 - 1399 m	1100- m

Here is the VO2max chart for the guys:

	Age (years)
rating	18-25	26-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	65+
excellent	> 60	> 56	> 51	> 45	> 41	> 37
good	52-60	49-56	43-51	39-45	36-41	33-37
above average	47-51	43-48	39-42	36-38	32-35	29-32
average	42-46	40-42	35-38	32-35	30-31	26-28
below average	37-41	35-39	31-34	29-31	26-29	22-25
poor	30-36	30-34	26-30	25-28	22-25	20-21
very poor	< 30	< 30	< 26	< 25	< 22	< 20

And for the girls:

	Age (years)
rating	18-25	26-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	65+
excellent	> 56	> 52	> 45	> 40	> 37	> 32
good	47-56	45-52	38-45	34-40	32-37	28-32
above average	42-46	39-44	34-37	31-33	28-31	25-27
average	38-41	35-38	31-33	28-30	25-27	22-24
below average	33-37	31-34	27-30	25-27	22-24	19-21
poor	28-32	26-30	22-26	20-24	18-21	17-18
very poor	< 28	< 26	< 22	< 20	< 18	< 17

The last time I measured my VO2 max was in May of 2012 using the Rockport Walking Test in which I calculated my VO2 max to be 44.97 (above average according to the table above). So I think it's time to remeasure (using the Cooper test) and see if there has been any improvement! 

So who is gonna give it a go with me?! Let me know your scores in the comments section below...

Elle :) x

P.S Safety always comes first. If you are new to exercise ensure you seek advice from your GP. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, wear appropriate clothing and carry out drills in a suitable space. Technique is paramount, and nothing should hurt. Should you experience pain, discomfort, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath etc, STOP and consult your GP.