THE SCORECARD
Men's Health Fit: Level 12
Above average: Level 11
Ordinary: Level 9
Cardiovascular endurance isn't just a sign of your 10-K potential; it's an indicator of how long you'll last in any athletic endeavor, from a 48-minute basketball game to an afternoon of backyard football. And people who play aerobic endurance sports have a higher life expectancy than those who do not, according to a recent German study review.
THE TEST Download the Beep Test app for your iPhone (Beep Test Solo, $1) or Android device (Beep Test, $2.50). Place two cones 20 meters apart on a track or field, hit the start button on the app, and run from one cone to the other. When you hear the beep, run back. Continue until you can't reach the opposite cone before the next beep sounds. (The time between beeps will shorten as you progress through the test.) Then hit the "record score" button. "This is the best way to test aerobic endurance," says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. Its escalating intensity is a good measure of your body's ability to deliver oxygen to working muscles—your "peak aerobic capacity."
IMPROVE YOUR ENDURANCE
Repeat the beep test once a week. Just repeating the drill can help boost your peak aerobic capacity, says Cosgrove. On two other days each week, do sprint intervals. Sprint at 85 percent of your maximum effort for 1 minute and then rest for 2 minutes. Do that 5 to 8 times total. "Over and over, intervals have been shown to be the fastest way to improve your VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can process at once, which is a powerful indicator of your aerobic fitness level," says Cosgrove.
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