Students should be aware of their cardiorespiratory fitness because the average American loses 10 percent each decade after the age of 20, according to a Ball State study.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a large indicator of a person’s cardiovascular fitness, which can predict if they are at risk for disability or death. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Leonard Kaminsky, who led the study, tested patients between the ages of 20 and 79, who completed treadmill tests while breathing into mouthpieces. The mouthpieces collected expired air, which gave researchers the patients’ maximal levels of oxygen consumption.
It gets harder for the heart and lungs to work effectively as people get older, said Kaminsky, who is also the director of the Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology. That’s why the maximum level of oxygen consumption decreases as people age. The study provides the first true reference standards for understanding cardiorespiratory fitness, aiding health care providers in helping people as they age.
“Cardiorespiratory fitness doesn’t have a national standard like blood pressure or cholesterol,” Kaminsky said. “This study was meant to develop those standards.”
Kaminsky recommends that everyone, especially young people, get some indication of their cardiorespiratory fitness, because it goes down each decade. Students can go to the Human Performance Lab to take the test.
“People need to be aware of their fitness level; it will give them a marker to their abilities,” he said. “It’s never ‘too late’ to improve fitness, but there is an accumulation effect after waiting 10 years and then trying to begin to improve.”
Kendra Zenisek, coordinator of Physical Fitness and Wellness (PFW), said students should place a greater emphasis on their health. Young people are better able to make fitness a habit.
“It’s easier at the collegiate age for the body to adapt and recover from training,” she said. “If students make health a priority now, it will set a standard for later — establish a pattern of behavior for the rest of their lives.”
Fitness shouldn’t start at the collegiate age, Zenisek said. The collegiate years are meant to enhance fitness and help students figure out how to work fitness into a busy schedule.
“Students have to make time for fitness and exercise,” she said. “It could be at any time. Do it while you’re catching up on that Netflix series, or join a club sport. Try new things during free fitness week [at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center].”
Make sure the activity is enjoyable, not just another thing on the to-do list, Zenisek said. She also strongly recommends students think more about sleep and nutrition, as well fitness.
“Sleep goes along with stress management, winding down and turning off the screen before bed,” she said. “Nutrition can be hard, because there are limited choices and students have a budget, but how to make healthy choices is a necessary skill.”
Kaminsky said it’s important to note that fitness “doesn’t change overnight.” He encourages students to find activities they enjoy and stick with them.
“Think about it this way: What activities do you want to do? If you won a hiking trip, could you do it?” Kaminsky said. “You have to make sure you are physically able to do what you want to do, while you still can.”
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