A new Apple Watch alert shows you how fit (or inappropriate) you are. Here’s how to get it

The Apple Watch is about to give you an honest analysis of your fitness level. At a time when many of us work from home or they do not have access to gyms, fitness trackers like Apple Watch helped us keep in mind how much (or how little) exercise we did daily. Now translate this data into an evaluation. Upgrading the watch software to WatchOS 7.2, now available, brings a new cardio fitness score that uses VO2 max (or maximum oxygen consumption during exercise) to measure cardiorespiratory health or aerobic endurance.

read more: Apple Fitness Plus is a workout routine that suits you

Cardio fitness explained

VO2 max is considered the gold standard for determining cardiorespiratory fitness and can be a good indicator of your overall health. Elite athletes use this value for training purposes to measure endurance, but its effects go beyond exercise. People with low levels of cardio fitness have a higher risk of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and lung cancer and early death, according to the American Heart Association. There are a number of different factors that can affect VO2 max, such as age, weight and even pregnancy, but as a rule, the higher the number, the more appropriate you are.

The Apple Watch quietly keeps information about VO2 max estimated by its users for several years, but you had to do a few digs to get to it. You can find it first in the Health app on the iPhone and, more recently, in the Trends tab of the Fitness app. But even with that number, Apple provided a little context for what it meant to you, plus you had to run a number of outdoor runs or brisk walks.

With the newest IOS 14.3 update, the Fitness app will now rank the maximum VO2 number according to your fitness level: high, above average, below average or low. This is similar to what other trackers like Fitbit and Garmin offer on some of their devices, but the Apple Watch will also give you the option to receive a clock notification if your cardio fitness score drops in. low range.

You won’t even have to sweat to get a cardio fitness score. VO2 max on the Apple Watch can be calculated as you move normally during the day and not necessarily during intense exercise, as long as your heart is pumping. It is also compatible with previous versions, which means that you will be able to see the score immediately after the clock update, if you already had VO2 max information in the application.

Apple anticipates that measuring and evaluating VO2 max can help motivate you to improve your fitness, just as seeing daily steps or burning calories on your watch can encourage you to move more.

“The ability to measure something for some people can be really motivating to see how it changes,” says Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of health. “That way, cardio fitness can be a really useful measure for everyone, not necessarily just for someone running marathons.”

The more you know, the more you can improve

VO2 Max measurement used to require a laboratory test. Patients were placed on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while connected to a heart rate monitor and a mask measured oxygen exchange. With this value readily available on your wrist or on your phone without having to step into a doctor’s office, you can help users set measurable fitness goals over time.

“The really special thing about VO2 max is that you can do something about it. And the key to that is to exercise more and increase the intensity, you’ll actually see an improvement,” says Dr. Desai.

Adding a few extra steps a day won’t move the needle when it comes to cardio fitness or VO2 max. Improving cardio fitness will require you to push yourself during exercise for a longer period of time, no matter what that means to you. If you are on the right side, this may be through high-intensity workouts HIIT), but if you are just starting out, it could be anything that increases your heart rate, such as a brisk walk.

Capturing VO2 max data on your wrist can be valuable in helping you understand your fitness level, but as with any portable item, there are warnings. “It seems unlikely that accelerometers and PPG sensors will be alone [in the Apple Watch] it can capture all the nuances of medical tests and therefore should not be seen as a substitute, “says Dr. Geoff Tison, a cardiologist and assistant professor of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.” But if it is well validated and with a low enough level of error, the ability to passively monitor these values ​​in a large number of people without complex equipment could be valuable. “

CNET has not tested VO2 max on the Apple Watch against the laboratory equivalent for accuracy, and this value should not be used for diagnostic purposes. As always, please consult a physician or other qualified health care provider about any health issues or health goals before beginning an exercise program.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended for medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider about any questions you may have about a condition or health goals.