Cardiorespiratory fitness, or CRF, is the body’s ability to take in and utilize oxygen. It’s not only an important indication of your overall health, it’s also a leading predictor of how long you will live. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) considers CRF a key clinical vital sign. The AHA says that CRF is potentially a stronger predictor of death than smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.
Better cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and death from all causes.
So how do you determine your CRF?
The traditional way to measure cardiorespiratory fitness is by calculating your VO2 max, which is your body’s maximum rate of oxygen consumption. You may have seen videos of professional athletes running on a treadmill while wearing an oxygen mask; those are VO2 max tests. They’re extremely accurate, but they require specialized equipment, and they can be difficult and quite costly to perform.
The PAI app gives everyone a simple and accessible way to measure their cardiorespiratory fitness. Using your heart rate data measured from sensors in your fitness wearable, PAI can help you determine whether your CRF is above average for your age and sex, or whether it needs improvement.
If you don’t have a wearable, you can use our True Age Calculator to receive an accurate estimation of your cardiorespiratory fitness and expected longevity.
Customized to your unique makeup, PAI tracks how your cardiorespiratory system responds to all of your activities (not just exercise and steps) and gives you one simple goal, 100 PAI. The higher your heart rate and the longer your heart rate is elevated, the more PAI Points you earn towards your goal.