We Senior Games competitors love to learn more about novel benefits from our athletic endeavors. So, here’s a new benefit you can relish right now. It’s called your ‘Fitness Age’. It’s a better predictor than your actual age in determining how long you’ll live. Here’s something wild. You cannot change your actual age, which just keeps advancing. But you can change your fitness age, which can continue to decrease as you increase and improve your fitness level.

It's January and bone-chilling cold throughout most of the USA. Having been born and raised in California, and shamefully spoiled by 365 days of blue skies and warm weather, I'm here to tell you that living on the east coast does indeed pose its athletic training challenges. But, like all of you, visions of the July Games warm us up as we swim, bike, run, leap, bound around the court, lift weight and race outdoors. All along, you know that working out has countless benefits. It's helping hone your athletic performance. You feel great mentally and physically. You're proud of your efforts, which are probably inspiring family and friends as well.

But, did you know that because of your long hours of dedicated workouts that you're actually younger than your chronological age?

We Senior Games competitors love to learn more about novel benefits from our athletic endeavors. So, here's a new benefit you can relish right now. It's called your 'Fitness Age'. It's a better predictor than your actual age in determining how long you'll live. Here's something wild. You cannot change your actual age, which just keeps advancing. But you can change your fitness age, which can continue to decrease as you increase and improve your fitness level.

Norwegian researchers have been studying the connection between fitness and health for years. In the best of all worlds, scientists would take each of us into an exercise lab and measure our V02 max which shows how well your body can take up and use the oxygen you breathe. The Norwegians have collected data on large segments of their population so that norms can be established for each age. Yes, it's possible, then, for a 65-year-old to have the fitness age of a 35-year-old based upon their V02 max measurement.

Since we can't measure V02 max in everyone, the Norwegians navigated this challenge by studying over 55,000 adult men and women who had completed a very comprehensive assessment of their health and fitness habits. From this they then developed an algorithm to calculate their V02 max and thus fitness age. Details here.

Here's some sobering news for our sedentary compatriots out there. Folks whose calculated V02 max was 85% below the average for their age (in other words, their Fitness Age was above their actual age) had an 82% higher risk of dying prematurely than the men and women whose Fitness Age was lower than their actual age. The bottom line is that regular physical activity can significantly impact longevity, and as well, quality of life. In this case. Exercise decreases your Fitness Age, lengthening your life.

Take a moment and find out what your Fitness Age is. Click on https://www.worldfitnesslevel.org/#/. It will ask you simple, basic questions including your waist circumference and exercise routine. Have your friends and family members take the test, which could motivate them to get up and become more active themselves. Exercise, after all, is the gift that just keeps on giving.

For Senior Athletes, remember your Fitness Age number and watch for an exciting opportunity coming soon from the National Senior Games Association to share your results and help them show the world how much more people like you are getting out of life simply by "acting your Fitness Age!"

I took the test and was delighted to see that I actually have the Fitness Age of someone 35 years younger than I am. Excuse me while I brave the cold, head to the gym and act my Fitness Age!