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Why Your VO₂ Max May Matter More Than Your Weight
Most people know their weight. Few know their VO₂ Max. Discover why cardio fitness may be the number that changes everything for South Africans over 45.
104-Week Watch Challenge · Health & Longevity
Why Your VO₂ Max May Matter More Than Your Weight
Most people know their weight. Very few people know their VO₂ Max. Yet this single number may tell us more about long-term health, energy, and independence than anything the scale can show us.
Here is a question worth sitting with for a moment.
"If I could only track one health number for the next ten years, would my weight really be the best choice?"
For most of us over 45, the answer is probably not. Weight is visible, familiar, and emotionally loaded. But cardiovascular fitness — measured by VO₂ Max — may be a far more accurate indicator of how well we are actually ageing.
This article explores what VO₂ Max is, why it matters, how Discovery Vitality uses it, and why improving your score — even modestly — could be one of the most valuable health decisions you make this decade.
Section 01
What Is VO₂ Max?
Think of it as the engine size of your cardiovascular system. A higher VO₂ Max means your heart, lungs, and muscles work together more efficiently to deliver and use oxygen.
It reflects your cardiovascular fitness, heart health, lung efficiency, and overall endurance. Elite cyclists and marathon runners typically score very high. But you do not need to be an athlete for your score to matter — far from it.
❤️
Heart Health
How efficiently your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood
🫁
Lung Efficiency
How well your lungs transfer oxygen into the bloodstream
💪
Muscle Endurance
How effectively muscles extract and use oxygen during effort
🔋
Daily Energy
Higher fitness means more energy for everyday activities
Section 02
Why VO₂ Max Matters More As You Age
Cardiovascular fitness naturally declines with age. For most adults, VO₂ Max drops by roughly 1% per year after the age of 25 — but this decline accelerates sharply for those who are sedentary.
Research consistently shows that people with higher cardiorespiratory fitness tend to have lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. More importantly for those of us thinking about retirement and longevity, higher fitness is associated with maintaining independence, cognitive sharpness, and quality of life well into old age.
In practical terms, the question is not whether you can run a marathon. The question is whether you have enough cardiovascular reserve to carry your groceries, climb stairs without breathlessness, play with grandchildren, or walk a golf course at 75. VO₂ Max is a direct window into that reserve.
The Longevity Connection
Low cardiorespiratory fitness has been identified in research as a stronger predictor of mortality than smoking, obesity, hypertension, or high cholesterol. While the specifics vary by study and individual, the consistent message is clear:
Being fit — not just thin — is one of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health.
Section 03
Why Weight Can Be a Misleading Number
Imagine two people. Both are 65 years old. Both weigh exactly the same — 88 kilograms. One walks 8,000 steps a day, cycles on weekends, and has a resting heart rate in the low 60s. The other is largely sedentary, gets breathless climbing a flight of stairs, and has never owned a fitness tracker.
The scale says they are identical. Their cardiovascular health is not even close.
This is not an argument against managing weight. Excess body fat does carry health risks, and weight and fitness are connected. But fitness and weight are not the same measurement. It is entirely possible to be "normal weight" and have poor cardiovascular fitness — a pattern sometimes described in research as "normal weight obesity." It is also possible to carry extra weight while maintaining excellent cardiorespiratory health.
For South Africans over 45, tracking fitness alongside weight gives a far more complete picture of how your health is progressing over time.
Section 04
How Discovery Vitality Uses VO₂ Max
Discovery Vitality has built VO₂ Max tracking into its Cardio Fitness programme, rewarding members who improve their cardiovascular fitness over time with meaningful Vitality points. This is one of the most practically useful ways the Vitality system currently connects your fitness habits to real financial rewards.
Vitality Cardio Fitness Levels & Annual Points
Based on publicly available Discovery Vitality information. Points structures, thresholds and programme rules may change. Verify current details directly with Discovery.
Moving from Low to Good does not require becoming an athlete. For many people in the 45–65 age group, consistent walking, cycling, or other cardio exercise performed regularly over several months is enough to shift the needle. And the rewards — both in terms of Vitality points and long-term health — are significant.
Section 05 · Personal Example
My Own Discovery VO₂ Max Reading
I want to be transparent about where I currently sit with this metric, because the 104-Week Watch Challenge is built on honesty about progress rather than projecting an image of already being there.
As of 23 May 2026, my average Discovery VO₂ Max reading is 40, based on five qualifying readings — each returning a consistent score of 40. This places me in the Discovery system as a trackable baseline.
That number is not something to be embarrassed about. It is a starting point. The goal of the 104-Week Watch Challenge is not to have a perfect score on day one. The goal is to improve — consistently, week after week, over two years.
Current Average Score
40
VO₂ Max · 5 readings · May 2026
104-Week Watch Challenge baseline
The journey begins here. Not somewhere impressive. Somewhere real.
Section 06 · Step-by-Step
How To Find Your VO₂ Max Score On Discovery
If you are a Discovery Vitality member, your VO₂ Max score may already be available through the app. Here is how to find it. Discovery calculates the score using qualifying workouts tracked through compatible devices, including Apple Watch, Garmin, and Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Open the Discovery App
Ensure you are logged in to your Discovery member profile.
Tap Vitality
Navigate to the Vitality section from the main dashboard.
Select Health
Choose the Health tab within Vitality.
Select Get Active
This section covers your activity and cardio fitness features.
Select Vitality Cardio Fitness
This is where your VO₂ Max readings and Cardio Fitness Level appear.
Follow the prompts and link a compatible device if required
Apple Watch, Garmin, and Samsung Galaxy Watch devices are compatible at the time of writing. Verify current device support with Discovery.
Complete qualifying workouts and review your score
Discovery requires qualifying workouts of sufficient duration and intensity. Once enough readings are captured, your Cardio Fitness Level is updated.
Section 07
Can You Actually Improve Your VO₂ Max?
Yes. Even for people over 50, cardiovascular fitness responds to training. The key is not intensity. The key is consistency.
Brisk Walking
Daily 30–45 minute walks at a pace that raises your heart rate are enough to produce measurable improvements for most people starting from a low baseline.
Cycling
Low-impact and kind on the joints. Stationary cycling at home can be a sustainable option, especially in South African summer heat.
Swimming
Excellent for cardiovascular conditioning with minimal joint stress, particularly for those with arthritis or knee concerns.
Interval Training
Alternating between moderate and slightly more effortful periods during a workout has shown particular benefit for improving VO₂ Max. This does not require running — it can apply to walking pace.
The 104-Week Principle
The 104-Week Watch Challenge is not built around transformation in the first month. It is built around the idea that small, consistent actions — performed week after week for two years — compound into extraordinary change.
You do not need to become a different person. You need to become a more consistent version of the person you already are.
Watch: Albert walks through his personal Discovery Cardio Fitness experience — what the readings look like, what the app shows, and what he is working toward over the next 104 weeks.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good VO₂ Max score?
This varies significantly by age and sex. A score of 40 for a man in his 50s or 60s falls broadly in the average to below-average range depending on the reference table used. The most important benchmark is your own trend over time — is it improving, staying the same, or declining? Discovery uses its own categorisation (Low through to Superior), and moving up even one level typically indicates meaningful cardiovascular improvement.
How does Discovery calculate VO₂ Max?
According to publicly available Discovery information, the system uses data from qualifying workouts tracked through compatible wearable devices — including heart rate, pace, and workout duration — to estimate VO₂ Max. Multiple readings are averaged to produce your Cardio Fitness Level. The exact algorithm is proprietary to Discovery. Always verify current methodology directly with Discovery.
Does walking improve VO₂ Max?
For people starting from a low fitness baseline, regular brisk walking can produce improvements in cardiovascular fitness. The key is consistency and progressive challenge — gradually increasing pace, duration, or adding elevation over time. Walking alone may eventually reach a plateau, at which point adding other forms of cardio can help continue the improvement.
Is VO₂ Max more important than weight?
Both matter. But research increasingly suggests that cardiovascular fitness may be a stronger independent predictor of long-term health outcomes than weight alone. The practical implication: if you can only improve one metric, improving your fitness may have a broader positive effect on your health than simply reducing your weight.
How often should I check my VO₂ Max?
Monthly tracking gives a useful trend picture without becoming obsessive. Cardiovascular fitness changes slowly — expecting week-to-week improvements will lead to frustration. Looking at quarterly progress is often more motivating and more meaningful. Discovery updates your Cardio Fitness Level as new qualifying workout data is recorded.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ VO₂ Max measures cardiovascular fitness — how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise.
- ✓ Fitness and weight are not the same measurement. You can improve your health significantly by improving your fitness even without major weight change.
- ✓ Discovery Vitality rewards members who improve their Cardio Fitness Level with up to 10,000 Vitality points per year at Superior level.
- ✓ Small, consistent improvements compound significantly over time — the foundation of the 104-Week Watch Challenge.
- ✓ Consistency matters more than perfection. Showing up regularly over 104 weeks is worth far more than an intense effort followed by months of inactivity.
"The goal is not to compete with elite athletes. The goal is to become healthier next year than you are today. That is a race everyone can run."
The 104-Week Watch Challenge is not about a transformation that happens in the first month. It is about the compounding effect of two years of consistent, intentional movement. Your VO₂ Max score is one of the best ways to measure whether that consistency is translating into real cardiovascular improvement. Start from wherever you are. Track it. Improve it — even slightly. And come back to that number a year from now.
If you are unsure how to structure your exercise programme, or if you want to understand how your Vitality benefits connect to your broader financial and health planning, speak to an AS Brokers adviser.
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Disclosure: Albert Schuurman is an authorised independent financial adviser and may earn remuneration from products or services discussed on this website. Information presented may be sourced from product providers, brochures, fact sheets, official websites, publicly available information, and industry publications. Product features, rewards, benefits, fees, returns, programme rules, and terms may change over time. Information is believed to be accurate at the date of publication but should be verified directly with the relevant product provider, insurer, investment manager, administrator, or service provider before any decision is made.
Note: Market values can rise or fall, and past performance is not a guarantee of future outcomes.