Healthspan: What You Need to Know to Live a Healthier, Longer, Life

What Is Healthspan?

When it comes to ageing well, the conversation is shifting from lifespan to healthspan - the number of years you live free from disease, injury and disability. It's not just about living longer, it's about living better.

And one of the most powerful predictors of healthspan?
Your cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) - a key marker of how efficiently your body delivers oxygen to muscles during activity. Measuring how efficiently your heart, lungs and muscles work together during exercise, providing valuable insight into your overall health and longevity. 

Why Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) Is Key for Longevity

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), often measured by VO2 max, is a powerful indicator of overall health. According to some studies, there is a strong link to longevity and a reduced risk of chronic conditions with higher CRF scores. This highlights just how much improving your aerobic fitness can benefit your long-term well-being.

The Science:

• A 2018 JAMA study found that low CRF was associated with the highest risk of early death, even compared to chronic conditions.
• Every 3.5ml/kg/min increase in VO2 max is linked to a 13% reduction in all-cause mortality.
• Higher CRF is associated with lower risks of:

- Cardiovascular disease

- Type 2 diabetes

- Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline

- Certain cancers

Put simply: The fitter your heart and lungs are, the longer and healthier your life is likely to be.

Off-Feet Conditioning: Train Smarter, Not Harder

While running and other weight-bearing exercises are common for improving VO2 max, they're not always ideal for everyone. Especially if you're older, managing joint issues or coming back from injury.

That’s where off-feet conditioning can be your best tool in your training arsenal.

What Is Off-Feet Conditioning?

It includes non-weight-bearing exercises such as:

• Cycling
• Rowing
• Swimming

These activities reduce joint stress while still delivering cardiovascular benefits.

Why It Works:

• Low-impact, high-output: Allows you to train at a variety of intensities, for longer and more frequently.
• VO2 Max: Studies show cycling-based HIIT can be just as effective for VO2 improvements as running.
• Safer for long-term training: Reduced injury risk means more consistency, which is key to consistency and continued results.

Strength + Aerobic Training = Maximum Healthspan

Improving your VO2 max is essential, but it’s only part of the picture.

To fully optimise your healthspan, you need to combine aerobic fitness with strength training.

The Benefits of Strength Training:

• Maintains muscle mass and bone density
• Reduces risk of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss)
• Enhances insulin sensitivity and metabolic health
• Supports posture, mobility and injury prevention

A 2022 meta-analysis found that combining strength and aerobic training reduces mortality risk more than either alone. The synergy of both modalities improves not just lifespan, but the quality of your years.

Wattbike Healthspan: Smarter Fitness, Backed by Data

Wattbike Healthspan is a science-backed fitness test that helps you:

• Measure your CRF using a 6-12 minute cycling test
• Benchmark your VO2-derived fitness against your age group and demographic
• Get personalised workouts designed to boost your CRF score

No guesswork. Just data-driven progress.

How to do a Healthspan Check?

With the Wattbike Healthspan Check, you can easily complete the guided, submaximal fitness test that accurately estimates your VO2 max - the gold standard for measuring cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).

The test begins at a very low resistance and gradually increases in intensity minute by minute. You’ll be guided to work up to either 85% of your maximum heart rate (if wearing a heart rate monitor), or a 7 out of 10 on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale - both safe and manageable thresholds for most users. We suggest using a heart rate monitor for the best results. 

The app cues you to maintain a simple target cadence and wattage, which will automatically adjust when using any of our smart bikes. You just follow the on-screen instructions - no complex setup, no guesswork. Just get on, ride and track your progress.

At the end, you’ll receive your Healthspan score, benchmarked against your age and demographic, so you can clearly see where your fitness stands - and where it can go next.

Why It Matters

• Safe & repeatable: No all-out efforts required. The Healthspan Check only requires you to go to 85% of your maximum heart rate (if you use a HR belt), or 7 out of 10 on an RPE scale. (Rate of perceived exertion)
• Accurate: Uses your heart rate and power data to determine CRF.
• Personalised feedback: See exactly where your fitness ranks for your age, sex and demographic.

Your results help you understand your current health status and provide objective motivation and training to improve your healthspan score and improve your longevity and health.

After testing, you get customised workouts based on your fitness level. These are tailored to:

• Improve VO2 max
• Build aerobic capacity
• Reduce fatigue
• Keep you progressing at your pace

Whether you're an experienced athlete or starting from scratch, the Wattbike Hub App with Healthspan guides your training with precision based on the data from your Healthspan Check - meeting you where you're at in your fitness  journey.

Your Healthspan Starts Now

We now know that healthspan is trainable. And we also know that:

• CRF is a strong predictor of health and longevity
• Off-feet conditioning is effective, accessible and sustainable
• Combining cardio and strength is the best approach for long-term health
• Regular testing with tools like Wattbike Healthspan gives you the data to make meaningful progress

Ready to Improve Your Healthspan?

Take your first Healthspan Check on a Wattbike today and begin living better, not just longer.

Download the Wattbike Hub App to get your Healthspan Check today.

References

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Long-Term Mortality
JAMA Network Open (2018)
A large-scale study showing that low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with a higher risk of death than smoking, diabetes, or heart disease.

CRF As a Predictor of Mortality and Cardiovascular Events
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Kodama et al. (2009)
Found that every 1 MET increase in fitness (≈3.5 ml/kg/min VO2 max) was associated with a 13% reduction in all-cause mortality.

HIIT vs. Continuous Training for VO2 Max
Journal of Applied Physiology, Daussin et al. (2008)
Demonstrated that high-intensity interval training on a cycle ergometer significantly improves VO2 max — with less strain than traditional methods.

Low-Impact Conditioning for Injury Prevention
Sports Health Journal (2012)
Discusses the benefits of non-weight-bearing exercise modalities like cycling for reducing injury risk and supporting long-term fitness.

Combined Aerobic and Strength Training for Longevity
British Journal of Sports Medicine (2022)
Found that adults engaging in both aerobic and resistance training had significantly lower risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Preventing Sarcopenia with Strength Training
Aging Cell (2010)
Explores how strength training helps prevent age-related muscle loss, improving quality of life and extending functional healthspan.

Submaximal VO2 Max Testing Guidelines
ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th Ed.)
Describes validated protocols for estimating VO2 max using submaximal tests, such as those used in the Wattbike Healthspan Check.

VO2 Estimation from Cycle Testing (Wattbike Context)
Wattbike’s VO2 max estimation methodology aligns with validated protocols such as the Åstrand-Ryhming submaximal test, widely used in sports science and exercise physiology.