Test - Polar Fitness Test - Polar Electro RS200SD User Manual

6. TEST - POLAR FITNESS TEST

The Polar Fitness Test is an easy, safe, and quick way to estimate individual maximal aerobic power and to obtain the
predicted maximum heart rate value. The Polar Fitness Test is targeted to healthy adults.
OwnIndex
OwnIndex is a value comparable to maximal oxygen uptake (VO ), a commonly used descriptor of aerobic (cardiovascular)
2max
fi tness. Aerobic fi tness relates to how well your aerobic system works to transport and utilize oxygen in your body. The stronger
and more effi cient your heart, the better your aerobic fi tness. VO is a good indicator of performance in endurance sports.
2max
If you want to improve your aerobic fi tness, it takes a minimum of 6 weeks on average to see a noticeable change in OwnIndex.
Less fi t individuals see progress even more rapidly, while for fi tter individuals more time is needed. The better the aerobic
fi tness of an individual, the smaller the improvements in OwnIndex. Aerobic fi tness is best improved by exercise types that
employ large muscle groups. Such activities include running, cycling, swimming, rowing, skating, cross-country skiing, and
walking. To monitor your fi tness progress start by measuring your OwnIndex a couple of times during the fi rst two weeks in
order to get a baseline value. Thereafter, repeat the test approximately once a month. OwnIndex is based on the resting heart
rate, heart rate variability at rest, age, gender, height, body weight, and self-assessed physical activity.
Predicted Maximum Heart Rate (HR -p)
max
The HR -p defi nition is carried out simultaneously with the Polar Fitness Test. The HR -p score predicts your individual
max
max
maximum heart rate value more accurately than the age-based formula (220 - age). The age-based method provides a rough
estimation and may not be very accurate, especially for people who have been fi t for many years or for older people. The most
accurate way of determining your individual maximum heart rate is to have it measured in a laboratory (in maximal treadmill
or bicycle stress test) by a doctor or an exercise physiologist.
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