The Rockport walking test is the easiest way for you to determine your cardio fitness level. All you need is a stopwatch and a flat surface that is one mile long. The Rockport walking test is an evaluation you can self-administer to determine your cardiovascular fitness.1
The aim of the test is to measure your VO2 maxLinks to an external site., the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during intense exercise, measured in milliliters per kilograms per minute (ml/kg/min). The Rockport walking test was developed in 1986 by physiologists and cardiologists at the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
The 12-minute run fitness test was developed by Kenneth Cooper, M.D., in 1968 as an easy way to measure aerobic fitness and provide an estimate of VO2 maxLinks to an external site. for military personnel. The Cooper test, as it’s also known, is still used today as a field test for d
etermining aerobic fitness. Dr. Cooper found that there is a very high correlation between the distance someone can run (or walk) in 12 minutes and their VO2 max value, which measures the efficiency with which someone can use oxygen while exercising.
This test is still one of the basic fitness tests used by the militaryLinks to an external site.. It is also used by many coaches and trainers to determine cardiovascular fitnessLinks to an external site. and track fitness over time. This simple test also allows you to compare your cardiovascular endurance with others of your age and gender.
The goal this week is to compare your results from when you completed this assessment near the beginning of the quarter.
Instructions/Tasks
Step One
Determine which test you are going to complete: Rockport 1-mile walk test for time or the Cooper Test (12′ run for distance).
Step Two
Directions for the Rockport Walking Test