Estimate your VO2 max from the Rockport one-mile walk test or the Cooper 12-minute run, and see your fitness category for your age and sex. Runs entirely in your browser — your numbers never leave this device.
| Category | VO2 max range | |
|---|---|---|
| Very Poor | below 31.5 | |
| Poor | 31.5 – 35.4 | |
| Fair | 35.5 – 40.4 | |
| Good | 40.5 – 44.1 | |
| Excellent | 44.2 – 49.3 | ← you |
| Superior | 49.4 and above |
This is an estimate from a field test, for information only — it is not a medical measurement or diagnosis. Lab testing is the accurate route, and any exercise test should stop if you feel unwell.
| Category | VO2 max range |
|---|---|
| Very Poor | below 31.5 |
| Poor | 31.5 – 35.4 |
| Fair | 35.5 – 40.4 |
| Good | 40.5 – 44.1 |
| Excellent | 44.2 – 49.4 |
| Superior | 49.4 and above |
VO2 max is the fastest rate at which your body can use oxygen during hard exercise, measured in millilitres per kilogram per minute, and it is the standard single number for aerobic fitness. Laboratory measurement needs a mask and a maximal test; the two field tests here estimate it from performance instead. The Rockport test walks one mile as fast as possible and feeds your weight, age, sex, walk time and finishing heart rate into the regression equation developed at the University of Massachusetts. The Cooper test is simpler: run as far as possible in 12 minutes and convert the distance with VO2max = (metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73, the relationship Kenneth Cooper published from Air Force data in 1968.
The result is placed against the widely published normative bands for your age and sex — the Cooper-Institute-style categories from Very Poor to Superior, printed in the table on the calculator so you can see exactly where the boundaries sit (for men aged 30–39, for example, Good begins at 40.5 and Excellent at 44.2). Norms fall with age for both sexes, which is why the same score changes category across decades: a VO2 max of 44.38 is Excellent at 30 and would sit higher still at 50.
Be clear about what this number is. It is an estimate from a field test, offered for information and training planning only — not a medical measurement, diagnosis or clearance to exercise. Field tests carry real error bars (the Rockport equation is typically within about ±5 ml/kg/min of a lab value, and heart-rate readings from a watch add their own error), pacing and weather move a Cooper distance, and any test should stop the moment you feel unwell. If a VO2 max figure matters medically, the lab test is the only honest route.
The one you can perform honestly and safely. The Cooper 12-minute run demands a near-maximal running effort, so it suits runners and team-sport athletes. The Rockport test only asks for a fast one-mile walk, which makes it the realistic option for beginners, older adults and anyone who should not run all-out — its equation was validated on adults aged 30–69. Both are estimates; pick the test whose effort you can actually deliver.
Within roughly ±5 ml/kg/min for most people, and worse when the inputs are sloppy: a heart rate read a few beats off, a walk that was not truly brisk, or a Cooper run paced badly all move the result. A lab gas-analysis test remains the reference measurement. Treat the category as the reliable output — it is far more stable than the second decimal place.
Use the category table rather than a single universal number, because the bands fall with age and differ by sex. For men aged 30–39, Good starts at 40.5 and Excellent at 44.2; for women the same ages, Good starts at 31.5 and Excellent at 35.7. The calculator prints the full band table for your own age group and marks where your score lands.
Because the regression was fitted in imperial units — the coefficient −0.0769 applies to pounds. The calculator accepts kilograms and converts (1 kg = 2.20462 lb) before applying the equation, so entering your weight in either unit gives the same estimate; only the equation itself is imperial.
Yes — aerobic fitness is one of the most trainable qualities in exercise science, and consistent endurance training typically raises VO2 max measurably over months, though the size of the gain varies and the ceiling is partly genetic. This page only estimates and categorises your current figure; building a training plan, and any medical question about exercise, belongs with qualified professionals.
No. This calculator provides an informational estimate from two published field-test equations and normative category bands. It does not diagnose anything, does not measure your actual oxygen uptake, and is not a substitute for medical advice or supervised testing — stop any test that makes you feel unwell and consult a clinician about fitness concerns.
More in Sports & Fitness Calculators · Browse all tools