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<\/p>\n\u201cFitness age, also known as your biological age, is a way of grading your health and fitness in comparison to your chronological age,\u201d says Transformation Coach co-founder Chief Brabon, who has coached Quirk for the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
The accuracy of your result depends on a couple of factors, the first being the breadth of the analysis.<\/p>\n
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The FAST test Matt Quirk completed included measures of balance as well as strength and endurance.Credit: Janie Barrett<\/p>\n
Most rudimentary indicators of fitness age, such as the one on your smartwatch, measure your cardiorespiratory fitness by assessing your VO2 max and how it stacks up against others of your age and gender. Some may also take into account your body fat percentage.<\/p>\n
Others, such as the FAST test Quirk did, also measure mobility, stability, strength, and body composition<\/a>, providing a more rounded understanding of your physical wellbeing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefit of the FAST test is it looks at so many aspects of health and wellbeing,\u201d Brabon says. \u201cThese elements are often overlooked in what we consider good health.\u201d<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n But even with more holistic assessments like this, Sydney University health and longevity researcher Professor Luigi Fontana says technology alone provides an incomplete picture of our overall health.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2025, we don\u2019t have reliable biomarkers of biological age,\u201d Fontana says.<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt, some devices can now measure \u2013 even if not perfectly like an EEG \u2013 things like sleep quality, heart rate variability, and some can measure body temperature and blood oxygen.<\/p>\n \u201cThese tools are useful, especially because we\u2019re living in a mostly sedentary society<\/a>, but exercise alone won\u2019t guarantee long-term health. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re exercising, but you\u2019re also smoking, over-drinking alcohol, and eating an unhealthy diet. Do you really believe you\u2019re going to be healthier and live longer?\u201d<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n Does fitness age matter?<\/p>\n Other than a handy brag among your mates, why care about fitness age? Quite simply, Brabon says, because it will boost your chances of living well, if not necessarily longer.<\/p>\n \u201cOur health and fitness \u2013 which fitness age represents \u2013 should be a priority in our lives, just like family and career,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s no use nurturing a wonderful family or creating financial security if you\u2019re not fit enough to enjoy either of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Numerous studies show that strong overall fitness is associated with a lower risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, dementia and premature death.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, the greatest benefit of a younger fitness age is a greater quality of life for an extended period of time,\u201d Brabon says. \u201cWhat that basically means is that you will be able to move and perform in your 50s, 60s, and even older, as well as you did in your 20s and 30s.\u201d<\/p>\n How to improve fitness age<\/p>\n Unlike chronological age, Brabon says we all have power to influence our fitness age \u2013 whether that\u2019s for better or worse.<\/p>\n