CINCINNATI (WXIX) – If you are getting ready for a Turkey Trot or maybe you’re already thinking of your goals for 2024, you may want to get a physical evaluation so you know where your fitness stands.

Whether you run marathons or you just want to stay healthy and live a long life, it’s important to know more about your physical composition and fitness.

Northern Kentucky University has a few options inside its Human Performance Lab to help.

The Bod Pod is one tool the staff uses to determine more information about a person’s athletic ability and more. The Bod Pod is known as the gold standard in determining body composition.

Once the results from the bod pod are examined, the participant can hop on the treadmill.

“Your goal is to stay on this test as long as you can,” explains NKU Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Jennifer Lape Kaiser, “Until you can not go any farther.”

This test will determine a person’s VO2Max, which is a number often used in athletic training to optimize fitness. It’s the volume of oxygen your body uses during aerobic exercise.

Even if you are not a runner or even someone who exercises often, Lape Kaiser says these tests can provide important information for all people.

“It’s pretty accepted that the better your aerobic capacity or the better your endurance is as you age the less risk you have for a number of chronic illnesses.”

Every minute or so the speed or incline changes on the treadmill forcing your body to use more and more oxygen to keep up during the test.

Once the tests are over, you can consult with the staff to learn how to increase your fitness or reach your physical goals.

If you are interested in scheduling one of these tests, you can find more information at this link.

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