The science and benefits of VO2 max testing

Did your New Year’s resolution to run or work out leave you a bit more out of breath than you expected?

Xpress recently sat down with Sean Simonds, clinic director for Movement for Life Physical Therapy, to discuss the benefits of VO2 max testing, as well as the organization’s 10-year anniversary and Simonds’ own tips for maintaining one’s wellness goals in 2025.

Xpress: What is the basic science behind VO2 max testing? What is being measured, and why is it a useful metric for people seeking to better understand their own fitness?

Simonds: A VO2 max test measures how efficiently your body can take in and utilize oxygen. So from a general population standpoint, your VO2 max results are correlated to longevity: the higher your VO2 max is, the longer you are predicted to live. This is because in order to have a high VO2 max, you have to be able to move relatively quickly, have good balance and strength, and have some muscle mass.

Knowing their VO2 max often gives clients motivation or some direction for what to focus on from a performance standpoint. The test results provide a variety of data points like heart rate zones and ventilatory threshold [the point beyond which your muscles are demanding more oxygen than they’re receiving and you feel the burn of lactic acid build up], which allows you to design very specific training programs, especially for high-performance runners or professional athletes. And with every test, we provide an education session to interpret the results and offer sample routines

What sorts of clients typically request VO2 max testing?

In Asheville, it’s predominantly our trail runners as well as a ton of cyclists, though we even had some local professional Rollerblade racers. Movement for Life is basically the only clinic west of Charlotte offering testing, so we have a relatively wide reach. In the physical therapy world, we are so often reactive because people don’t come to us until they have a problem. Considering its correlation with overall health and longevity, VO2 max testing is one of those ways where we can show people, “Hey, proactivity is cheaper and feels better than waiting until you’re rushing in for some urgent problem.”

Is it recommended that a person do a series of VO2 max tests over time? And what recommendations do you make for those seeking to improve their performance?

There have been a number of people that want to do it more frequently. But if you look at the research, it’s best to test about once a year. A number of factors have to change to see changes in a VO2 max result. Some of the really intense folks will do it every six months because they want to see if their training programs are working. Or if they’re ramping up for an event, they want to come in and make sure they’re on track. But generally speaking, it’s great to test once a year to see if you’re either maintaining or if your new program has been effective.

What other wellness services does Movement for Life offer?

Our staff includes five physical therapists and two personal trainers. One of our therapists is a board specialist in geriatrics and does an over-60 weightlifting class. We also offer a fitness class for people with Parkinson’s disease. And then we have some software that allows us to work with clients remotely as well.

Asheville and the surrounding mountains have long been a haven for wellness and physical recreation. What brought you and your business, Movement for Life, to the area?

When starting Movement for Life, I needed a place that was growing and active and, for myself, a place I could easily get lost in the woods with the dogs. Also, my wife is a professor, so she needed a university. So Asheville just ticked about every single box. It’s been great. As an Army brat, this is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place by a mile.

After 10 years in business, what has been your greatest success with Movement for Life so far, and what have been the challenges?

I have gone from just me to now having a whole team. I recognize people all over town, which is supercool. Whenever I have clients that come back to see me, it’s the ultimate compliment; it means that you’ve made some positive influence on the community. Our Parkinson’s program is huge, and it’s been absolutely fantastic working with that population. I’m the physical therapist for the Asheville City Soccer Club, the semipro team in town, and that’s been a great way to interact with the community.

As for the challenges, we’ve had plenty. We went through COVID, we had all the pipes burst two years ago during a winter freeze, and then, of course, a hurricane was not something I was prepared for personally or businesswise. And insurance is always a pain in the butt to work with. They’re always looking for reasons to not pay.

The new year brings a lot of renewed focus on wellness and fitness. What is your personal approach regarding health and physical fitness?

I always prefer to keep things really simple. It’s just like diet planning — if you make it really complicated and have all these rules about what you can or can’t do, nobody sticks with it. I do about half an hour of weightlifting and half an hour of cardio every day, but I’m always trying to keep it kind of variable. I do everything from free weights to machines to cardio equipment to running around in the woods. I’m also always trying to find people to be active with. For instance, I have friends that I go running with, and also a couple of our staff get together once or twice a week after work, and we’ll work out together. We’re very proactive-minded, and our office has all kinds of equipment like kettlebells, dumbbells, plates, cardio equipment, rowing machines, treadmills — the whole nine yards. When I started out, it was practically just a couple of mismatched dumbbells, but now we look like a real PT office, so that’s really great.