Movement · October 22, 2026 · 1:58
How to Raise Your VO2 Max With Intervals
Dr. Anna Schwartz explains how to start interval training, how to build it up, and why everyone should know their baseline.
VO2 maxinterval trainingcardio fitnessCooper test
TLDR
- Add intervals gradually. Do not start with 20 minutes of hard effort.
- Dr. Schwartz starts people with one minute on and one minute off, a couple of times.
- She builds toward four minutes on and four minutes off, repeated three or four times.
- As you get fitter you cover more ground in the same time.
- Everyone benefits from knowing a baseline, even people who cannot walk around the block.
- You can test with a lab test, a wearable or the 12 minute Cooper test.
I have been tracking my VO2 max for about a month. I run up a hill that takes a couple of blocks. So I asked Dr. Anna Schwartz, our Chief Longevity Officer, how to build a plan to raise it.
In this short talk you will hear:
- How to start intervals without doing too much too soon
- A starting pattern of one minute on and one minute off
- How to build up to four minutes on and four minutes off
- Why you should measure a baseline, even if you are out of shape
- Three ways to test your VO2 max, including the 12 minute Cooper test