A new study was released that points to the most important ways to boost VO₂ Max as you age. Even though the study focused on seniors, its fundamental principles apply to all ages and are especially relevant to dancers.
The key finding from this 2025 study is people should emphasize more rhythmic daily behavior in terms of cardiovascular activities. This translates to higher levels of activity and greater consistency. What surprised researchers the most was that doing your cardio earlier in the day made a significant difference. VO₂ peak increased ~18 → 22 mL/kg/min when these factors were introduced.
What Is VO₂ Max?
VO₂ Max stands for “Maximum Volume of Oxygen” your body can use during intense physical activity. It’s measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min). In simpler terms, it’s a measure of your aerobic capacity. In other words, how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles can deliver and use oxygen. The higher your VO₂ Max, the more fit and capable your cardiovascular system is.
Measuring this can be challenging, as it involves a comprehensive test that must be followed in a very specific format to be accurate.
Why VO₂ Max Matters
VO₂ Max is often considered the gold standard of cardiorespiratory fitness. Here’s why:
Higher VO₂ Max = Better endurance. You can sustain physical activity (like dancing, walking, or sports) longer and with less fatigue.
Heart and lung efficiency. It reflects how well your heart pumps blood and how effectively your lungs supply oxygen to your muscles.
Disease prevention. Higher VO₂ Max is linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cognitive decline.
Performance. Athletes track VO₂ Max to monitor and improve their physical conditioning.
What Happens to VO₂ Max as We Age?
Unfortunately, VO₂ Max naturally declines with age, even in healthy, active individuals. Starting in your 30s, VO₂ Max decreases by about 1% per year unless you actively train. By the time you reach your 60s or 70s, you may lose 20–40% of your VO₂ Max if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Even those who exercise regularly lose their VO₂ Max due to modern workplace environments where sitting for hours is common. This drop makes daily tasks feel harder and recovery slows down.
Why does it decline?
There are many reasons for this gradual decline. Loss of muscle mass as we age reduces oxygen use by the muscles. The heart becomes less efficient, pumping less blood per beat. Lung function changes due to reduced elasticity and lung capacity as we age. Lower activity levels lead to deconditioning in general. Finally, irregular activity and changes to sleep and circadian rhythm reduces peak oxygen delivery.
The Good News: You Can Slow or Even Reverse This Decline
The study found that regular, rhythmic aerobic exercise like ballroom dancing, brisk walking, or cycling can significantly slow down VO₂ Max decline. With consistent training, older adults can regain 10–20 years of lost VO₂ Max capacity. Activities that are enjoyable, social, and habitual, like dancing, make it more likely that you’ll stay fit and able to maintain high levels of activity long-term.
What this means for ballroom dancers
Even though the study focused on seniors, its fundamentals are broadly applicable. It found that consistent, well-timed physical activity supports stronger heart and lung capacity.
Researchers also discovered that consistency beats randomness. A regular dance routine seems to amplify cardiovascular benefits versus sporadic workouts.
Perhaps the most surprising finding was that earlier activity peaks (e.g., morning or early afternoon) tend to correlate with better VO₂ levels. It’s not clear why it helps to do your activity earlier in the day, but it did have an impact that was measurable. For ballroom dancers, this highlights that high-quality cardiovascular fitness doesn’t just come from what you do, but when and how regularly you do it. Enjoyable dance classes done regularly in the morning or done on a consistent schedule can confer real fitness gains as we age.
This suggests that you should set a consistent routine. Schedule dance sessions on the same days and times every week, such as Tuesday or Saturday mornings. Aim for morning or early afternoon classes to gain the most benefit. Morning sessions were tied to better fitness outcomes in the study.
Mix your intensity. Switch between Ballroom/Smooth and Latin/Rhythm dances regularly. Alternate your light and heavy dance workouts, but do it consistently. Don’t put in a heavy effort and then wait a month to do it again. Schedule these every week, preferably on the same day weekly. Varying the intensity challenges both aerobic and anaerobic systems, something that is crucial for VO₂ development.
Finally, supplement dance with other types of sessions such as brisk walks, strength workouts or other forms of cardio such as cycling. This will allow your body to use different muscles as you engage your heart and lungs, boosting overall volume and keeping your heart adaptable.
You might also be interested in How old is old? Is aging really inevitable?
Tips for Success
Consistency is king. Treat dance sessions as fixed commitments rather than optional extras.
Time it right. Cardio sessions early in the day work best for circadian-aligned benefits.
Push and rest. Try to apply at least one harder session weekly, then allow recovery.
Use some form of simple tracking. A fitness app or calendar helps maintain a consistent rhythm.
Celebrate progress. Notice if certain figures or actions become easier to do, or you breathe easier in socials.
Ballroom dancing is more than art and having fun, although it is those things. It’s a life skill that is also an aerobic exercise that, when done habitually, rhythmically, and with variation, builds stronger cardiovascular fitness over time. By treating dance like a structured fitness program, complete with scheduled sessions, varied intensity, cross-training, and monitoring, you can boost your VO₂max, age gracefully, and keep dancing well into your later years.
The post New study identifies keys to improving VO₂ Max as we age first appeared on Delta.Dance.
