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Cooper’s test measures cardiovascular fitness by running or walking the greatest distance possible in 12 minutes. It was developed by Kenneth Cooper and is used as a baseline for recruits and to measure improvement through training. Results vary by gender and age and can be compared to a standard.
Cooper’s test is a measure of physical fitness that measures cardiovascular fitness while running or walking. It was developed in the late 1960s as a means of measuring the fitness of United States military personnel. In Cooper’s test, an individual must cover the greatest possible distance in twelve minutes. The results are compared to a standard and ranked accordingly.
Kenneth Cooper, an Air Force flight surgeon and physician, is considered one of the fathers of physical fitness. In 1968, he published a book titled Aerobics, which first outlined the health benefits of cardiovascular fitness and described specific exercises as a means of strengthening the heart and lungs. It was during this time in the Air Force that he developed his eponymous test, designed to assess fitness level among large groups of people.
Cooper’s test value is derived from the correlation between the distance an individual can run in 12 minutes and VO2 max, which is essentially the measure of how efficiently the body uses oxygen during exercise. The further a person can go in 12 minutes, therefore, the more efficient their lungs and heart will be at circulating oxygen throughout the body. In military and police forces around the world, the Cooper Test is used as a baseline for recruits and as a way to measure improvement through training.
Given its simplicity, anyone can take the Cooper test. With a stopwatch and a way of measuring distance, such as a pedometer, treadmill, or distance track, a person can go as far as they can in twelve minutes and record the results. An Internet search will return a comparison table to compare performance against standard results for people of the same sex and age. The data can also be used to determine your VO2 max, and these formulas are also available online.
Normal results for Cooper’s test vary by gender and age. The results are classified as “very good”, “good”, “average”, “bad” and “very bad”. For men, the highest average level of fitness occurs in the 17-20 age category, while for women it falls in the 20-29 category. For a 17-20 year old male, average fitness based on the Cooper test is considered to be 8,200 to 8,860 ft (2,500 – 2,700 m) in 12 minutes. For women ages 20-29, the average is 5,900-7,200 feet (1,800-2,200 m).
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