Wattbike’s lead sport scientist Eddie Fletcher discusses the importance of health assessments, changes in consumer behaviour post-lockdown and the latest UK government strategy

A global pandemic affects how we all look at our own health and fitness. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the increased risks that being obese, overweight and sedentary can bring to a person’s immune system and its ability to protect against viruses. Studies also show that patients who have Type 2 diabetes or other metabolic syndromes are ten times more at risk of dying from COVID-19.

Lack of exercise is even argued to be as deadly as smoking when it comes to morbidity statistics, and it’s estimated that low physical activity levels could be responsible for around 1 in 10 cases of heart disease and just under 1 in 5 cases of colon cancer in the UK alone.

According to research collated by the NHS, exercise can reduce the risk of major illnesses by up to 50 per cent, and lower your risk of early death by 30 per cent.

As people return to their fitness facilities, the industry needs to be ready to provide for a new consumer focus. Gone are the days where aesthetic fitness ambitions will be the most-sought after goals. In its place will be the new health-orientated consumer.

Therefore, the industry needs effective ways of testing, benchmarking and improving health markers, as well as providing options that appeal to both those new to fitness facilities, as well as regular gym goers.

It’s a tough ask, but Wattbike has the answer: the Wattbike Health Assessment.

The Wattbike Health Assessment
Scientific research on the benefits of exercise has identified cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as an accurate way to measure someone’s physical health. In simple terms, CRF tells you how effective your body is at transporting oxygen to the places where it’s needed the most.

Although not a diagnostic test, the CRF test can function like an initial risk assessment, and can be used as part of a strategy of prevention to determine if an individual is at risk of developing cardiorespiratory or metabolic disorders, based on their CRF score.  

Recognising the importance of measuring CRF, Wattbike has created a simple, accessible and accurate health assessment, which is available via the free Wattbike Hub app. This gives each individual their CRF score and predicted VO2max, to show their current health and fitness benchmarks.

Importantly, from this score, each person is then assigned a personalised training plan, as well as individual training zones, so they can work to increase their score by the end of the training block – improving their health and extending their active life.

Wattbike Training Plans
After each improved score, the assigned training programme becomes more advanced, to ensure a continued progression without plateau. These training plans are programmed by sport scientists to offer individuals structure, consistency, and motivation for optimum fitness improvement.

Crucially, the plans safeguard the correct, individualised levels of exercise intensity and recovery, based on each CRF score in order to promote effective training and continued improvement.