Building Capacity for Life: What My Stress Test Reminded Me About Cardiovascular Fitness
Why cardiovascular fitness matters for longevity, and why every woman should make time for it.
Today I had a treadmill stress test at my cardiologist's office.
The goal wasn't to see how fast I could run or whether I could set a personal record.
It was to evaluate how my heart responded as the demands gradually increased.
By the end of the test, I had completed four stages, exceeded the target heart rate by reaching 101% of my predicted maximum, and heard something that felt incredibly rewarding.
"Your heart is strong and healthy. It shows that you work out."
As a personal trainer, hearing those words meant a great deal.
Not because I was looking for validation.
Because they reflected years of intentionally building something we don't talk about nearly enough.
Capacity.
Not just the ability to exercise, but the ability to live well.
What Is Capacity?
When most people think about fitness, they picture lifting heavier weights, losing weight, or running farther.
Those things can all be valuable.
But one of the greatest gifts exercise gives us is the ability to do everyday life with greater ease.
Can you carry groceries without becoming winded?
Can you climb several flights of stairs comfortably?
Can you recover quickly after chasing your children or grandchildren around the park?
Can you travel, hike, garden, or play without feeling exhausted?
That's capacity.
A funny example came to mind while planning my daughter's birthday.
I recently blew up 30 balloons for her party.
There was a time when that probably would have left me lightheaded and searching for a chair.
Instead, I finished them without giving it much thought.
That may seem insignificant, but those everyday moments are often where our fitness quietly shows up.
The goal isn't to become good at blowing up balloons.
The goal is to build a cardiovascular system that supports everything else you want to do.
Strength and Cardiovascular Fitness Work Together
If you've spent any time around Strong As I Am Collective, you know how much I value strength training.
Strength remains one of the most powerful investments we can make for bone health, muscle mass, balance, confidence, and long term independence.
But strength doesn't replace cardiovascular fitness.
They complement one another.
Strength helps you move and carry.
Cardiovascular fitness helps you sustain movement, recover more efficiently, and continue doing the things you love.
Together, they build a body that's prepared for real life.
One of My Favorite Tools: Sprint Interval Training (SIT)
One of the ways I've been improving my own cardiovascular fitness is through Sprint Interval Training (SIT).
Sprint Interval Training alternates short periods of very hard effort with longer recovery periods.
A session might look something like this:
3 minute warm up
30 seconds of challenging effort
90 seconds of recovery
Repeat five to eight times
Cool down
The workout itself doesn't take very long, but it provides a powerful training stimulus.
That doesn't mean everyone should start with SIT.
The right program always depends on your current fitness level, health history, and goals.
For many women, walking, cycling, swimming, or other forms of moderate aerobic exercise are exactly where they should begin.
What the Science Shows
Cardiovascular fitness is one of the strongest predictors of long term health.
Research consistently demonstrates that improving cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and premature death. Higher levels of fitness are also linked with better cognitive function, improved quality of life, and greater independence as we age.
Research on Sprint Interval Training has shown it can:
Improve VOâ‚‚ max, one of the strongest indicators of cardiovascular fitness and longevity.
Increase stroke volume, allowing the heart to pump more blood with each beat.
Improve mitochondrial function, helping muscles produce energy more efficiently.
Improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation.
Lower blood pressure in many individuals.
Increase exercise capacity while requiring relatively little training time.
Perhaps most importantly, cardiovascular exercise helps your body become more efficient.
Your heart pumps more effectively.
Your muscles use oxygen more efficiently.
Recovery improves.
Daily activities become easier.
That's not just fitness.
That's quality of life.
Why This Matters for Women
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women.
Yet many women still associate exercise primarily with weight loss or changing how they look.
I believe it's time we shift that conversation.
Exercise is about building a body that allows you to continue saying yes to the life you want to live.
Yes to carrying your grandchildren.
Yes to hiking on vacation.
Yes to dancing at weddings.
Yes to traveling.
Yes to recovering well after illness or surgery.
Yes to living independently for decades to come.
That's why I coach the way I do.
Not to help women chase perfection.
To help them build capacity.
My Biggest Takeaway
Walking out of my cardiologist's office today, I wasn't thinking about the treadmill.
I was thinking about the thousands of small choices that led there.
Every strength workout.
Every incline walk.
Every interval session.
Every recovery day.
Every decision to keep showing up.
Those choices added up to a healthy heart.
Not because I trained for a stress test.
Because I trained for life.
Today's appointment simply reminded me that our bodies notice the work we're putting in, even when we don't.
Let's Build Capacity Together
Whether you're just beginning your strength journey or looking to improve your cardiovascular fitness alongside your strength training, you don't have to figure it out alone.
At Strong As I Am Collective, every program is built around thoughtful progression, individualized coaching, and helping women build bodies that support the lives they want to live.
If you're ready to become stronger, improve your cardiovascular health, and build confidence that lasts far beyond the gym, I'd love to help.
Schedule a Movement Assessment or reach out for a complimentary discovery conversation. Together, we'll create a plan that's built for your life, your goals, and your future.
References
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 12th ed. Wolters Kluwer. 2024.
American Heart Association. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults.
Gibala MJ, Little JP, Macdonald MJ, Hawley JA. Physiological adaptations to low volume, high intensity interval training in health and disease. The Journal of Physiology. 2012;590(5):1077-1084.
Ross R, Blair SN, Arena R, et al. Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice. Circulation.2016;134:e653-e699.
Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all cause mortality and cardiovascular events. JAMA. 2009;301(19):2024-2035.