Fri 24th Jan 2024 @ NUMI
I arrived to Numi in Holt after a nice drive from Norwich. I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to have this time to explore my health…
I was met with a warm welcome from Maria, who was playing my favourite artist, Passenger, in the background - this made me feel very relaxed. Maria clearly explained the tests we would do and in which order.
Dexa Scan
This was very much like an MRI - you had to lay completely still
RMR Breating test
Breathing into tube for 13 mins was actually quite tricky. This is used to calculate your Resting Metabolic rate - how many calories you need a day at rest
Spirometer
Blowing hard into a device to measure lung capacity and function
Blood Pressure & ECG
My first ECG - keeping my fingers crossed
Grip Strength
Hold a device and grip as hard as you can with either hand
V02 Max Test
This was the big one for me - it was a 13 min test designed to get me to MAX effort. Straight away it felt harder than a normal session on the treadmill - I guess due to the restricted breathing. As Maria kept ramping it up each minute I had my mind set on not stopping until the 13 mins was up. This was hard, but I am strong mentally and I made it. Maria asked if I had any more left - the answer with any Cardio test essentially is yes - my mind was set for 13 mins and that is what I made my body achieve. Maria assured me that there was still enough date to accurately give me my V02 MAX.
Blood Test
With my blood pumping, it was easy to come out! This reading will go away and be assessed and I felt excited to hear the results…
Mon 27th Jan via Video Call
I left the session with Maria feeling very energised. The next stage was an 1.5hr video call with her colleague Sarah on Monday to discuss everything in detail
Goals
Much like our Initial Consultation at Dynamic Fitness we established 3 goals:
To have a level of fitness to qualify for the World Champs (Triathlon) in May.
To participate in the Madrid marathon in April.
To be able to maintain a high level of physical activity as you age.
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Results
Firstly it was good to hear that there were no abnormalities detected with my Heart Rhythm during testing
DEXA Scan
The big take home here is that my body fat is only 9.25%. My scales say 11% so I am pleased it is even lower. What is really pleasing is that I have a ‘very low amount of Visceral Adipose Tissue’. My bone density is good too - this will continue to be helped by exercise
RMR Breathing Test
My Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) has been measured as being 2050 calories per day
Lung function
It turns out my lung capacity is big! (5.23 litres) but the FEV1 (Forced expiratory volume in the first second of breath) was relatively low. This suggests I am not using all my lung capacity. Sarah suggested some breathing exercises to improve the flexibility of my lungs. To me this seems like a potential for an easy win!
Grip Strength
This is the only strength test used. In my opinion it would be good to test separate areas as we do at Dynamic Fitness. However, I do agree that grip strength is incredibly important, especially as we age. Grip strength is closely linked to resistance training (our USP at Dynamic Fitness). My result was just above average which suggests I could certainly up my own strength training!
VO2 Max
VO2 Max (maximal oxygen consumption) refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilise during intense exercise. This measurement is generally considered the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness
My VO2 Max result is 59 which places my fitness in the 'superior' category compared to other males of a similar age.
Their system calculated my anaerobic threshold as 176 bpm. This is then used to calculate my 5 Heart Rate training zones. So when my heart rate goes over 176 I am going into Zone 5. This is good for short intervals and helps build top end speed.
Blood Test results
My total Cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and Triglycerides were all within the normal range. It did show my LDL (Bad cholesterol) is toward the top of the normal range. We have certainly identified some areas to improve here. My Vitamin D levels are good - I try and get outside whenever I can and the massive windows at the Dynamic Studio are probably a bonus! My blood pressure is normal and my risk of developing diabetes in the next 10 years has been calculated at 0.5%
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Agreed actions
Work on lung flexibility and efficiency by introducing breathing exercises.
Decrease your meat intake to reduce the saturated fat in your diet, and increase more plant based protein.
Look for opportunities where some higher weight, low-mid rep strength training can be introduced into your day/week.
Overall, I really rated the experience. While I am very confident in the service we offer at Dynamic Fitness it was nice to undergo these advanced tests and have a very valuable follow up with an experienced nutritionist.
If you are interested in trying NUMI then check out their website below. You can use the discount code HEALTHCHECK-DYNAMIC20 for 20% off