Canyon Ranch Lenox: adventures and my fitness age
Hi friends! Hope you’re having a great day! Don’t forget to check in with your workout here! 🙂
Yesterday, I posted a recap of all of the glorious food I enjoyed at Canyon Ranch. Today, here are some of the adventures and the fitness age assessment.
The second day, the entire property was blanketed in fresh, white snow. I hadn’t been in snow for so long, and it was truly magical. The property felt so still and white, and the bare bushes were topped with little blossoms of white snow. We went for a hike around property, equipped with YakTrax (those things are awesome!), and got the opportunity to explore.
(The historic Bellefontaine mansion in the distance)
Saturday, I only took one class: a 90-minute vinyasa practice, which set my soul free. The instructor, Shari, was like a sweet and powerful yoga angel. It was the perfect mix of “airy fairy” and “workout.” I felt centered, stretched, and my body was saying “um, we should do that more often.” After yoga and lunch, I got to meet with the Exercise Physiologist to go over my Discover Your Fitness Age results.
(Disclaimer: if you think reading about fitness age testing and my results may be a triggering or sensitive topic for you, please skip the rest of this post. What we read can impact our thoughts, and it’s up to us to use our best judgment. xoxo)
During our stay, we were invited to enjoy the Discover Your Fitness Age assessment, which uses a variety of factors to determine your fitness age. I met with Laura, who was amaaaazing. She’s finishing up her doctorate in Exercise Physiology, and in addition to the wealth of knowledge she was generous to share, she was also really cool. I loved chatting with her and picking her brain about some of my fitness-related questions.
The assessment included a few components:
1) Body composition. It had been a while (years?) since I’d been pinched with the calipers, and I was interested in comparing the results with my recent hydrostatic test. There was a 15% difference. This is why it’s so important to use the same methods consistently; it’s a more effective way to gauge progress. My fitness age for body fat: 25
2) Next, we did my aerobic power test, which was death by treadmill. The purpose of the test was to predict my aerobic capacity (VO2 Max), by my perceived exertion on the treadmill. I wore a heart rate monitor, and gradually increased the incline and speed until I reached my personal max. It was intense. I’m used to keeping a steady pace while I increase the incline, or performing short bursts of my max in Orangetheory. I had to find that max, and maintain it for 30-45 seconds, after the climb up in speed and resistance. I was on the treadmill for 10 grueling minutes, and finally cried “Uncle!” (or something like that haha) at 9mph and 8% incline. My predicted VO2 Max was 56, which gave me a fitness age of 20 for aerobic power. (I was joking with the girls before the test that I wanted to have the fitness age of a 19-year old man, and the Exercise Physiologist said that this was correct for my aerobic power. The VO2 Max of 56 didn’t show up on the female charts for age 20, but it did for the male charts! Hahaha.)
3) After that, I channeled my inner basketball star for the muscular power test: vertical jump. I had never done anything like this before, and got a kick out of it. My vertical jump was 45.72cm. We went into the strength room for pull-ups, and I had to complete as many as possible with half my body weight assisting me. I maxed out at 25. Fitness age for muscular power: 20
(love this breezy tank from lulu)
4) Finally, we did the long jump to test proprioception, which is the ability to move your body in space and maintain balance. I jumped 177cm, which is 108% of my height. Agility fitness age: 20
After the tests were complete, Laura went over the results with me, which was really insightful. It also gave me hope that maintaining my cardiovascular fitness, strength training, and testing my balance regularly will enable me to keep my work capacity high, and my fitness age low. This may be my personal peak, but she’s met other women who have been able to maintain this, and protect their bone density well into their 50s and 60s. She said I earned a second 21st birthday, and then we spent the rest of the time in the strength room deadlifting. I loved it.
Saturday was kind of my “Zen day,” and I was treated to a fantastic facial.
Dinner with the girls,
an awesome breakfast the next day, and a walk around the indoor track, and then I was on the plane back home!
While I was in Lenox, I also got to hang out with Meg quite a bit, visit Kyle and Meg’s new place, and kiss/snuggle with Harley and Luna. It was a wonderful weekend. <3
Time to start dinner and then meet up with my training appointment. Have a lovely night!
xoxo
Gina
This post is not sponsored, but Canyon Ranch did provide my spa services, fitness assessment, and accommodations in Lenox. I paid for my travel. Thank you again to CR for the opportunity to attend, and for such an amazing experience. <3
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Looks like you got to enjoy all the things you love! How amazing!
Wow girl, this just confirms you’re a total rockstar! Your fitness age results are super inspiring!
That looks like so much fun! I would love to take part in getting my fitness age calculated! Canyon Ranch looks very tranquil and relaxing!
Looks like so much fun! I’m super jealous!
Discover your age assessment sounds a lot like the one on Wii Fit(have you ever played that before?). I once got the age of 32. It was pretty pathetic!
Sounds like an amazing few days! Fitness age of 20–bravo!
That’s so cool you were able to take the fitness age test! I find that stuff so interesting, but I am pretty sure I would die on the treadmill portion haha.
That’s so, so special that you got to see your family especially since they are so far away
Hi Gina! It’s so crazy how body fat measurements can be so different depending on the method. When I worked at Equinox as a trainer, we used the InBody machine, which I felt was quite accurate, it’s a scale with metal hand holders that reads your body fat and muscle mass. Anyway, how cool your fitness age 20. You rock!
i’m sorry… i cant resist 🙂
was it a fantastic facial, or a fannetastic facial? 🙂 (the comment was right above the photo! haha_
WOW! I would love to go through a series of tests like that! Such awesome information! I’d love to know what my fitness age is. But i’d hope it would be something pretty close to my age now since I’m 20 LOL!
That’s awesome stats lady! Sounds like you had a great time.
Hi Gina! I normally love your blog and workouts, especially because I always feel like this is a safe zone of sorts because you don’t focus your blog posts on weight, measurements, etc. and have said in the past that stating your numbers doesn’t help others (so true!). As someone in recovery for an ED, I do wish that you had put up your normal disclaimer that this might be triggering for some so I could have skipped it and come back for the next post. It’s so fantastic that you are where you are in your journey but I don’t want reason to compare, you know?
i totally understand, and wanted to apologize for that. i edited the post and added the disclaimer. sending love to you
Thank you so much, Gina. I really, really appreciate it!
That sounds like such a blast, I would love to do something like this! And I love how she mentioned women have been able to maintain their fitness levels and healthy bone densities into their 60s – that’s what it’s all about!
yes!! it’s one of my huge goals to be healthy and protect my bones and organs as long as possible, so it was inspiring to hear
This place sounds amazing! I would love to go to something like this one day!
Those icicles are BEASTIE! So cool! Sounds like you had a great time! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! This looks fabulous! As I said on Tina’s blog, I may give this a go at home (assisted pull-up, high jump, long jump) just to have as a diagnostic. I do find it interesting that you all were all around the same fitness age. I mean you all are each SUPER SUPER fit so it isn’t that much of a surprise..
Amazing stats!! I would love to do an assessment like that!
Hi Gina!
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your blog and admire you. You are pretty much a fitness/mom/foodie badass but always remain so down-to-earth and humble. It’s pretty amazing that you have created a healthy living blog that is also a safe place for people to go that are normally triggered by certain topics. I’ll stop fan-girling now…but thanks for what you do!
I love when you write posts like this! I remember you describing the Bod Pod back in the day- when I got the opportunity to get in one for a study I was participating in I knew exactly what to expect, thanks to you! Very cool and informative! 🙂
Such a great review! It’s nice to see that Canyon Ranch takes such a hollistic approach to health. Yay for 20 years in fitness age! 🙂
Wow! Way to go on your fitness tests! I’d love to get those fitness results some day!
Congrats on your fitness test results! That’s so awesome! I’m not sure I tested as a 20 year old, when I was 20!
Happy Birthday! 😉 What a cool opportunity to test all facets of your fitness level.
CR Lenox looks like an amazing place (though this island girl cringes at all the snow!) and how wonderful to continuosly reconnect with your blog friends.
I wonder though, why every time you post abot yoga, you lament about how amazing it is and you should do it more often, and the teacher training is on your “want to do list” but you rarely make time to practice? As an avid fitness professional tht encourages women to find diversity in things they love that keep them active…why would you continue to try and force yoga upon yourself if it doesnt fit into your lifestyle at this point?
You’ve noted your heavy teaching schedule as one of the reasons. I too, am a military wife, and hve two children, just spent 3 years volunteering full time (I now teach yoga as a paid gig, and help manage a studio as well as being part of the command support team)…and I had to choose which activities I loved most because there just wasnt time for everything I wanted to try.
Point being: give yourself a break when t comes to yoga, dont push it! If it truly resonates with you say it does, you shouldn’t always feel the need to qualify your posts with how you should do it more but how you are so busy that its a challenge. Its OK…if it’s meant to be a deeper part of your life, you will make it so. And if not, so what?!
I only say this because in some ways, the repetitive “I love it but just cant make myself do it” can make some readers feel like your discussions on yoga are disingenuine. Follow the path of your heart and it will shine through in what you share on your blog!
i totally understand what you’re saying. i find myself stuck in the “i want to do all of these things” mentality, but there isn’t enough time in the week, tom’s schedule is very volatile, and i find myself apologizing to myself because i don’t have the time (or the manpower) to do all of these things. as far as fitness goes, teaching right now is #1, and if i get a night off to do my own workout, i’m probably going to go to orangetheory (since i love it, pay for my membership and don’t want to waste it). there isn’t really time in the week right now to take a yoga class, and when i do get the opportunity, i LOVE it. to do yoga teacher training, i’d have to quit barre, which isn’t something i want to do at this time.
i understand what you’re saying, but also think that saying i love yoga but can’t add it in my schedule right now is genuine, because it’s the truth. i think many readers may be able to relate to that: having full plates and needing to prioritize. when/if my schedule changes, i’ll be able to do teacher training and make yoga a more consistent part of my routine.
thank you for reading and for your feedback. also, thank you to you, your husband and family for serving <3
I am so grateful you saw my intent and I didn’t come cross brash or judgmental! It is always a balance and we really need to listen to our hearts and no glorify busy so much.
One more thing because you enjoy the vision board process…you might look into intuitive collage. It’s less goal centric/pre planned and more listening to the quiet voice inside. I recently attended a workshop with http://www.soul-dust.com and the IC process has become an almost daily ritual for me. It’s given me more permission to walk my path without the expectations and limitations put on me by society or myself.
I love fit tests!! How cool that they were able to incorporate age…sometimes results from those tests get a little mucked up even to me (a fitness professional!) so adding in age makes it pretty simple to understand and digest 🙂
Not at all surprised by your fitness age. You’re a fitness rock star! Canyon Ranch looks amazing. I’d love to visit someday!
Go Gina!! You’re a rockstar!!
It sounds like you fit a lot in to your short trip! Nice that you were able to spend time with Kyle & Meg 🙂
Sounds like such a great weekend. Finding out that you’re 20, and getting to spend time with family.
For some reason though, I love the jumping picture, just cracks me up.
I feel you are extremely genuine Gina, that is why I read your blog! I too feel it is difficult to tackle all that I want to accomplish in a day. Hubby is deployed right now and I am at home with 2 kiddos. One in school (JK) the other is 9 mths. With breast feeding, baby NEVER naps much, cleaning, working on a course, eating healthy, trying to meditate even if only 10 min and working out….all can be VERY challenging. I too would love to make more yoga time. Haven’t been to a class in a while but would love to once hubby returns. I guess my point is I appreciate the realness in your blog as you are very inspiring.
This is such a cool test! I would love to try it out!
I’m catching up on some of your posts–amazing results! And holy heck–25 pull ups? Tell me how to get there!
Ok, I re-read that and saw that you had half your body weight assisting you–now that makes more sense! I was thinking you were Super Woman for a minute there! 🙂