每天有氧连做30天，她的VO₂ max从33.76升到37.37：一个人的挑战记录，先看清证据边界
'I Did Cardio Every Day for 30 Days—These Were the Surprising Changes to my Mind and Body'
先把证据边界说清：这是一篇单人挑战记录，不是研究报道。加拿大 YouTuber、前运动员 Makari Espe 因为久坐办公、下班躺沙发，离专家建议的每周150分钟运动量差得远，于是给自己定下连续30天每天做有氧的目标，同时保留力量与活动度训练。这30天里她试了跑步、徒步、水中有氧、动感单车、舞蹈、网球，还试了壁球和钢管舞，目的与其说是刷强度，不如说是找回自己真正愿意长期做的运动形式。她自述的变化包括：几天后就觉得更有精力、心情更好（原话「energized, fast, and happy」）；跑步一次次刷出个人最快、从吃力变得期待；她报告的 VO₂ max（最大摄氧量，衡量有氧能力的常用指标）从开始时的33.76升到结束时的37.37，原文按她的年龄把前者标为「good」、后者标为「excellent」；还有一课是恢复——某次跑出最慢成绩后她意识到腿已经累了，加上脱水与疲劳感，她把拉伸和休息明确列为挑战的一部分。习惯层面，她发现20分钟的短时段更容易启动，30天后表示没有理由停下来。原文自己也提醒：有氧不是运动的全部，完整收益要搭配规律的力量与活动度训练。证据限制必须强调：以上全是 n=1 的个人自述，没有对照、没有独立复测，情绪与体感变化都是主观报告；VO₂ max 的测量方式与设备原文未说明，不能把这个数字当作医学测量结论，更不能外推为「每天有氧30天必然提升摄氧量」。想借鉴的人可以借鉴的是方法而非结果：先从短时段、多种形式里找到愿意持续的那一种，把休息日和拉伸算进计划，强度循序渐进；有心肺疾病、关节伤病史或长期不运动的人，开始每日训练前应先咨询医生。署名：颜如玉编辑台。
If a desk job and evenings on the sofa are leaving you short of the expert-recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week, setting yourself a fitness challenge could help shift your routine. It did for Canadian YouTuber and former athlete Makari Espe. After deciding it was time for a change, she committed to doing some form of cardio every day for 30 days, to see whether moving more could improve her mood, stamina, and boost her VO2 max (the max amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, and a key marker of aerobic fitness).
Alongside weights and mobility, she tried everything from running and hiking to water aerobics, spin, dance, and tennis, using the month-long experiment as an opportunity to find the forms of fitness she actually enjoys. Thirty days later, she noticed some surprising changes to both her body and mind—all of which were positive, and all of which led to her cementing a sustainable habit she will willingly continue. Here’s what happened.
A caveat: While cardio is brilliant for your heart, stamina and mental wellbeing, it's not the gold standard of exercise in isolation. To reap the full health benefits of movement, experts recommend pairing aerobic exercise with regular strength training and mobility work, like Espe did. Think of cardio as one piece of the fitness puzzle rather than the whole picture.
1. She felt happier and more energized
It didn't take long for Espe to notice a shift in how she felt. Just a few days into the challenge, she said she was feeling “energized, fast, and happy,” adding, “Wow, I feel great.” Even on days when she needed to dial things back, she noticed the difference movement was making, saying a rest day was “so needed” and left her legs feeling “so much better.” She also found herself rediscovering the joy of trying new things, admitting: “I'm having a lot of fun. I haven't tried new things like this in a really long time.”
2. Her aerobic fitness and VO2 max improved
As the month went on, Espe could feel her fitness improving in real time. “I'm not tired when I'm doing these things. And that feels great,” she said, noting that her aerobic capacity had noticeably improved. She also became stronger on her runs and discovered that walking and running were her preferred forms of cardio. The improvements were reflected in her VO2 max score, too, which rose from 33.76 at the start of the experiment (”good” for her age) to 37.37 (”excellent”) by the end of the challenge.
3. Running became easier—and more enjoyable
Running in particular transformed from something challenging into something she genuinely looked forward to. She repeatedly logged her “fastest run yet” and said one guided run was so emotional that she “almost cried.” Another run felt so good that she immediately wanted to do it again, calling it “a good way to start the morning.” By the end of the challenge, she was surprised to find herself declaring running “so hecking fun.”
4. She started noticing physical changes
The benefits weren't just mental. As she continued moving every day, Espe said she was “feeling really strong in the gym” and beginning to see the benefits of regular cardio. That said, she was also candid about the fact that the challenge wasn't always easy, admitting there were “minutes, hours, and days” where she felt “like garbage” and didn't want to keep going.
5. She discovered exercise she genuinely enjoyed
One of the biggest takeaways was learning that there is no single “best” workout. Instead, the most effective form of exercise is the one you actually want to do consistently. In search of activities she enjoyed, she tried everything from squash to water aerobics, which the latter turning out surprisingly enjoyable: “Nobody told me water aerobics was awesome.” Even workouts she found difficult were often described as “very fun,” and she finished several sessions admitting, “Never thought I'd say this, but I had a lot of fun.”
6. Trying new activities boosted her mood
More broadly, stepping outside her comfort zone gave her a noticeable mood boost. She said she was “having a lot of fun” and found joy in activities ranging from pole dancing to hiking with her parents, adding, “It just feels really good.” After one dance session, she declared, “I feel empowered.”
7. She became more appreciative of her body
The challenge also shifted her perspective on what her body can do. On tougher days, she reminded herself how “lucky” she was to have “a fully functioning heart and body” that allowed her to move in so many different ways. By the end, she hoped her experience would inspire others to move more in ways that make them feel “strong, fast, sexy, calm, and alive.”
8. She learned that recovery matters
Doing cardio every day taught Espe an important lesson: recovery is essential. After logging her slowest run, she recognized it as a sign that she needed rest, saying her legs were “so tired.” She also noticed when she was feeling “a little dehydrated” and “a little tired,” making time for stretching because, as she put it, “recovery is super hecking important.”
9. She built a habit she wants to continue
Perhaps most importantly, the challenge helped her create a sustainable routine. She found that aiming to fit exercise into shorter 20-minute sessions made it easier to get moving and said she had really “hit my stride.” By the end of the month, she saw “no reason” not to keep going, adding, “Only positive things have come out of it.” Her biggest takeaway? “A little bit of movement every day can make a huge difference.”
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women's Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
来源：颜如玉编辑台 · womenshealthmag.com