Exercise keeps getting harder.
If the same walk, climb, or workout is leaving you more winded than it used to, that's a measurable change in how your body uses oxygen and produces force. Declining capacity is common — and far more reversible than most people are told, once you know what's driving it.
Capacity is trainable at any age
Two systems determine how exercise feels: your cardiorespiratory fitness (how well you take in and use oxygen) and your muscle (how much force you can produce and sustain). Both decline with inactivity, illness, or aging — and both respond to the right training stimulus, often quickly.
What we measure
- VO₂ and ventilatory thresholds via cardiopulmonary exercise testing — the gold standard for fitness.
- Muscle mass and symmetry via DEXA, to catch quiet muscle loss.
- Recovery and metabolic flexibility — how well your body switches between burning fat and carbohydrate.
From measurement to a real prescription
Knowing your thresholds lets us prescribe exercise precisely — the right intensity in the right zones — instead of guessing. That's the difference between training that compounds and training that exhausts. Learn more about Zone 2 training.
How NorthStar approaches declining capacity
We measure your fitness and muscle directly, then write an exercise prescription matched to your actual physiology. You stop guessing at intensity, and we re-test to prove the plan is working.
Frequently asked
Is declining fitness just normal aging?
What does VO₂ max actually tell me?
Do I need testing, or can I just exercise more?
One interconnected picture
Understand what is limiting you.
Not all services are available yet. Telehealth appointments are anticipated to begin in late November 2026 for select patients. Please contact our office for additional information regarding eligibility and availability. In-person appointments and diagnostic testing are planned to begin in January 2027 at our Edina clinic.