My VO2Max has recovered since COVID, probably even improved, however, my upper body has not. As a result, I'm getting more muscle soreness, which can interfere with sleep. The calisthenics yesterday left me too sore. I had plenty of cardiovascular endurance, however, the muscles themselves must have developed crazy amounts of lactate that doesn't easily clear out. If I had the dough for it, I'd be hitting a sauna right around now, and since it's not hot enough outside, a sauna suit won't do me much good today. Mostly I'm using old-fashioned wintergreen rubbing alcohol, and that seems to work well for a few hours.
I did a VO2Max test on my watch yesterday and it still says 35. I don't trust it. I think you have to do a submax test like this on a real track on perfectly level ground for best results. It isn't accounting for elevating differences and things like that. Even though Central Florida has very few real hills, alot of our spaces actually have subtle grades and elevation changes to encourage drainage. There's no trail running mode, either, on this watch, so you'ld probably have to create a custom activity to deal with that if you are using GPS at all, as it will automatically create a VO2Max score any time you do a walk or run activity with sufficient activity for ten minutes using the GPS mode. I would much rather the watch have a non-exercise VO2Max test, similar to what Polar uses. Anything not done on a treadmill for estimating VO2Max is going to be iffy anyways, because it's not a controlled setting with the proper equipment.
I'm going to switch to using bands, light clubs, cardio machines, and arm cycles for a while and focus on rehab of the muscles in my upper body- I'm not ready for weights or calisthenics yet. I've got decent biceps and triceps (those are easy to get, just burn through alot of volume with dumbells, and arm soreness is less draining physiologically), it's my core, shoulders, and back that need work. I've also read about a technique of using an arm cycle in reverse, helping to develop the posterior chain, and I'm going to give that a try. With an arm cycle, it's also easier to meter out exercise activity and manage the overall load.
IMO, arm cycles are very much underrated. It works alot of muscles all at once. The stimulus to fatigue is also decent: it's good for older beginners or rehab, and a good upper-body compliment to using an exercise bike or elliptical.