Oura Ring users with active memberships can now access two new cardiovascular-focused features available on the Oura Ring Gen 3 and later models. The additions aim to provide users with deeper insights into how their exercise routines affect long-term cardiovascular health and whether they should maintain, increase, or reduce their training intensity.
Cardio Effort is a new metric that evaluates the intensity and duration of workouts by measuring how hard a user’s cardiovascular system was working during exercise rather than focusing on traditional measures like distance covered or calories burned. The feature calculates individual workout efforts and compares cumulative weekly activity against a personalized baseline specific to each user. The rating system includes five categories: Light indicates cardiovascular strain substantially lower than normal; Fair, Maintaining, and Building represent progressive levels of effort; and Reaching signals markedly higher exposure relative to baseline, potentially indicating a need for prioritized recovery.
The second feature, automatic VO2 Max, represents an enhancement to existing VO2 Max functionality already present on Oura Rings. Previously, obtaining accurate aerobic capacity measurements required users to complete a six-minute walking test for calibration purposes. The new automatic version, currently available as a beta feature through Oura Labs, eliminates this calibration requirement. Instead, the system automatically activates after users complete five GPS-enabled activities such as walks, runs, and hikes.
Once activated, users can access VO2 Max readings in the Oura app’s My Health Heart Hub section, which displays their current aerobic capacity estimate, a rating classification, historical trends showing how capacity has changed over time, and personalized insights that alert users when their VO2 Max meaningfully shifts or remains consistent.
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