Are you ageing well? 5 simple tests to get a picture of your biological age
Particularly useful for over-50s, these simple physical tests can give you a better idea of your biological age and highlight any red flags
If you had been a fly on my study wall this morning, you might have been startled to see me rise from a seated position on the floor several times, and then time myself as I stood on one leg, first with my eyes open and then with them closed.
We can do simple tests like these at home to assess how well we are ageing, allowing us to compare our chronological age (the number of years we have lived) with our biological age (how well our cells and systems are ageing).
Here are five to try.
1. Standing on one leg: the ‘flamingo’ test
Dr Kenton Kaufman of the Mayo Clinic in the US state of Minnesota, who authored a study on gait, strength and balance, calls the position “a remarkable feat of integration between these systems”. The ability to maintain this posture declines more sharply with age than almost any other physical measure.
According to the UK’s National Health Service, the time you ought to be able to remain standing on one leg varies by age. If you can stand with all of your weight on one leg for 30 seconds, you are performing well for a middle-aged adult. On average, it is 37 seconds if you are 50 to 59, 30 seconds if you are 60 to 69, between 18 and 19 seconds if you are aged 70 to 79, and a little over five seconds if you are over 80.