A variety of factors determine how well you’re aging, like emotional well-being and cognitive function. But experts who study aging agree on another powerful indicator: how well you can move your body.
Your ability to move with or without ease comes down to muscle mass, range of motion, flexibility, and energy levels, according to Richard Dupee, MD, chief of geriatrics at Tufts Medical Center.
Unfortunately, these factors tend to decline with age, which can make daily tasks harder and increase the risk of falls, the leading cause of fatal injuries among adults aged 65 and older. You want to be “strong enough to prevent falls or injury when possible,” emphasized Colleen Christmas, MD, a physician in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
So how can you know how you stack up? The good news is that it’s possible to measure your own physical function—and you don’t even have to leave your home to do it. Here are four simple, research-backed tests that offer a quick read on your fitness and longevity.
(Note: If you’re unsteady on your feet or have an injury or disability, check with your doctor before attempting these exercises.)
This test is designed to assess mobility, balance, and fall risk, and several studies suggest it can be a reliable predictor of mortality. For example, a 2017 study found that slower TUG times were strongly associated with a higher risk of death from any cause within 12 years in a group of roughly a thousand adults aged 65 and older.
How to perform:
- Grab a stopwatch.
- Sit back in a standard armchair.
- Identify a line 10 feet away on the floor.
- Start the stopwatch.
- Stand up and walk to the line on the floor at your normal pace.
- Turn around.
- Walk back to the chair at your normal pace.
- Sit down again.
- Stop the stopwatch.
Taking 12 seconds or more to complete the test may indicate an increased risk of falling, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Standing on one leg might sound simple, but it can reveal a lot about your balance and overall physical fitness. One study suggests that for adults aged 50 and older, the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds may indicate a two-fold increase in the risk of death within the next decade.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides.
- Lift one foot off the ground, keeping it slightly bent at the knee.
- Start a timer (or have someone time you).
- Hold that position for 10 seconds while looking straight ahead.
One reliable way to test balance, strength, and range of motion—the extent to which a body part can move freely—is the sitting-rising test, which gauges how well you can sit down on the floor and rise back up without assistance.
How to perform:
- Stand barefoot on a non-slip surface, such as a thin mat.
- Without worrying about speed, try to sit on the floor using as little assistance as possible.
- From the seated position, rise back up to standing—again, using the least amount of assistance needed.
To determine your score, start with a maximum of five points for sitting and five for rising. Deduct one point if you use any body part, such as a knee or hand, for support. Any unsteadiness or loss of balance during the test knocks off a half point (crossing your legs at any point is fine, as long as you don’t use the sides of your feet for support).
A recent study found that middle-aged and older adults who scored below 7.5 had a significantly higher risk of dying from natural causes within 12 years compared to those who scored a perfect 10.
This assessment measures lower-body strength and endurance, and it can help identify adults at risk of falling. It may also be predictive of mortality—research has found that performing fewer than four stands in 30 seconds is linked to a threefold increase in risk of death among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
How to perform:
- Set a stopwatch for 30 seconds, or have a friend time you.
- Sit in the middle of a chair.
- Cross your arms and place your hands on opposite shoulders.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor, your back straight, and your arms against your chest.
- Begin timing.
- Rise to a full standing position, then sit back down again.
- Repeat as many times as you can within 30 seconds.
According to the CDC, a below-average score may indicate a heightened risk of falling. For those aged 60 to 64, the average score is 14 for men and 12 for women.
If you’re struggling with these tests, don’t panic. Instead, use it as a wake-up call to make some changes.
Christmas recommends bringing your test results to your primary care physician rather than risking an injury. “A fall can result in a huge change in a person’s life and something we in geriatrics fear tremendously,” she said.
But the “great news,” she added, “is that many of the factors that contribute to a high risk of falls are fixable.”
What’s key, she said, is a consistent exercise routine that focuses on building strength, mobility, and balance. Christmas recommends working with a trainer or physical therapist, or participating in exercise classes catered to your age group. If that’s not possible, even simple activities you can do on your own, such as climbing stairs, can build strength and coordination.
As she put it, “The benefits of exercise cannot be overstated.”
