Close Menu
Fit and Healthy Weight

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    How I Get Restaurant-Quality Crunch in My Weeknight-Friendly Sweet and Sour Pork

    October 15, 2025

    7 Easy Ways To Boost Your Mental Health, According to Our Health Editors

    October 15, 2025

    7 Taco Bell Favorites Fans Call “Perfect Late Night Orders” This Week

    October 15, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Fit and Healthy Weight
    Wednesday, October 15
    • Home
    • Diet
    • Mindset
    • Recipes
    • Reviews
    • Stories
    • Supplements
    • Tips
    • Workouts
    Fit and Healthy Weight
    Home»Tips»How Healthy Are You Aging? Take These 4 Fitness Tests to Find Out
    Tips

    How Healthy Are You Aging? Take These 4 Fitness Tests to Find Out

    By August 27, 2025No Comments5 Mins Read
    Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
    How Healthy Are You Aging? Take These 4 Fitness Tests to Find Out
    Simple at-home fitness tests can give you insight into how well you're aging.

    JLco - Julia Amaral / Getty Images

    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email


    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:

    1. Grab a stopwatch.
    2. Sit back in a standard armchair.
    3. Identify a line 10 feet away on the floor.
    4. Start the stopwatch.
    5. Stand up and walk to the line on the floor at your normal pace.
    6. Turn around.
    7. Walk back to the chair at your normal pace.
    8. Sit down again.
    9. 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:

    1. Stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides.
    2. Lift one foot off the ground, keeping it slightly bent at the knee.
    3. Start a timer (or have someone time you).
    4. 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:

    1. Stand barefoot on a non-slip surface, such as a thin mat.
    2. Without worrying about speed, try to sit on the floor using as little assistance as possible.
    3. 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: 

    1. Set a stopwatch for 30 seconds, or have a friend time you.
    2. Sit in the middle of a chair.
    3. Cross your arms and place your hands on opposite shoulders.
    4. Keep your feet flat on the floor, your back straight, and your arms against your chest.
    5. Begin timing.
    6. Rise to a full standing position, then sit back down again.
    7. 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.”

    Aging find Fitness Healthy Tests
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous Article5 Science-Backed Tips to Boost Longevity That Won’t Cost a Dime
    Next Article This Lightning-Fast Mexican Topping Is Made for Tacos—But Works on Anything

      Related Posts

      Tips

      7 Easy Ways To Boost Your Mental Health, According to Our Health Editors

      October 15, 2025
      Tips

      The Best Time to Eat an Apple for Digestion and Weight Loss

      October 14, 2025
      Tips

      "How Was Your Day?" Isn't Cutting It For After-School Convos

      October 14, 2025
      Add A Comment
      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      Top Posts

      New Research Shows Eggs Don’t Raise Your Cholesterol—But Here’s What Does

      August 1, 20256 Views

      6 Best Weightlifting Belts of 2025, According to Trainers

      July 3, 20254 Views

      The 10 Best Running Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis, According to Podiatrists

      August 28, 20252 Views
      Stay In Touch
      • Facebook
      • YouTube
      • TikTok
      • WhatsApp
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      Latest Reviews
      Tips

      When Is the Best Time to Eat Dinner for Your Health?

      adminJuly 1, 2025
      Diet

      This Intermittent Fasting Method Outperformed the Rest—But There’s a Catch

      adminJuly 1, 2025
      Workouts

      ‘Neckzilla’ Rubel Mosquera Qualifies for 2025 Mr. Olympia After Flex Weekend Italy Pro Win

      adminJuly 1, 2025

      Subscribe to Updates

      Get the latest tech news from FooBar about tech, design and biz.

      Most Popular

      When Is the Best Time to Eat Dinner for Your Health?

      July 1, 20250 Views

      This Intermittent Fasting Method Outperformed the Rest—But There’s a Catch

      July 1, 20250 Views

      Signs, Identification, Impact, and More

      July 1, 20250 Views
      Our Picks

      How I Get Restaurant-Quality Crunch in My Weeknight-Friendly Sweet and Sour Pork

      October 15, 2025

      7 Easy Ways To Boost Your Mental Health, According to Our Health Editors

      October 15, 2025

      7 Taco Bell Favorites Fans Call “Perfect Late Night Orders” This Week

      October 15, 2025
      Recent Posts
      • How I Get Restaurant-Quality Crunch in My Weeknight-Friendly Sweet and Sour Pork
      • 7 Easy Ways To Boost Your Mental Health, According to Our Health Editors
      • 7 Taco Bell Favorites Fans Call “Perfect Late Night Orders” This Week
      • The Best Time to Take Omega-3s for Maximum Absorption
      • Identity vs. Role Confusion in Psychosocial Development
      Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Disclaimer
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      © 2025 Fit and Healthy Weight. Designed by Pro.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.