Five do-it-yourself test to monitor your health as you get older.
As we age, we begin to notice that our jogging or running pace slows, it’s not as easy to go up two steps at the time, we forget a phone number or some task that we needed to complete…
Most people who are interested in their health have an annual exam. It might be a good time to have a screening too to gauge how we perform some basic tasks to see how we do regarding aging-linked diseases. None of these are a replacement for what your doctor might do, but they are something you can do at home and judge for yourself.
Here are some simple but informative tests.
- One legged standing – the average person under 70 should be able to stand on one leg for 10 seconds. This ability correlates to higher levels of survival in later years. Stand by a wall or something to catch you if you wobble. Keep arms by your sides and then raise one foot and put the front of it on the back of your opposite calf. Can you hold this static stance for at least 10 seconds? If not, consider talking to your physician.
- Sit to stand test – this involves an armless chair and how long it takes to stand and sit back down. Use a timer for this. From a seated position with your arms crossed over your chest, stand while keeping them crossed and then sit back down. Do this five times. Sixty-year-olds should be able to complete this in 11.4 seconds, 70s in 12.6 and 80s in 14.8 seconds. Like the one-legged test, this indicates strength and balance which are good indicators of long-term health and predictors of falls.
- Push-up test – for men and women musculoskeletal strength is vital and good feedback of overall health. A 2019 study by the AMA (American Medical Association) found that among men with an average age of 40 who could only complete less than 10 push-ups with a long pause were at a higher risk for cardio-vascular disease. As a comparison, the upper end of the spectrum could do more than 40 push-ups. For men in their 50s and 60s who can’t do more than 10, this should be a red flag. This study only included men, but they should strive for fitness too of course.
- Six-minute walk test – if you don’t get farther than 1,150 feet then you might have health issues to discuss with your doctor as this test indicates fitness in lung health and cardiovascular health. Doctors begin to look at this at age 65, but if you are less than that and have shortness of breath when walking at a brisk pace then it’s time to talk. An alternative is to time yourself around a school track. You should be able walk 400 meters in less than 6 minutes and 40 seconds, if not, the study says this would be “of significant concern” for a person in their 50s.
For those readers with late model iPhones, you can look at your Health App and go to Walking Steadiness. The phone’s accelerometer can gauge how steady your gait is if you carry your phone while you are walking. It only rates you as “ok”. If you are unsteady, then the bars will drop to Low or Very Low. This is an indication of a fall potential to talk to your doctor about if it rates you less than “ok”. - Cognitive test – Cognitive health in midlife is an important predictor of health later on, neurologists say. It’s a good idea to get a baseline measurement around age 65 or earlier if you have a family history of cognitive decline or are noticing yourself forgetting something that used to be a no-brainer, such as paying bills. The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) is an at home, 10–15-minute screening that can detect early signs of cognitive, memory or thinking impairments. It includes memory recall and simple math questions. You can get a digital version or a free, printable version. Share the results with your doctor. https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/self-administered-gerocognitive-exam/
From an article in the Wall Street Journal by Alex Janin, July 21, 2022.
Good health is vital for us to enjoy life. I once heard a dietician say, “if you are healthy, then you are wealthy”. I agree with that. Without good health, what good are riches? We must work at it. Sometimes we don’t feel like exercising, but it’s vital to do your best to stay as strong as you can for as long as you can. None of the above is medical advice of course, but things to think about and try. Better to know early, than late.