When the new year begins, many people decide to exercise. Before implementing their exercise plans, there is something they must do first: know their exact physical condition. The British daily newspaper 'Daily Mail' introduced seven ways to assess your health status and longevity potential through basic strength and agility tests devised by doctors worldwide.

Sitting on the floor without help and then standing up

 

Sit on the floor with your buttocks touching the ground, then stand up without letting your hands or knees touch the floor.

According to a study published in the 2012 European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, middle-aged (50 years and older) and elderly (75 years and older) individuals who get up or sit down on the ground with their hands and knees had nearly a 7 times higher probability of death within 6 years compared to those who did not.

This test assesses flexibility, balance, and motor coordination, but it is very important because it measures the strength of the body's largest muscles in the core and thighs. Muscle strength is closely related to longevity because muscles decrease with age. Muscles not only make the body physically stronger but also help regulate important bodily functions.

Sitting in a chair, then standing up

 

Sit on a dining chair with a straight backrest and no armrests, cross your arms, and grasp the opposite shoulder with both hands. With your feet flat on the floor and your back straight, place your arms on your chest and stand up completely, then sit back down. Measure the time it takes to complete this 10 times.

This test measures the strength of major muscles and is widely used by doctors to assess overall muscle strength and health. Healthy and robust men over 55 years old should complete the test within 18 seconds, and healthy and robust women of the same age should do so within 19 seconds. Men aged 35 to 55 should finish within 13 seconds, and women within 15 seconds.

 

Check walking speed

 

Measure the time it takes to walk 6 meters with your usual gait. Dividing this time by 6 will give you your walking speed in meters per second.

According to a study published in the 2011 Journal of the American Medical Association, people who walk faster than average for their age tend to have a longer life expectancy.

If you are over 60 years old, the average walking speed should be about 0.8 meters per second. Walking faster than 1 meter per second can lead to living much longer than the average lifespan. If the walking speed is slower than 0.6 meters per second, it may reflect impaired bodily systems, which could increase the risk of early death.

Walking quickly can especially indicate good heart health. According to a study published in the 2019 British Journal of Sports Medicine, people who walk faster than average have a 53% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who walk slower, particularly in individuals over 60.

 

Measuring the number of push-ups

 

Perform a standard push-up by keeping your arms straight, aligning your legs with your back, bending your elbows to lower your chest, then pushing back up.

 

According to a study published in the 2019 issue of JAMA Network Open, a publication of the American Medical Association, middle-aged men who perform push-ups consecutively and extensively tend to have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Performing fewer than 10 push-ups was associated with a higher-than-average risk of developing heart disease. The risk of cardiovascular disease gradually decreases with every additional 10 push-ups performed, and if a person can do more than 40 push-ups at once, their risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by up to 97%.

According to research from the University of South Wales, doing push-ups promotes the growth of new brain cells and stimulates the secretion of BDNF, a chemical that can help prevent dementia.

 

Grip strength test

 

I ask my friend to measure whether my handshake is strong enough to break bones, average, or weak.

Alternatively, hang from a pull-up bar for as long as possible to assess grip strength. A suitable target is 60 seconds for men and 30 seconds for women. According to a study published in the 2018 British Medical Journal (BMJ), men who cannot exceed 30 seconds and women who cannot exceed 15 seconds may have an increased risk of early death.

According to a 2016 study by University College London, people with weak grip strength had a higher mortality rate from all causes than average. Additionally, a 2021 study by the University of Manchester found that healthy middle-aged individuals with strong grip strength performed better on tests of memory, reasoning, and reflexes.

 

Measuring the time it takes to climb 60 stairs

 

Measure the time it takes to climb 60 stairs.

According to a study presented at the 2020 European Society of Cardiology Conference, middle-aged individuals who climb 60 stairs within one minute have strong heart health and a lower risk of death over the next 10 years. Conversely, taking more than 1 minute and 30 seconds increases the risk of death by 30% over the next 10 years.

Balancing on one leg

 

Remove your shoes and socks, place the front part of one foot on the back of the opposite lower leg, keep your arms close to your sides, and face forward. Measure how long you can stand in this position. Repeat this movement three times and use the average time as the score.

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, individuals who received the lowest score, able to sustain for less than an average of 2 seconds, had a threefold higher likelihood of dying within the next 13 years compared to those who could sustain for more than 10 seconds.

According to research from Tsukuba University in Japan, individuals who perform better on this test have a more robust hippocampus. The hippocampus is a brain region related to memory, but it also plays an important role in balance.

 

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The one I can do best among these is with one leg.

I think it's about balancing.

60 steps, panting, I'm already out of breath~

 

You need to put in more effort to live longer.