Not everybody ages at the same rate. In fact, your biological age can be significantly different (either less or more) than your chronological age. Knowing how rapidly you are ageing is quite important as it can help you take remedial steps if your declining faster than your chronological peers. There are a number of tests that can be done to give you this information.
If you want to know in-depth, there are laboratory tests that can be done.
- A biological age test can look at your DNA methylation patterns. These are epigenetic markers that change over time, so analysing them will give an idea of how quickly your body is ageing.
- A pheno-age test uses nine blook bio-markers to assess biological age and whether your body is ageing as expected.
There are a number of simple tests that can be done at home that will also indicate how your ageing is progressing:
- The six minute walk test. This test simply measures how far you can walk in six minutes, giving an indication of your cardio-vascular fitness and overall health. You should be able to walk between 400m and 700m.
- The one-legged stand test. This test assesses balance and stability. The ability to stand on one leg for a certain amount of time is linked to overall health and reduced risk of falls. Stand next to a wall or benchtop. Lift one foot a short distance off the floor and stand straight. See how long you can stand before you need to reach for support. With your eyes open, you should be able to stand for 30-33 seconds. Try it with your eyes closed and you will probably find you can only stand for 3-5 seconds!
- The sit to stand test. This test measures lower body strength and function. The number of times you can sit down and stand up in 30 seconds can be a good indicator of ageing. Choose a simple chair with no armrests. Sit in the middle of the chair with your arms crossed, placing your hands on your shoulders. Keep your back straight with your feet on the floor. Set a timer for 30 seconds and see how many times you can stand up and down. You should be able to do this 10-12 times in 30 seconds.
- The sit and reach test. This test assesses flexibility and range of motion in your lower back, hips and hamstrings. Place a metal retractable measuring tape on the floor and pull it out about 1 metre, then lock it down. Sit on the floor with the tape between your legs and your legs about 30cm apart. Stick your legs out straight with your heels placed at about the 40cm mark on the tape. Extend your arms, one hand on top of the other, exhale and reach forward. Hold for one second. Measure how far your reached and repeat this twice more to get an average. You should be able to reach between 35 and 43 cm (ideally beyond your heels).
The key to these physical tests is to repeat them over time to see the trend. Worsening results may indicate an underlying health condition that needs attention.
