If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

 

I think I'm good on these at age 70.

If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

Fitness after 60 isn't measured by how much weight you can lift or how many miles you can run. Instead, it shows up in the movements you perform every day without thinking twice. Standing from a chair, balancing on one leg, reaching overhead, and walking confidently all depend on strength, stability, and coordination working together. As a trainer, I've found that a few simple standing exercises reveal far more about someone's overall fitness than most gym workouts.

Many adults judge themselves against unrealistic standards or compare their abilities to people decades younger. I prefer using functional movements because they measure the qualities that matter most for healthy aging. These exercises challenge your legs, core, balance, and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously while closely resembling everyday activities. If you perform them with good control, you're likely in better shape than you realize.

I've used these assessments with hundreds of adults over 60, and they consistently separate those who simply exercise from those who move exceptionally well. Don't worry about perfection or speed. Focus on maintaining good form from beginning to end. Your results will tell you a great deal about your current level of functional fitness.

RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises That Restore Hip Strength This Week, No Gym Needed After 60

Exercise 1: Sit-to-Stand Test

I can do this from a standard kitchen chair, couches and Adirondack chairs, not!

The sit-to-stand remains one of my favorite indicators of lower-body strength because it mirrors one of the most common movements you'll perform every day. Strong quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles all contribute to completing this exercise with control. Clients who perform it easily usually walk farther, climb stairs more comfortably, and maintain greater independence as they age. The challenge isn't simply standing up. It's doing so repeatedly without using momentum or your hands.

How to Perform It

• Sit near the front of a sturdy chair.
• Cross your arms over your chest.
• Stand completely.
• Sit back down under control.
• Repeat continuously for 30 seconds.
• Count your completed repetitions.

Benchmark: Completing 12 to 17 controlled repetitions without using your hands indicates excellent lower-body strength for most adults over 60.

RELATED: 4 Standing Exercises That Flatten Apron Belly Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 2: Single-Leg Balance Hold

I've failed the one leg standing test of the Berg Balance Scale from the beginning, 20 years of failure so far and will never get better. My therapists DID NOTHING to get my one leg balance fixed!

Balance often becomes the first physical quality to decline with age, making this one of the most valuable assessments I use. Standing on one leg requires the ankles, hips, core, and nervous system to communicate continuously while making tiny adjustments. Clients who hold this position comfortably usually demonstrate excellent coordination and lower-body stability. Strong balance also reduces fall risk while improving confidence during everyday movement.

How to Perform It

• Stand next to a chair for safety.
• Shift your weight onto one leg.
• Lift the opposite foot slightly.
• Keep your eyes focused ahead.
• Avoid grabbing the chair unless necessary.
• Time your longest hold.

Benchmark: Holding the position for 30 seconds or longer on each leg reflects top-tier stability for most adults over 60.

RELATED: The 10-Minute Chair Routine That Restores Leg Strength Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 3: Standing March Endurance

Impossible to lift the left knee to hip height unless in a pool. It has nothing to do with my endurance or balance. 

 Walking depends on far more than simply putting one foot in front of the other. Strong hip flexors, stable core muscles, good balance, and cardiovascular endurance all contribute to maintaining a smooth, confident stride. The standing march combines each of these qualities into one practical assessment. I often use it because it closely reflects the stamina needed for shopping, traveling, hiking, and enjoying an active lifestyle.

How to Perform It

• Stand tall.
• Lift one knee to hip height.
• Lower with control.
• Alternate legs continuously.
• Maintain an upright posture.
• Continue for one minute.

Benchmark: Completing the full 60 seconds without losing posture, shortening your stride, or needing extra support places you above average for functional endurance after 60.

Read the original article on Eat This Not That.

This Five-Second Test Can Tell If You’re Aging Well

 Useless for stroke survivors!

For sit-to-stand the past 20 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 30+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

This Five-Second Test Can Tell If You’re Aging Well

From fine wine to a pair of well-worn blue jeans, it’s said that things get better with age. But unlike a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that can improve just by sitting there, we humans need to stay active as we get older to stay fit and healthy. Even if you visit the gym regularly and follow a strict diet, it can be challenging to determine how well you’re aging. Thankfully, you can do a quick fitness test from the comfort of your home, and it only takes five seconds of your valuable time. This test requires no special equipment or anyone to guide you — just an open space and a few moments to spare.

The Sit-To-Stand Test

The “sit-to-stand test” isn’t a panacea by any means, but rather an indirect measure of one’s personal fitness backed by a 2012 research study. To begin, stand upright in an open space. Then sit cross-legged on the floor before returning to a standing position. While this may sound easy, the trick is to avoid using your hands, forearms, or other parts of your upper body and torso to help you stand up. Your leg and core muscles are the only muscles you’re supposed to rely on.

Scoring the Test

 Give yourself 10 imaginary points at the start of the test. Then subtract one point every time you use your arms, torso, hips, or even your knees to help you get from a standing position to a sitting position and vice versa. If you can sit down and stand back up without assistance, then you score a perfect 10. If you’re unable to sit down or stand back up at all, then your score is zero.According to Dr. Natalie Azar — a medical contributor to NBC News — achieving a score of eight or higher is ideal. However, she acknowledges that some people may not be able to perform the test due to a recent injury or genetic musculoskeletal limitations, although those individuals may be extremely fit. All this is to say that there are flaws within the test that fail to account for certain circumstances, so your score shouldn’t be taken as gospel. Instead, look at your score as a potential indicator of personal fitness rather than an indisputable fact.

The Science Behind This Test

According to the aforementioned 2012 study, a successful sit-to-stand test may indicate stronger cardiovascular health, high-quality core strength, and more desirable levels of balance and flexibility. The study also determined that the test was a solid indicator of an increased risk of mortality for participants between the ages of 51 and 80. Again, it’s important to note that this test is far from a sure science but something that we can make reasonable assumptions about based on the results.

Two Strength Tests That Predict Longevity by Super Age

 My left hand grip strength is not good, right hand is great.

For sit-to-stand the past 20 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 30+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

 Nothing in either of these failures predicts my longevity.

Two Strength Tests That Predict Longevity

What the sitting-rising test says about your health

 

In the past 20 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 30+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

What the sitting-rising test says about your health

Learn the surprising implications of a simple assessment, especially for women.

October 1, 2025

By Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

• Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
   We all rise from sitting to standing perhaps dozens of times each day, underscoring how essential this fundamental movement is to our ability to live normally.

But while most of us usually get up from a chair, a test gauging our ability to rise from the floor - which, for many, is far more challenging - is increasingly becoming a crucial health barometer, particularly for women.

How easily you can rise to your feet from sitting on the floor, using as little support as possible, may help predict your longevity, according to a study published online June 18, 2025, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

"Especially as folks age, this is something they're very concerned about: if they're playing with their grandchildren on the ground or somehow end up there, are they going to be able to stand up when they need to without help?" says Mary Kate Miller, the clinical supervisor of physical therapy at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Outpatient Center Malden. "It's so important to be able to do this, whether we intentionally or unintentionally get on the floor."

Fundamental fitness components

To score a perfect 10 points on the sitting-rising test, you need to be able to get up from a seated position on the floor without using your hands, forearms, knees, or the sides of your legs for support. You must also remain steady. If you wobble, or need to kneel or place a hand on the floor to support yourself, you begin to lose points. And if you can't do it without relying on help from a wall, chair, table, or another person, your score drops to zero.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 4,300 people ages 46 to 75 (32% women) who completed the sitting-rising test as part of a voluntary fitness assessment. None had physical issues or diagnosed conditions that would restrict their abilities. After an average follow-up of 12 years, researchers found that participants who scored the lowest (0 to 4 points) were nearly four times more likely to have died overall and six times more likely to have died of cardiovascular causes than people who scored a 10.(In the last 20 years I should probably have died several times and will never make it to 100! Check back with me in 30 years!)

"Folks who can stand up from the ground, with less support or assistance, generally have much better cardiovascular and strength conditioning," Miller says. "We also know these are indicators of longevity - whether from decreasing the risk of other causes of death or from staying generally healthier as you age."

What does it take to ace the sitting-rising test? Not just strength, but several other elements of fitness that don't necessarily result from aerobic exercise, Miller notes. These include coordination, flexibility, and balance.

But these components begin to decline surprisingly early in life-around age 35 or 40 - and drop off more precipitously in women, Miller says. We also face far higher indoor fall risks than men, meaning at some point we may need to be able to get up from the floor.

"Unfortunately, the hormonal changes that come with female aging, especially through menopause, magnify this problem," Miller says. "We see a larger detrimental change in women - a greater loss in muscle mass and increase in fat storage that makes it harder to move the way you want."

The importance of strength training

"Being fit" is often considered synonymous with aerobic fitness - which comes from activity that boosts heart rate, breathing, and blood flow. But this study spotlights the equal importance of other types of exercise as we age, Miller says.

"Strength training keeps muscles strong in a way that walking and cardiovascular conditioning just doesn't," she says. "When it comes to being able to stand up from the ground or a low chair - or one of those couches that you sink into when you sit on it - you can walk as many miles as you want, but that's not going to keep muscles strong enough to do the tougher activities you don't have to do as often."

You likely know intuitively if you'd be able to perform the sitting-rising test without a problem. But if you're not sure, don't try it at home - instead, talk it through with your primary care doctor. She can then help you address any deficits in strength, balance, coordination, or flexibility through a new fitness program or physical therapy.

"If you fear ending up on the ground without being able to get up, the best thing you can do is find a physical therapist to help you," Miller says.

This article is brought to you by HarvardHealthOnline+, the trusted subscription service from Harvard Medical School. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to our entire website, including exclusive content, tools, and features available only to members. If you're already a subscriber, you can access your library here.

Image: © pixelfit/Getty Images

About the Author

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is the executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She also writes for the Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Heart Letter, and Harvard Men’s Health Watch, as well as for Harvard Health Publishing’s flagship website. … See Full Bio

View all posts by Maureen Salamon

I'm a trainer and here are 4 daily leg exercises adults over 60 need to improve balance

 

I'm a trainer and here are 4 daily leg exercises adults over 60 need to improve balance

Balance and leg strength are two of the things I focus on most in my work with older adults. I've been a personal trainer for over 35 years, and I've spent the last 20 training the next generation of fitness professionals with TRAINFITNESS, the UK's leading provider of personal training courses. What I see again and again is that people over 60 start avoiding movements that challenge their balance without even realizing they're doing it. The stairs get a little more cautious. Uneven ground gets a little more nerve-wracking. And gradually, confidence erodes.

The good news is that four straightforward exercises, done consistently, can turn that around completely.

1. The Real Challenge After 60

I think I'm good on these at age 70.

The biggest challenge isn't physical. It's the gradual, almost invisible way decline sneaks up on people. Our balance relies on three systems working together: the inner ear, our vision, and proprioception (the body's ability to sense where it is in space). After 60, all three start to lose their sharpness at the same time. The brain gets slightly conflicting information and starts to hesitate before committing to a movement. You'll notice it first when you turn quickly or step off a curb without thinking.

At the same time, we lose leg strength faster than most people expect. Muscle mass drops by around 1% per year from our mid-40s onwards, but power (the ability to generate force quickly) falls at roughly double that rate. So it's not just that our legs are weaker. It's that they're slower to react when we start to wobble.

The real problem is that most people adapt around these changes rather than addressing them. They hold the banister more. They avoid uneven surfaces. They stop doing the very things that would keep these systems sharp. The less we challenge our balance, the faster it deteriorates.

2. Why Skip Lunges

Can't do this with flat hands, will try handhold braces

Lunges put a lot of shear force through the knee joint. For younger adults with good hip mobility and strong supporting muscles, that's manageable. For people over 60, especially those with any degree of knee discomfort or reduced hip mobility (which is most people at that age), it becomes a different story. The movement is also quite demanding to perform well. Poor form in a lunge doesn't just reduce the benefit; it creates a real injury risk.

The four exercises I use instead work the same muscle groups (glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves) but in ways that are kinder to the joints and more closely associated to the kinds of movement challenges older adults actually face. They involve controlled weight shifts, single-leg loading at manageable levels, and the kind of slow, deliberate muscle activation that rebuilds the neuromuscular connection between your brain and your legs. That connection is exactly what balance depends on.

Sit-to-Stand

I can do this from a standard kitchen chair, couches and Adirondack chairs, not!

This is essentially a squat using a chair as a guide, and it's one of the most functional exercises we can do. Getting up from a chair is something most of us do dozens of times a day, and it requires quad strength, glute activation, and hip mobility. Practicing it as an exercise trains all of those things at once, in a movement your body already recognizes.

Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, hip flexors

How to Do It:

• Sit near the front edge of a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor
• Lean your chest forward slightly to shift your weight over your feet
• Press through your heels and stand up slowly and with control
• Pause for a second at the top, then lower yourself back down just as slowly

Avoid These Mistakes:

• Don't use momentum to drop quickly back into the seat. The lowering phase is where a lot of the strength work happens, so slow it right down.

Recommended Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions

Form Tip: Control the descent. The slower you lower, the more strength you build.

4. Step-Ups

12-18 inches is too high for my affected left leg to accomplish, but stair climbing works just fine, so I consider that as passing.

Step-ups train each leg independently, which is important because most of us have a stronger side that compensates in bilateral exercises like squats. They also mimic stair climbing directly, which is one of the movements people over 60 frequently become more cautious about. Using a single step (a bottom stair works perfectly) keeps the range of motion manageable while still loading the glutes and quads effectively.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, quads

How to Do It:

• Stand facing a step with your feet hip-width apart
• Place your right foot fully on the step
• Press through your right heel to lift your body up, bringing your left foot to the step
• Step back down with the left foot first, then the right
• Keep your torso upright throughout and avoid pushing off with the back foot

Avoid These Mistakes:

• Don't push off with the lower leg. Drive through the working leg instead, and keep the trailing foot doing as little as possible. If you find yourself relying on it, slow the movement down.

Recommended Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg

Form Tip: The trailing foot should be doing as little as possible. Let the working leg do the work.

Over 60? If You Can Do These 6 Strength Drills, You're in Good Shape ©

I think I'm good on these at age 70.

Over 60? If You Can Do These 6 Strength Drills, You're in Good Shape

Personal trainers and workout enthusiasts are major fans of strength drills—and for good reason. Strength drills usually include resistance movements, bodyweight exercises, and several tools like bands, gliders, and free weights. They're an excellent way to burn fat, build muscle, increase bone density, and boost metabolism. This training method also strengthens your joints, ultimately lowering your risk of injury. All of these factors are extremely important to focus on—especially as you age.

We spoke with an expert who shares several productive self-assessments for those over 60.

"When we think about being 'in good shape' after 60, it's less about how much weight
someone can lift and more about how well they move through everyday life. The best strength drills for healthy aging assess the ability to move with strength, balance, coordination, mobility, and control. These are the skills that help maintain independence, confidence, and long-term quality of life," Corry Matthews, Fitness, Nutrition, Hormone Health Expert, Former Professional Bodybuilder, and the co-founder of Strength & Grace Fitness, where she coaches women—especially throughout perimenopause and menopause on sustainable weight loss and hormone health, tells us.

Below are six strength drills to try—if you can do them, you are considered to be in good shape.

 

1. Sit-to-Stand

I can do this from a standard kitchen chair, couches and Adirondack chairs, not!

"This is one of the best indicators of lower-body strength and independence. It measures
leg strength, balance, and mobility—skills essential for everyday tasks like getting out of
a chair, car, or bed," Matthews shares.

1. Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
2. Lean forward just a bit.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
4. Use control to slowly sit back down.

2. Single-Leg Balance Hold 

I've failed the one leg standing test of the Berg Balance Scale from the beginning, 20 years of failure so far and will never get better. My therapists DID NOTHING to get my one leg balance fixed!

"Balance naturally changes with age, and single-leg stability is important for walking,
climbing stairs, and preventing instability during daily movement," Matthews tells us.

1. Stand tall on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto your left foot.
3. Lift your right foot off the ground.
4. Activate your core while keeping your shoulders stacked over your ribs and your hips level.
5. Hold the single-leg balance with your eyes closed, 10 to 30 seconds.
6. Repeat on the other side.

3. Farmer's Carry 

I can do this but only about 10lbs. 

"This drill measures grip strength, core stability, posture, and real-world functional strength. Carrying groceries, luggage, or household items requires this type of practical strength," Matthews explains.

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Start walking forward, keeping your torso still and maintaining a tall posture.

 

4. Wall Pushups

Only can do this at the pullup bar I've installed at shoulder height because spasticity prevents flattening the hand at all.

"Upper-body strength supports daily activities like pushing doors, getting up from the
floor, lifting objects, and maintaining shoulder health," Matthews says.

1. Start standing tall, arms-length away from a wall.
2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the surface.
3. Engage your core and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall.
4. Press back up to the starting position, keeping the movement slow and controlled.

 

5. Step-Ups

 

12-18 inches is too high for my affected left leg to accomplish, but stair climbing works just fine, so I consider that as passing.

"Step-ups assess lower-body strength, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance while reflecting real-life movement patterns like climbing stairs or curbs," Matthews notes.

1. Begin by standing tall, facing a 12 to 18-inch box or sturdy platform.
2. Place your left foot firmly onto the surface, keeping your core engaged and chest tall.
3. Press through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you're standing on the surface.
4. Use control to lower back to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

 

6. Standing Overhead Press

Can't occur, spasticity prevents extension upward.

"Maintaining shoulder mobility and strength is essential for daily independence—from putting dishes away to reaching into cabinets or carrying items overhead," Matthews notes.

1. Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
2. Press the weights overhead, fully extending your arms.
3. Use control as you lower the weights to shoulder height.

Two At-Home Strength Tests That Predict Longevity by Super Age

Grip strength: (My right hand has gotten even stronger, left hand, complete failure of my doctor and therapists to get any recovery there.)

2.Sit-to-stand test

In the past 20 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 30+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

Neither of these has anything to do with my longevity!

Two At-Home Strength Tests That Predict Longevity

This Deceptively Simple Test Predicts Longevity (& You Can Do It At Home) by mindbodygreen

 

In the past 20 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 30+ years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

Why am I still alive after 20 years of completely failing this test?

This Deceptively Simple Test Predicts Longevity (& You Can Do It At Home)

Cross-Dataset Evaluation of Sit-to-Stand Movement Classifiers for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

What will it take to get thru your thick skulls that 'assessments' do nothing for recovery unless THEY POINT DIRECTLY TO EXACT RECOVERY PROTOCOLS?

This did nothing towards that, so useless!

• sit-to-stand (25 posts to December 2012)
  

Once again more research on sit-to-stand and NOTHING that gets survivors recovered! Hope you like being disabled when you become the 1 in 4 per WHO that has a stroke! 

 Cross-Dataset Evaluation of Sit-to-Stand Movement Classifiers for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

  L. Palumbi1*, T. Kuhlgatz1, M. Caruso1,2, T. Seel1 and L. Budde1 1Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Mechatronic Systems, Hanover, Germany 2Center for Automation and Robotics, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC-UPM), Madrid, Spain *Corresponding author, email: lucia.palumbi@imes.uni-hannover.de 

 Abstract: 

Automated assessment could support at-home post-stroke rehabilitation, yet ensuring cross-dataset generalizability is critical for real-world adoption. This study evaluates rule-based and Random Forest classifiers, trained on XSense IMU data, against the independent CeTI-Locomotion dataset. Zero-shot evaluation demonstrated the robustness of the rule-based approach (71.3% accuracy) compared to Random Forest (17.8%), which significantly improved to 58.2% with one-shot calibration. These findings indicate that generalizability is achievable through biomechanically grounded or adaptive strategies, marking a key step toward robust, clinically deployable rehabilitation systems. © 2026 Lucia Palumbi; licensee Infinite Science Publishing This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 

 I. Introduction Stroke remains the third leading cause of disability worldwide [1]. To regain mobility and functional independence, post-stroke patients require high-dose, repetitive rehabilitation exercises. However, limited access to supervised physiotherapy and patient non-compliance between sessions significantly hinder recovery outcomes [2]. Wearable sensor-based systems for automated movement assessment offer a promising solution by enabling unsupervised monitoring during home-based rehabilitation. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using inertial measurement units (IMUs) to assess rehabilitation exercises. E.g., Komaris et al. [3] showed that IMU-based metrics movement smoothness, intensity, and consistency – could effectively evaluate exercise performance at-home, while Ranganathan et al. [4] achieved 90% accuracy in detecting compensatory upper-limb movements during reaching and manipulation tasks. In our earlier work [5], we demonstrated the feasibility of distinguishing sit-to-stand (STS) movements from characteristic related post-stroke impairments, including asymmetrical weight-bearing, lateral trunk deviation, and compensatory stepping [6]. Using 6D IMUs, we evaluated both rule-based and learning-based classification models, which achieved average accuracies of 89.78% and 94.03%, respectively. However, these approaches share a critical limitation: validation is performed exclusively on the same datasets used for model development, leaving cross-dataset generalizability untested. Algorithms trained and tested solely on small, controlled datasets often degrade significantly when applied to the heterogeneous movement patterns of real-life settings [7]. To eliminate the need for subject-specific calibration, reliable monitoring systems must be robust against these shifts in distribution. In this work, we evaluate the cross-dataset transferability of our STS classifiers when applied out-of-the-box to the CeTI-Locomotion dataset [8], which contains IMU data from 50 healthy adults performing sit-to-stand. We assess both zero-shot and one-shot adaptation approaches, quantify the domain gap between training and target distributions and test the model’s ability to distinguish natural kinematic variability from pathology, which is essential to ensure specificity and minimize false positives in clinical practice [2]. II. Material and methods Datasets. We evaluated classifiers trained on the IMU dataset collected in [5] against the CeTI-Locomotion dataset [8]. The source domain data comprised 330 STS trials from 11 healthy participants mimicking post-stroke patterns under physiotherapist supervision: correct execution, asymmetrical movement simulating hemiparesis (plegie), uncontrolled descent or failure of completing the movement (fail), and compensatory stepping (step). The target dataset, CeTI-Locomotion, contains 499 STS repetitions from 50 healthy adults recorded with the IMU based Rokoko Smartsuit Pro motion capture system, at 100 Hz. Since CeTI-Locomotion contains only correct executions, if our algorithms [5] generalize well, they should classify all trials in the CeTI_Locomotion dataset as correct, making misclassifications direct measures of false positive compensation movements. 

Set Smarter Health Goals This Year With These 5 Longevity Tests by mindbodygreen

Details at link.

 Set Smarter Health Goals This Year With These 5 Longevity Tests

1. VO2 max (Cooper test)

 

2.Sit-rise test

In the past 19 years my score would always be 1.5 and it will never get better during my next 31 years. It has absolutely nothing to do with my longevity or cardiovascular risk!

 

3. Resting heart rate & heart rate variability

3 years post stroke at a physical I had a resting heart rate of 54 at age 53, level of an athlete. My doctor asked what exercises I was doing, 'I've done no exercises for the past 3 years'. So now after 19 years of little exercise I'm no longer that athlete.

Now mine is usually around 74, tested every 3 months when giving blood.

 It is completely your doctor's responsibility to get you 100% recovered so you can get cardiovascularly fit.

4.Single-leg balance test

I've failed the one leg standing test of the Berg Balance Scale from the beginning. My therapists DID NOTHING to get my one leg balance fixed!

 

5.Grip strength

My left hand grip is appalling and my occupational therapist had nothing to fix that. First I would have to pry all my fingers open before even trying to grip.