Give yourself a healthy MOT AT HOME

GIVE your body an MOT with these simple tests you can do in the comfort of your own home to find out more about the state of your health.

CUSHION TEST FOR ARTERY HEALTH

LIE on a bed and elevate both legs to a 45-degree angle on cushions. Hold them there for one minute then quickly hang your legs down over the side of the bed at 90 degrees.

If one or both of your feet become very pale when elevated but take several minutes to return to a normal pink colour (and become bright red when hanging off the bed), it may be a sign of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where the arteries that supply the leg muscles become furred up.

Because this test can also spot circulation problems such as Raynaud’s in otherwise healthy people, other signs of PAD to look for include cramping, pain and tiredness in the legs while walking or climbing stairs.

WINDOW TEST TO CHECK YOUR SIGHT

LOOK at a door frame or large window frame from across a room, first with your right eye (put your palm over your left eye for 30 seconds), then your left eye. You should be able to see the edges of the frame as vertical and horizontal parallel lines.

If the frame edges appear to have kinks or are distorted, this may indicate macular degeneration, where the macula (a tiny area at the back of the eye responsible for central vision) is damaged and may lead to sight loss. This is common in the over-50s.

BURP TEST FOR STOMACH ACID LEVELS

TIP a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a small glass of tap water, stir and swallow immediately on an empty stomach. A loud burp within five minutes can indicate healthy levels of stomach acid — mixing sodium bicarbonate with stomach acid gives off carbon dioxide gas, which causes burping. Levels of stomach acid are thought to decline after the age of 40 in some people, causing poor digestion and absorption of nutrients and vulnerability to tummy upsets.

CLOCK TEST FOR BRAIN FUNCTION

DRAW a clock by hand on a piece of paper, add the numbers and make the hands point to 3.40. This test taps into a wide range of cognitive abilities including memory and problem solving as well as ‘executive’ functions, such as planning. Studies have shown it’s a good predictor of cognitive health.

Any difficulty drawing the clock (if the numbers aren’t in the correct order, for instance) may be a sign of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. If you are concerned, see your GP.

FOOT TAP TEST TO CHECK YOUR HEART

START by finding your pulse by putting your middle and index fingers on the inside of your wrist. Set a stopwatch and count how many beats you feel in 20 seconds — multiply this by three for your resting heart rate.

The slower your resting heart rate. the more efficiently your heart is pumping blood around your body. Most adults tick over at 60-100 beats per minute, though a superfit athlete might have a resting heart rate of 40.

Any score in the 60s is healthy, but more than 80 is ‘poor’ (if it’s lower than 60 see Question 65 on the previous

page). Check your pulse while sitting or standing, then tap your foot in time with your heartbeat for one minute. If your tapping is irregular, it could indicate an irregular heartbeat.

CROSS-LEGGED SQUAT FOR AGILITY

STAND in front of a mirror and lower yourself into a cross-legged sitting position on the floor without using your hands for support or kneeling, then return to standing. (Do not attempt this if you have arthritic knees or hips.) Aim to get down and up again without support. To work out your score, start at ten and subtract one point each time you have had to use a hand or knee for support, and half a point every time you wobble — you should aim to score eight or above. This is a test of muscle strength, balance, flexibility and agility. Research has shown adults over 50 who could do this without wobbling or using their hands for support lived longer. You have to be fit and flexible in order to do the test and being limber may reflect having healthy, flexible cardiac arteries.

WOBBLE TEST FOR THYROID

STRETCH out your hand, palm down, and place an A4 piece of paper on top. A slight tremble is very common, and can be caused by caffeine, anxiety, low blood- sugar levels and some medication.

If the paper trembles or shakes excessively, it may be a sign of an overactive thyroid gland, when it produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. This causes the body’s functions to go into hyperdrive, leading to symptoms such as a racing pulse and twitchy muscles.

CHAIR TEST FOR MOBILITY

THIS test is a widely used measure of strength and agility in older age and a check for possible decline. Measure a 3m/10ft distance and place a dining chair at one end. Ask a friend to stand at the other end with a stopwatch.

Sit on the chair, start the timer and get up, walk the distance, turn around, walk back to your chair and sit down again. The clock should stop the moment your bottom hits the chair. A score of ten seconds or less indicates normal mobility.

SPOON/BAG TEST FOR HEALTHY BREATH

SCRAPE the edge of a teaspoon along the top of your tongue as far back as possible, seal the spoon in a plastic bag and sit it under a bright lamp for one minute (this grows the bacteria and amplifies their odour).

A healthy tongue coating should be clear. If the coating that comes off on the spoon is thick, coloured or smells unpleasant, it could be an early sign of problems, so see your dentist.