So what’s your body’s true age?
... take our clever tests to find out!
Here are some simple, reliable tests you can do at home to work out your biological age. While no test gives a definitive answer, these offer a good indication of what’s going on in your body. I recommend testing once a month to monitor progress, ensuring identical conditions each time.
SKIN PINCH
USE the thumb and forefinger of one hand to pinch the skin on the back of your other hand for five seconds, then release.
Time how long it takes for the skin to settle back completely. The longer it takes, the less elastic the skin and the higher your biological age. Skin elasticity can be affected by hydration, medications, and whether you use hand cream, so keep conditions consistent.
BALANCE
HAVE a friend nearby to time you — and in case you fall over! Start by standing barefoot on a stable surface. Shut your eyes then lift one foot several centimetres off the ground. Your friend should time how long you can hold the position without opening your eyes or wobbling. Repeat three times on this leg and calculate the average (add all three together, then divide by three). Now do the same on the other leg.
FLEXIBILITY
THE wider the range of motion in your joints, the younger your biological age. It is important to warm your muscles with stretches or a few minutes’ brisk
walking before trying to do this one — and do it gently . . .
EXTEND a tape measure (at least 1m) on the floor, and sit with legs outstretched so your heels align with the 38cm (15in) mark and the ‘zero’ end is near your bottom.
REACH arms forward, along the measure, until you can’t go any further, and note where your hands land.
REPEAT twice and work out your average reach. A good level of flexibility is:
VISION
1. PLACE one end of a ruler on your cheekbone and hold it sticking out in front of you, horizontal to the floor. Hold up a business card at the far end of it. 2. TRY to read some of the words on the card. If you can’t, find something with slightly larger print and use that. 3 NEXT, slowly slide the card toward you and make a note of the distance at which the words on the card start to become blurry. The closer you can get the card to your face and still read it, the lower your biological age in this area.
HEIGHT
THIS one’s easy. Just measure your height each month to track whether you’re shrinking — or growing. Getting shorter as you age is often seen as inevitable, a skeletal issue. But in fact, it may be at least partly psychological. Studies show people who feel old tend not to walk, stand or sit as upright as they did in their youth. So walk tall.
FINALLY…
ONCE you have done as many of the tests as you can, take a look at the results. They should serve as indicators of and problem areas. To find your overall biological age, add up all your age results (excluding the height test since it doesn’t have an age factor). If they fall in an age range such as 45-50, then go for the mid-point i.e. 47. Divide the total by the number of tests — so if you tried all of them, divide by four to reveal your biological age.