Are you ageing well? Test to find out.

Why age well?

Between ageing well and not, which would you prefer?

Thriving in life, makes more sense than simply surviving, don’t you think?

How to age well?

Think of the 4-step ABCDs of the Pursuit of Wellness.

1. Assess and Accept current state

2. Believe you can do Better

3. Commit to Consistency

4. Dedicated to just Do it

All the steps are important and difficult, perhaps none more so than the first.

Because it does take courage and honesty.

To face the facts. Know what you are doing well and what you have fallen short of.

But take heed that no matter the outcome, there is a possibility to do better, which is where the next step, Believe you can do Better comes in.

What does it mean to age well?

It’s about looking, feeling and functioning well. Inside and out, in both the mind and body.

Clearly everyone has a different idea of what it means to age well and what aspirations they have in old age.

Think of your golden years. What would you like to be doing?

Some would say, to keep working with no end in sight. Others, to travel and see the world. And yet others, to spend time with family and play with grandkids or grandfurkids.

I’m sure living independently and moving ably is part of everyone’s plan.

One far away from popping pills or lying in bed post-surgery and doing rehab after rehab.

What this future requires is a certain amount of strength, stamina, balance and flexibility.

Things that you should work on TODAY, not leave for later.

So how am I in terms of strength, stamina, balance and flexibility?

Here are some physical, functional ability tests that have been associated with longevity and independent living to help you assess your current state:

1. GRIP STRENGTH TEST
Grip strength of the hands is related to activities of daily living and mortality. Are you able to hold a cup or spoon? Do chores like cooking, cleaning and carrying groceries? Hold onto the grab bars or poles on the bus and train?

And what else do we do in modern times but hold our handphones for hours on end?

We typically assess grip strength using a special device called a dynamometer, with age-related norms you can compare against.

To test yourself at home, try the farmer’s carry – walk for 60 seconds while holding a weight in each hand. Start with lighter weights (say, 1 kg or 5 kg) and work your way up to heavier ones to assess the maximum weight before you are unable to carry and walk, or experience hand or body pain.

How should you fare?

45-year-old man: two 27 kg (60-pound)
65-year-old man: two 18 kg (40-pound)
85-year-old man: two 11-kg (25-pound)

45-year-old woman: two 18 kg (40-pound)
65-year-old woman: two 11 kg (25-pound)
85-year-old woman: two 6.8-kg (15-pound)

To improve grip strength, train your grip with weights or resistance. Not forgetting, work on the mobility of fingers and wrists.

What else also helps with grip? Aerobic or strength training, including but not limited to upper body exercises like push-ups. Push-ups against the wall is very much do-able.

Also, consider how heavy your phone is and how long you hold it each day. Holding something heavy in a fixed position can cause strain on your muscles and lead to dysfunction in due time.

2. SINGLE-LEG STAND

Poor balance puts you at the risk of falls and it’s a slippery slope from there especially the older we get.

To test yourself, stand on one foot, with your other foot off the ground, at the level of the standing knee.

How should you fare?

Typically the gold standard is 1 minute on one leg, steadily, without wobbling.

Adults should aim for a minimum of 10 seconds on at least one side. And for added challenge, try with your eyes closed.

To improve your single-leg stand, practise it! Start training with the support of a table or chair, and then without, working progressively from 5 seconds up to 1 minute over weeks or months, first with eyes opened, then closed. From a steady surface to an imbalanced surface.

Work progressively and patiently, and seek professional advice to help gauge and advise you on the pace and direction of your progression where necessary.

3. SITTING-RISING TEST

This test of strength, power, balance and flexibility is developed by Dr Claudso Gil Araujo, dean of research and education at the Exercise Medicine Clinic in Brazil.

To test yourself, go from standing to sitting on the floor, and back up again, using the least amount of support as possible.

The test is scored on a 10-point scale – five points for sitting down and five for standing up – and you lose a point for every hand, knee or other body part you use to help yourself. Subtract a half point if you are unsteady or lose your balance.

How should you fare?

Adults in their 30s and 40s: 10 points
Adults over 60: At least 8 points

Dr Araujo has also shown it is a predictor of mortality in his recent study of more than 4,000 adults ages 46 to 75. Over the course of 12 years, the people who scored four or below on the sitting-rising test had death rates nearly four times as high as those who scored a 10. He said that was primarily because people with low scores were at a higher risk for falls.

To improve your sitting-rise test, work on aerobic or strength training. If this sounds vague and too complex, try the two-legged knee bend or squat. Simply sit on a chair and stand with your arms out. Repeat for 5-10 seconds and work up to 1 minute. If needed, hold on to a support. Ready to progress further? Do squats without the chair.

4. WALKING SPEED ASSESSMENT

How fast can you walk at your normal gait?

To assess your walking speed, measure 4m on a straight, flat surface, and time how long it takes you to cover the distance. Walk at your normal speed, not as fast as you can.

How should you fare?

At all ages: 3+ seconds to walk 4 m (1.2m a second)

Walking is complex: it involves the proper functioning and synchronisation of the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, vestibular (balance), sensory and nervous system.

If you find yourself unable to walk as fast as you used to, there could be a problem with one or more of these systems. A problem which needs to be addressed to stem further decline.

To improve your walking speed, ensure you get your steps in daily, best in nature. And don’t just walk, ensure you walk properly, looking straight and standing tall, with proper gait and arm swing from the shoulder. Take deep breaths in and out of your nose. Together these help you walk optimally, for longer and further.

What is next?

As we age, it’s natural to lose strength and muscle mass.

But it’s not the end.

Because it is also never too late to improve your physical abilities.

Getting stronger only gets easier as you get stronger.

Beyond quantity of life, we should aim for quality of life.

Believe you can do Better is important but in and of itself useless.

Don’t skip the last 2 steps of the ABCDs of the Pursuit of Wellness:

3. Commit to Consistency

4. Dedicated to just Do it

Thrive, don’t just survive. Today and every day!

Adapted from the Straits Times/NYTimes article, Four tests to see if you are ageing well. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/well/aging-tests-longevity.html

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Your chiropractor is in a great position to offer advice on ageing well, in addition to checking and adjusting your spine.

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Find out more about Chiropractic!

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