1. Sit-to-Rise Test (SRT)
This deceptively simple test asks you to sit down on the floor and then rise back up without using your hands or other support. Starting with a perfect score of 10, you lose points for each limb or instability used. Higher scores — particularly 8–10 — are linked with significantly lower risk of mortality in the coming decade, because the test captures strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination all at once.
2. Balance and Mobility (e.g., Standing on One Leg)
Balance is more than a party trick: it’s a window into neurological, vestibular, and muscular health. Clinicians often use a one-leg stand or similar posture tests to assess whether your sensory systems are working together. Difficulty sustaining balance can be an early indicator of declining functional health — and a predictor of fall risk, which becomes more serious with age. Try it for 10 seconds. Even better, do it with your eyes closed. 20 percent of adults aged 51 to 75 are unable to make it to 10 seconds with their eyes open. And those individuals had an 84 percent higher chance of dying in the next seven years.
3. Grip Strength
Grip strength isn’t about hand muscles alone. It’s a surprisingly powerful gauge of whole-body strength and resilience. Lower grip strength has been correlated with a higher risk of disability, chronic disease, and mortality, making it a quick proxy for overall muscular health and systemic vitality. To test yourself, try walking for 60 seconds while holding a heavy weight in each hand. Start with lighter weights and work your way up to heavier ones over time. If you experience hand or body pain, stop. From what I’ve read, a 45-year-old man should aim to carry two 60-pound dumbbells, a 65-year-old two 40-pound dumbbells and an 85-year-old two 25-pounders. For a woman at those ages, goal weights are 40 pounds, 25 pounds and 15 pounds in each hand.
4. Gait Speed and Functional Movement
How fast and confidently you walk — even over short distances — tells clinicians a lot about heart health, neurological integrity, and endurance. Slower gait speed has been associated with higher mortality risk and greater likelihood of future disability, while a brisk, steady pace suggests better integrated cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. To assess your walking speed, measure out four meters, or about 13 feet, on a straight, flat surface, and time how long it takes you to cover the distance.
The New York Times suggests, “These tests have one thing in common: they’re multisystem assessments. They don’t just look at one organ or biomarker; they reveal how your body functions as a whole. That’s crucial because aging is not one-dimensional — muscles, balance, neurological function, and cardiovascular health all interact to determine your real-world vitality. Instead of obsessing over a single lab number, these evaluations focus on capacity and function, letting you see where strength, stability, and resilience are thriving — or need attention — as you age.”
-Chip