These 5 simple tests can reveal how well your body is aging
Experts say gait speed, grip strength, balance, and endurance are some of the strongest predictors of long-term independence. Here’s how to check them yourself—and what the results mean.
Aging doesn’t look the same for everyone. But research shows that independence and mobility are among the strongest indicators of how well someone is aging.
“The older we get, we experience changes in our joints and muscles and bodies that may lead us to slow down a little bit,” says Kaila Morin, a physical therapy supervisor at Gaylord Specialty Health. That slowing can lead to health issues or a rising risk of falls that result in broken bones or long-term disability.
But with preventative exercise and lifestyle changes, the goal is that people age well so that they “still feel like they have a good quality of life and can go out and experience life and do meaningful activities,” says Morin.
Luckily, it’s not all guesswork. Clinicians have simple, validated ways to measure how well someone is aging physically. “What’s really nice is that none of these measures require equipment, so they're very quick and easy for us to get good, measurable data on our patients,” says Morin. Many can even be done at home, offering a way to track whether your workouts or physical therapy are truly paying off. Although it is important to note that these are screening tools, not diagnoses.
Here are five simple test that assess strength, balance, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness——key indicators of how well your body is aging—and how to try them yourself.
Gait speed test
What it tells you: Overall vitality
Of all the functional measures clinicians use, gait speed is the one that physical therapists use the most.
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Robyn Culbertson, a clinical specialist in geriatrics and a physical therapist with the American Physical Therapy Association, says gait speed is the most predictive single marker of aging well because it’s strongly associated with future mortality risk, cognitive decline, and the ability to remain living independently. In fact, both Culbertson and Morin consider gait speed the “sixth vital sign.”
(How to start aging like an athlete.)
How to test it at home: Mark out a 10-meter walkway, adding two meters at each end to allow time to accelerate and decelerate. You will only time the 10-meter area. Start a stopwatch, then walk at a comfortable pace. Stop the timer when you exit that zone. Divide 10 meters by the seconds it took.
How to interpret your results: For older adults 60+, the typical gait speed is around 0.8 to 1.2 meters per second. Adults in midlife aiming to age well should aim for at least 1.3 at a comfortable pace, and up to ~1.9 at maximum speed (though women may trend slightly lower).
Sit-to-stand test
What it tells you: Lower body strength and day-to-day functioning.
Lower-body strength starts declining earlier than most people realize—often in your 30s and 40s—and can affect everyday tasks. The sit-to-stand test is a simple way to assess whether your legs, hips, and core are strong enough to support basic movements, such as getting out of a chair without using your hands.
“When you start noticing that you can’t get up and down from a chair without your hands, it might be time to do some strengthening or see a physical therapist,” says Culbertson.
How to test it at home: Find a sturdy chair. Cross your arms and put your hands on your shoulders. Sit down, then stand up fully. Repeat five times as quickly as possible without using your hands. Time how long it takes. The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy gives cut-off times for healthy ranges based on your age.
(Aging isn’t just about decline. Here’s how health improves as we grow older.)
How to interpret your results: If five reps felt too easy or too tough, Culbertson suggests counting how many times you can do this in 30 seconds. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides guidance on optimal repetition ranges based on your age.
Grip strength
What it tells you: Total body strength and mortality risk.
Grip strength might sound trivial, but it’s one of the most useful measures of whole-body strength as people age. “If you don’t have good grip strength, you can’t hold on to a stair rail when you’re walking up the stairs or to your walker as well, or maybe you can’t push up from a chair,” says Culbertson. A five-kilogram decrease in grip strength is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
How to test it at home: Clinicians measure grip strength with a handheld dynamometer, often during physical therapy or routine medical visits. For home tracking, inexpensive dynamometers are widely available (many cost under $40 online) and let you see whether your grip strength is staying in the healthy range or starting to decline. A downward trend can serve as an early warning to focus more intentionally on strength training.
How to interpret your results: According to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project, low grip strength is defined as 26 kilograms (about 57 pounds) for men and 16 kilograms (about 35 pounds) for women. Scores below that are associated with a higher risk of disability, hospitalization, and mortality.
Single-leg balance
What it tells you: Stability and fall risk.
Balance is one of the most important and most overlooked dimensions of physical aging. “Every time you step—when you pick up the other leg to move the other leg forward—you’re basically doing a single leg stand,” says Culbertson. Yet this ability declines sharply with age. Having poor balance can increase fall risk, and falls are one of the biggest drivers of disability and loss of independence later in life.
How to test it at home: Stand near a counter or wall for safety. Lift one foot an inch off the ground and time how long you can hold the position without touching down or grabbing something. Test both sides. Then, test again with eyes closed.
(When does old age begin? Science says later than you might think.)
How to interpret your results: Morin notes that while age-based norms vary, “anything under five seconds for an older adult is associated with a significantly higher risk of falls,” she says. Adults in their 40s should be able to manage 42 seconds. Balance times often drop sharply with eyes closed—the average for a 40-year-old is closer to 13 seconds—but maintaining balance in both conditions matters. Practicing regularly, even just a few minutes a week, can help preserve this skill later in life.
VO₂ max
What it tells you: Cardiovascular health
VO₂ max is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause, including cardiovascular disease. While VO₂ max is traditionally thought of as a measure of fitness, it’s also a meaningful reflection of how your body is aging internally.
How to test it at home: The most accurate VO₂ max tests are done in an exercise physiology lab. You wear a mask and sensors that measure oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange while you run or cycle through increasingly more complex work.
That being said, you don’t necessarily need a lab to get helpful information. Many wearable devices—such as fitness watches and rings—estimate VO₂ max based on your heart rate and power output when you exercise. These numbers are not as precise as the lab version, but they can reliably detect whether your aerobic capacity is improving, plateauing, or dropping over time.
How to interpret your results: VO₂ max is best understood as a trend rather than a single score. Higher numbers generally reflect better cardiovascular fitness and a lower risk of heart disease and early mortality—but what matters most is how your value compares to age- and sex-based norms, and whether it’s improving or declining over time.
A declining VO₂ max over time, even if your number is still “normal,” can be an early warning sign that aerobic capacity is slipping. An increasing or stable VO₂ max suggests your current routine is effectively supporting heart and lung health. Regular aerobic exercise, such as running, brisk walking, cycling, and swimming, can raise VO2max and support heart health and energy levels as you age.
