Will Your Future Self Forgive You? (If You Can't Pass This Test?)

Insufficient muscular endurance and strength, rather than chronological age is the reason so many older people require help to walk, to sit, to stand, and even to sit upright from a horizontal position on their own.

Studies link a deficiency in physical fitness with both physical and mental deterioration. Personal chores and errands, social and recreational activities and hobbies – the very things that help us function and enjoy life have to get dropped or outsourced, ultimately impacting quality of life negatively.

The tests below provide a way for you to assess areas of physical weakness. A low score on any area of the test provides insights into the physical problems you could experience down the road.

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Balance Test

Place a book on top of your head. Place your hands on your waist. Bend your right knee and lift your left foot off the floor by at least a foot. Hold this position for 20 seconds without grabbing on to anything for support. Repeat the test on the other side.

Why it Matters...

Falls are the number one reason for immobility due to the hip fractures they lead to in older individuals. But even worse is the startling statistic that many older people who suffer this type of injury, die within two years of the fall. Improving your balance is one of the most fundamental and crucial necessities of building fitness.

Lower Body Strength Test 1

Place your hands on your thighs and lower yourself into a chair to a count of 5 seconds. Keeping your hands on your thighs, stand again for a count of 5 seconds.

Lower Body Strength Test 2

Kneel on one leg. Without holding on to anything, and without forward lean of more than 45 degrees, stand for a count of 5 seconds. Lower yourself back to the floor onto the same knee for a count of 5 seconds. Repeat the test on the other side.

Why it Matters...

Without sufficient leg and hip strength, autonomous living become difficult without human assistance or mechanical support. Activities affected include: getting into and out of a chair, getting into and out of bed, sitting on and getting up from a toilet, and getting in and out of a bath tub. The limited mobilization due to loss of personal autonomy also sets the stage for further deterioration.

Upper Body Strength Test 1

Lie on the floor face down, hands next to your rib cage or slightly higher.

Women, push your body into a push up position for a count of 3 seconds (men, go for 5 seconds). Lower yourself back to the floor for a count of 3 seconds if you are a woman, and 5 seconds if you are a man.

Upper Body Strength Test 2

Women: try to complete one pull up. Men: complete three. This challenge tests the muscles of the back and arms, as well as grip strength. Grip strength in women, was linked in a recent study, to frailty and early mortality.

Why it Matters...

Upper body strength is crucial to independence in seniors. When lower body strength is lacking, upper body strength is required to pick up the slack. All activities affected by a loss of lower body strength are further impacted by a lack of upper body strength. In addition, basic tasks such as opening food packages and jars limit food options regarding food choice and preparation, and meal options.

Core Strength Test 1

Sit down on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. You may bend your knees slightly. Place your hands on your thighs and slowly lower yourself onto your back to a count of 5 seconds. Now, do the reverse: sit up for a count of 5 seconds keeping your hands in front of you.

Core Strength Test 2

Lie on the floor face down in the shape of a cross. Straighten your arms and legs and lift them off the floor at the same time. Now roll slowly left, onto your back, keeping your arms and legs straight, and away from the floor. Keep holding the position of your arms and legs and roll back into the original position onto your stomach. Repeat the test rolling to the right.

Why it Matters...

Core strength is critical to providing a stable base of support for upper and lower body strength. The most basic activities such as sitting up for meals, rolling over in bed, or changing body position to be more comfortable, requires assistance without core strength. Core strength also plays a vital role in balance and stabilization, which helps seniors avoid falls and accidents.

Endurance Test 1

Sit down on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. You may bend your knees slightly. Place your hands on your thighs and slowly lower yourself onto your back to a count of 5 seconds. Now, do the reverse: sit up for a count of 5 seconds keeping your hands in front of you.

Endurance Test 2

Lie on the floor face down in the shape of a cross. Straighten your arms and legs and lift them off the floor at the same time. Now roll slowly left, onto your back, keeping your arms and legs straight, and away from the floor. Roll Keep holding the position of your arms and legs and roll back into the original position onto your stomach. Repeat the test rolling to the right.

Why it Matters...

Endurance is the ability to perform specific activity without fatiguing prematurely. This is important to quality of life. A deficiency in endurance means that outings and other hobbies and activities may be curtailed or stopped. Social isolation can result, eventually becoming a primary issue.

Flexibility Test 1

Sit down on the floor with your back against a wall and your legs straight out in front of you. You may bend your knees slightly. Flex at your ankles bringing your feet towards you and reach forward and touch your toes.

Flexibility Test 2

Lie on the floor on your left side. Bend both knees so your hip angle is slightly larger than 90 degrees. Reach both arms straight out in front of you with your palms facing each other. Keep your legs in place and rotate your torso towards the right so that your shoulders, upper back, and the back of your entire right arm are lying along the floor. Repeat the test lying on your right side, and rotating to the left.

Why it Matters...

Flexibility – or mobility - is an important component of strength. Limitations in range of motion lead to loss of strength, muscular imbalances, and joint misalignment. Unchecked, these eventually result in an injury and pain.

End of Test.

How hard was each of these for you on a scale of 1 to 5? Rate yourself on a 5 point scale (“1” being very easy and “5” being extremely difficult). A score of 3 or higher on any of the tests is a sign that you need to build strength in that area.

Physical and mental decline speeds up rapidly after age 60 in those who neglect exercise. This means losing the vigor, strength, and resilience to perform the most basic of physical activities crucial to daily living in your senior years.

But this decline does not have to be an inevitable part of ageing. You can use exercise to significantly slow, prevent, and even reverse most signs of aging.

#AgingWell #StrengthTest