Successful Aging: Know Your Numbers
Simple ways to learn more about the capabilities that help protect your independence.
Most of us know our blood pressure. Many of us know our cholesterol and blood sugar.
But how well do you know your balance, mobility, strength and ability to recover when something unexpected happens?
These capabilities help determine how long we can continue doing the things we enjoy—walking, traveling, gardening, playing, working, caring for others and living independently.
The good news: you don’t have to wait for a problem to find out where you stand.
Here are a few simple ways to start.
Can You Stand on One Leg for 10 Seconds?
The ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds has been studied as a measure of physical capability. In one study of 1,702 adults ages 51-75, inability to complete the test was associated with higher all-cause mortality during approximately seven years of follow-up.
Important: This is not a prediction of your future and does not mean that failing the test means you will fall. It is simply one piece of information about your physical capability.
[INSERT DR. SHAYE 10-SECOND ONE-LEG BALANCE VIDEO]
Take the 10-Second Balance Test
Safety first: Perform this test next to a sturdy counter, wall or other stable support. Have someone nearby if you are unsteady. Do not attempt it if you have been advised not to perform balance exercises, or if you have reason to believe that you will fall.
Your Hands May Tell You More Than You Think
Grip strength is more than the ability to open a jar. Research has found associations between lower grip strength and functional decline, mortality and other health outcomes.
The most reliable way to measure grip strength is with a dynamometer. There is no reliable way to convert a household object or hand squeeze into an accurate pounds-or-kilograms measurement.
Try carrying two moderately heavy grocery bags for 30 seconds.
Can you do it comfortably? Can you maintain your grip without significant discomfort, shaking or needing to put the bags down?
This is not a measurement of grip strength. It is simply an opportunity to notice whether hand and forearm strength may deserve more attention.
[OPTIONAL: INSERT DR. SHAYE FUNCTIONAL GRIP VIDEO]
Your Toes Play a Bigger Role in Balance Than You Might Think
Your toes help stabilize you when you’re standing, shift your weight and contribute to walking and balance. Research has found a strong association between reduced toe-flexor strength and falls in older adults.
Sit comfortably with your foot flat on the floor. Place a small piece of paper beneath your big toe. Keep your heel and the rest of your foot down while another person gently pulls the paper away.
Can you resist the pull?
The paper-grip test is a simple screening tool that can provide information about toe-flexor strength. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional assessment.
[INSERT DR. SHAYE PAPER-GRIP / HALLUX TEST VIDEO]
How Strong Are Your Legs?
How many times can you safely stand up from a chair and sit back down in 30 seconds without using your hands?
This is a simple functional test of lower-body strength and endurance and is one of the functional assessments used by the CDC’s STEADI fall-prevention program.
[INSERT DR. SHAYE 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND VIDEO]
Safety first: Use a stable chair. Stop if the test is unsafe or causes pain, dizziness or unusual shortness of breath.
Your Health-Span Checklist
- MOVE — Regular physical activity, strength and balance training.
- SEE — Keep vision corrected and have regular eye examinations.
- HEAR — Address hearing changes rather than simply adapting around them.
- REVIEW — Ask your physician or pharmacist whether medications could contribute to dizziness, drowsiness or falls.
- STRENGTHEN — Don’t neglect your hands, legs, feet and core.
- SAFETY-PROOF — Improve lighting and reduce trip hazards at home.
You don’t need a perfect score. You need information—and options.
Want to Go Deeper?
The following research is provided for readers who want to explore the science behind physical capability, successful aging and fall prevention.
- 10-second one-leg stance and mortality — British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022.
- Grip strength, physical capability and mortality — BMJ systematic review/meta-analysis, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). STEADI: Older Adult Fall Prevention.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). STEADI Functional Assessments: 30-Second Chair Stand, Timed Up & Go, and 4-Stage Balance Test.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preventing Falls and Hip Fractures.
- Mickle KJ, Munro BJ, Lord SR, Menz HB, Steele JR. Plantarflexion strength of the toes: age and gender differences and evaluation of a clinical screening test. Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery. 2007.
- Mansi MK, Chockalingam N, Chatzistergos PE. The enhanced paper grip test can substantially improve community screening for the risk of falling. Gait & Posture. 2023.
- Mansi MK, Chockalingam N, Chatzistergos PE. An exploration of the mechanistic link between the enhanced paper grip test and the risk of falling. The Foot. 2023.
The Goal Isn’t a Perfect Score.
A test doesn’t tell you your future. It gives you information about your present. And information creates options.
Protect Your Independence℠
Know where you stand. Address what you can. Keep doing what matters.
Educational resource only. These self-tests are not diagnostic tools and should not replace medical evaluation or individualized professional advice. If a test causes pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath or significant instability, stop and consult an appropriate health professional.
