The DIY guide to check how well you're ageing

The truth about ageing tests and what they can help reveal

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From grip strength to cognitive flexibility, this is what really matters when it comes to measuring how well you're ageing - and what doesn't.

A few years ago, a social media trend challenged people to see if they could stand up from the floor without using their hands.

Now, it’s all about how long you can balance on one leg while brushing your teeth. These quirky “tests” promise to tell us how well we're ageing – but do they really?

When we talk about “ageing well”, we're usually referring to both physical and psychological wellbeing. That includes feeling good (hedonic wellbeing) and finding meaning and purpose (eudaimonic wellbeing).

Engaging in activities and monitoring ourselves plays a role in both.

But ageing isn’t just about how strong your grip is or how fast you can walk. It’s a complex mix of physical, cognitive, emotional and social changesand no single test captures the whole picture.

Physically, one simple measure that gets a lot of attention is walking speed. According to one famous study, people who walk faster than 1.32 metres per second were less likely to die in the next three years -jokingly framed as “too fast for the Grim Reaper to catch”.

On the flip side, a slower walking speed - below 0.8 metres per second - can be a sign of sarcopenia, a condition involving reduced muscle mass, muscle strength and physical function. These are all important indicators of age-related decline.

But while these markers are useful, they’re not easy to measure at home. Most research relies on specialist equipment and your local GP probably doesn’t have a grip-strength dynamometer sitting in a drawer.