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How well are YOU ageing? The 6 tests you can do at home to find out – and the easiest ways to help you live longer
WHETHER we're doing the housework, commuting to work or simply getting out of bed in the morning, we rely on our body's ability to move well every day.
Every reach, squat and bend can become difficult and often painful if mobility is poor. But how agile should we be as we age, and when is it time to worry?
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Carlo Scozzaro, a sports rehabilitation therapist and founder of CS Therapy, tells Sun Health: 'Mobility refers to the ability to move joints through their full range of motion, comfortably.
'When you squat, for example, you need good mobility in your knees, ankles and hips, otherwise you won't be able to do it deeply or with good form.'
But today, with the amount of time we spend sitting at our laptops and staring at our phones, mobility often falls by the wayside.
We simply aren't moving as much, and our joints and muscles are becoming stiffer and tighter.
'It's important to work on mobility early in life, rather than when it's too late, because it will help you stay independent, active and injury-free as you get older,' Carlo says.
'For example, elderly people can fall over and if they haven't got good mobility, they'll struggle to get back up.
'Even things such as reaching for something on the top shelf and lifting up your arm require mobility.'
It's so important in fact, good mobility could even help you live longer.
Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that women who scored the highest for their mobility, balance and strength were 71 per cent more likely to be alive five years later than those whose scores were lower.
A separate study in the journal PLOS Medicine found that the longer someone has a mobility disability, the greater their risk of death.
Scientists defined this based on the participants' self-reported ability to get around the house, go up and down stairs, and walk at least 400 yards.
If they struggled with any of these, they were classed as having a mobility disability.
'Although it's not 100 per cent accurate, you can check how well you're ageing based on your mobility,' Carlo says.
'If 40- to 50-year-olds have good mobility, that's a really good sign.
'In fact, someone in their 50s should still be able to complete day-to-day activities without much strain.'
Want to test and improve your mobility? Try these six at-home tests.
'If you struggle with any, follow the tips and try them again a week later. You will start to see an improvement,' Carlo says.
1. Head turns…to test your neck mobility
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How to do it:
Stand upright. Turn your head as far as you can to the left, pause, then return to centre.
Repeat again and turn to the right before coming back to the centre.
Then, lift your head up, return to centre, then look down and return to centre.
Finally, test your lateral flexion by bending your neck to the left and then bending your neck to the right.
Aim for:
You should be able to turn your neck so your chin aligns with your shoulder. Any further is a bonus.
You should also be able to tuck your chin to your chest and look right up to the ceiling or even further behind.
When testing your neck's lateral flexion, you want to aim for about 45 degrees.
How to improve:
Use your hands to help guide your head around and push it a little bit further.
Try shoulder rolls too. These will help to release tension in the upper back and shoulder area.
2. Sitting cross legged…to test your lower body mobility
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How to do it:
The days of sitting cross legged in a school assembly hall might be long gone, but if you can try to maintain this level of mobility, it will only be a benefit to your life.
Sit on the ground with your legs out in front of you.
Bend your knees and bring one foot towards you, then the other, so they are crossed at the ankle.
Aim for:
Sitting cross legged for anywhere between 15 to 30 seconds is a good time to help you to stay mobile in your lower body.
How to improve:
A deep lunge will stretch your hip flexors and quads.
A butterfly pose (sitting with the soles of your feet pressed together and knees dropped out to the sides) opens up your inner thighs and hips.
3. Interlacing fingers….to test your upper body mobility
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How to do it:
Stand tall and bring your arms behind your back.
Interlink your fingers behind your back, comfortably, without arching your spine.
Aim for:
Ideally you want your fingers to at least touch, but the best scenario is interlinking your fingers behind your back.
It's useful to have someone behind you to see where you're at and how far your hands are reaching.
How to improve:
If you can't clasp your hands, add a towel between your hands to help you gradually progress.
Arm circles are useful to loosen the shoulders.
The foods and drinks causing you to AGE faster
By Eva Gizowska
CRISPS, cakes, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, ready-meals – it's not rocket science to know that these foods aren't exactly healthy.
But what if you were told that they could make you age faster – would you cut back?
In fact, experts say diet can increase your biological age, which refers to how old your body is, based on how fast it's declining.
It can be older or younger than your chronological age, which is how many years you have lived.
An accelerating biological clock will also make you look older.
'It causes cells to age throughout your body, and this affects the cells of your skin,' says Gemma Clare, functional nutritionist and integrative skin expert.
'While you may not be aware that your heart or lungs are ageing at a faster rate, the signs of accelerated ageing are much more obvious on your skin and body.'
Unhealthy foods are usually either high in fat, sugar and salt, or all of these, and are referred to as ultra-processed foods (UPF).
A recent study by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, found that for every 10 per cent increase in UPF intake, biological age goes up by 2.4 months.
It's the equivalent of only 200 extra calories in a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, which could amount to just a couple of biscuits.
In reality, though, UPFs account for at least half the average person's daily food intake, research suggests.
If you think your diet could be in a downward spiral, rein it in by cutting these 'ageing' foods and drinks -
Sugar (e.g. fizzy drinks, cereal, fruit yoghurt, milk chocolate)
Seed oils (e.g. rapeseed, soyborn, corn, sunflower, safflower)
Salty foods (e.g. ready meals, takeaways, crisps)
Charred foods (e.g. burnt toast, crispy bacon)
Processed meats (e.g. salami, hot dogs, pepperoni, deli meats)
Alcohol
4. Kneel to stand…to test your lower body mobility
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How to do it:
Start in a high kneeling position with your hands on your hips.
Come to standing, before stepping back down into a high kneel.
Aim for:
Between 10 to 15 smooth reps with no struggle is a good target.
How to improve:
Practice the move with support or with your hands away from your hips for balance.
Try deep lunges to help improve mobility in your hip flexors and ankle circles to help with ankle mobility.
5. Straight leg raise…to test your hip mobility
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How to do it:
Lie back on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
Press your lower back into the floor then lift your left leg up towards the ceiling, as far as you can, without bending at the knee.
Lower back down. Repeat the same on the right side.
Aim for:
Lifting your leg to anywhere between 70 and 90 degrees without pain or your back arching shows good mobility and flexibility.
You also want to aim for each leg to be able to reach the same height.
Your opposite leg needs to stay flat on the floor. As soon as it lifts up or turns, it's a failed test.
How to improve:
Tight hamstrings will make this move difficult. Loosen them up with a hamstring stretch.
Sit on the floor and straighten one leg in front of you. Your other leg can remain bent.
Gently lean forwards and reach down your straight leg. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
6. Thread the needle…to test your back mobility
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How to do it:
Start in an all-fours position. Take your left arm and slide it under your right, until your left shoulder touches the floor.
Then come back to all-fours and lift your left arm up straight to the ceiling, opening up your chest.
Return to all-fours and repeat on the other side.
When you're reaching up, try to find your limit but don't push it as you can strain yourself.
Aim for:
Ideally, you want to be able to do this move pain-free, getting your shoulder as close to the floor as possible before opening up as wide as you can.
How to improve:
Try loosening your spine with cat-cow stretches (on all-fours, arch and round your spine).
Open up the shoulders too with a wall angel.
Stand against a wall facing away, then slowly raise and lower your arms, keeping them glued to the wall.
