You have no symptoms, you don’t feel ill – but you might still wonder how healthy you really are.
One way of keeping an eye on your wellbeing is to take up the free NHS check-ups when invited.
Through the years these include tests for breast, cervical and bowel cancers, as well as a general health MOT and, for men, screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm.
These screenings are invaluable – for example, since its introduction in 2006, the national bowel cancer screening programme has prevented an estimated 20,000 cases of the disease.
Yet a lot of people don’t take up the offer. In the case of bowel cancer screening, around a third of people fail to take the tests.
Similarly, more than a third of women don’t take up their breast cancer screening (in the form of a mammogram), according to the latest NHS figures.
With smear tests for cervical cancer, the take-up rate in England varies – it’s lower among 25 to 49-year-olds (66 per cent in 2022-23) compared with 74 per cent for 50 to 64-year-olds.
Chris Gale, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate
‘You should take up invitations for our screening programmes, unless you have a good reason not to,’ says Professor Dame Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of GPs.
But for some diseases, there’s no free NHS screening test for those without symptoms. So, should you go private to find out more?
These days, everything from cholesterol and thyroid function checks to cardiac scans and prostate cancer tests are available at private clinics and pharmacies.
In fact, even the NHS is indirectly in on the act – Monitor My Health is an NHS-owned and operated laboratory, but you pay for the tests: the company returns all profits to the NHS.
The online service markets itself as providing an ‘easily accessible, safe, regulated service that promotes disease prevention’.
The checks it offers include blood tests for anaemia (low iron levels) and vitamin D, as well as ovarian reserve (how many eggs a woman has left), type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and Covid antibody tests.
However, the benefits of private testing are unclear, as sometimes it may cause needless anxiety in the ‘worried well’, or lead to investigations including biopsies of lumps and bumps that would never have caused a problem.
‘The more you go looking, the more you’ll find, which you then need to investigate further: where do you stop?’ says GP and Good Health columnist Dr Martin Scurr.
Yet private health professionals say such tests can help people who have the resources to pay to take control of their health and put their minds at rest.
So if you don’t have symptoms, which tests – free or paid-for – should you consider, and at what age?
In this guide, we asked leading experts to explain what tests matter, when. We also show the simple DIY tests you can do at home to see if you’re falling behind what’s normal for your age, so you can take action now to stay well.
IN YOUR 20s
START HAVING: Cholesterol, cervical cancer and vitamin D screenings.
Cholesterol testing
COST: Generally only available privately at this age. Monitor My Health offers an at-home DIY finger-prick blood test for £29, or have it done at High Street pharmacies from £14.99. Superdrug Health Clinics offer a consultation with a nurse who performs the blood test for £65, book online.
Cholesterol, a type of fat, is essential for health. However, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol can build up in the arteries, increasing risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Although high LDL levels are common among older people, the young may have high cholesterol without symptoms, particularly if they have a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).
Chris Gale, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate, explains: ‘Untreated, people aged 20-39 with FH have a 100-fold increased risk of death from heart disease compared with those without FH.’
The British Heart Foundation estimates that 270,000 people have FH, but many are unaware.
In the US, government advice is to have cholesterol levels tested from the age of 20 to prevent future harm from undiagnosed high cholesterol.
Arterial damage from ‘bad’ cholesterol appears to be cumulative, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology – people with high levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol at a young age had poorer outcomes.
Cervical screening
COST: Free on the NHS for women aged 25-64, offered every three to five years.
One in 142 women in the UK will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime. Screening, called a smear test, is used to detect abnormalities that could lead to the disease: cells are collected from the cervix, using a brush, then sent to be tested for signs of HPV [human papillomavirus] which is known to cause cancer. Results take two to six weeks.
Under the age of 25, a smear test is unnecessary as it has been known to lead to ‘harmful’ and unfounded investigations, says
Dr Tim Hillard, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Poole Hospital in Dorset – but the incidence increases rapidly from 25, so being screened in your mid-20s can catch any changes early.
Since the screening programme was introduced in the 1980s, the number of people dying from cervical cancer has halved.
‘It is important that women take up these screening appointments. They pick up cervical cancer before it has started or in its early stages when it is completely curable,’ adds Dr Hillard.
Vitamin D
COST: Available only privately, unless you have symptoms. It involves a finger-prick blood test at home. Monitor My Health, £38, or a DIY High Street test kit, around £8. Superdrug Health Clinics offer a test with a nurse, £69.
Nearly half of the UK population are vitamin D deficient. Signs of deficiency can include fatigue, muscle weakness, and bone pain, says Professor Gerada.
She adds that ‘prolonged deficiency can increase the risk of fractures and other health issues’ – such as poor immunity.
But vitamin D testing is not offered on the NHS unless you have symptoms or risk factors that may affect the health of your bones, such as a family member having osteoporosis.
Vitamin D deficiency is usually reversible by making lifestyle changes, such as increasing your sun exposure, changing your diet or taking supplements (as recommended by the NHS).
IN YOUR 30s
START HAVING: Diabetes, thyroid function and skin cancer screenings.
DON’T FORGET: Cholesterol, cervical cancer and vitamin D screenings.
Type 2 diabetes
COST: Available privately as a screening tool, a finger-prick blood test at home, from High Street chemists, costs from £4.99 to £39.
Type 2 diabetes, where the body struggles to control blood sugar levels, is typically diagnosed aged 45-64 – but it’s increasingly seen in people in their 30s and younger due to rising rates of obesity. It is more aggressive in younger adults than in older people, according to Diabetes UK.
‘Getting an early warning of pre-diabetes, the precursor to type 2 diabetes, can be helpful in encouraging people to change their lifestyles for the better,’ says Simon Heller, a professor of clinical diabetes at the University of Sheffield.
‘With the right specialist support and treatment, it’s possible to live well and avoid diabetes complications, including eye problems and nerve damage.’
However, HbA1c tests (the standard test, which measures the ‘sugariness’ of your blood over the past two to three months) can be inaccurate, potentially offering false reassurance in some cases.
According to a large 2024 study, around 7.6 per cent of people of South Asian descent may carry a gene that can falsely lower HbA1c results, so don’t rely on private tests alone if you have concerns.
Thyroid function test
COST: Available privately as a screening tool, it involves a finger-prick blood test at home. Monitor My Health, London Health Company DIY test and Boots MyHealthChecked are bookable online from around £25 to £45.
The thyroid gland produces three hormones – thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which collectively play a major role in everything from heart rate to metabolism and bone health.
And cases of people with thyroid problems are soaring – from an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, which affects more than two million Britons, to rising rates of thyroid cancer, which have increased by around two-thirds in the UK in the past decade.
The most common age for an overactive thyroid to occur is between 20 and 40; thyroid cancer typically affects women aged 30 to 60, with the highest risk in the reproductive years.
However, thyroid problems, which can lead to symptoms such as tiredness, weight gain, constipation and depression, can take an average of 4.5 years to be diagnosed – and considerably longer for patients with an underactive thyroid, according to a recent survey by the University of Aberdeen, which is why it could be worth testing privately.
However, ‘there are many causes of tiredness and it is rare that it will be down to thyroid problems,’ says Professor Gerada. ‘Other things should be discounted first.’
Professor Dame Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of GPs
Melanoma
COST: Available only privately. Boots Mole Scanning Service, £40 for one mole, £20 for each additional mole up to four in total. The Mole Clinic offers a full-body skin check for £195; full-body skin check plus mole mapping, £325.
Most moles are harmless but, sometimes, they can develop into malignant melanoma, a serious skin cancer.
As with all cancers, early detection and treatment of melanoma increases your survival chances.
The five-year relative survival rate for patients with stage 0 melanoma (contained within the top layer of skin) is 97 per cent, compared with about 10 per cent for those with stage 4 (that’s spread).
While most common in the over-65s, there is research suggesting that the risk of melanoma rises steadily from age 30.
According to Dr Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist at the Tarrant St Clinic in Arundel: ‘A full-body skin cancer screening should be performed every few years, starting in your 30s, if there are risk factors such as fair skin, red hair and high sun exposure. Otherwise it’s fine to have a check-up only if you are concerned that a mole has changed shape, texture or is painful or itchy, for instance.’
She adds that it is better to get all your moles looked at rather than singling out a particular mole.
Mole mapping (photographing moles on an annual basis to chart any changes) is also worth doing if you are higher risk, she adds.
‘The best way to pick up melanoma early is for people to know the symptoms, which include a bleeding mole, change in colour and shape of an existing mole, and see their GP if they have any of them,’ says Professor Gerada.
IN YOUR 40s
START HAVING: General health MOT, prostate screenings, liver function and menopause checks.
DON’T FORGET: Diabetes, thyroid function, skin cancer, cervical cancer and vitamin D screenings.
General health MOT
COST: Available free on the NHS at your GP practice, it is an assessment of your overall health and is offered every five years to those aged 40 to 74 with no pre-existing health conditions.
It involves answering a series of questions about your lifestyle and family history: the nurse will measure your height, weight, blood pressure and do a blood test – often a finger-prick test – to check your cholesterol levels. ‘The NHS Health Check is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia – as we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions,’ explains Professor Gerada.
‘This check may pick up problems that you can deal with at an early stage.’
Prostate cancer
COST: Available privately, this involves a finger-prick blood test at home. Check4Cancer, £89, or with a nurse at Superdrug Health Clinics, £79; book online. You can ask your GP for a blood test if you’re over 45 and in an at-risk group (of black heritage or have a family history) or if over 50.
Prostate cancer, which affects the doughnut-shaped gland that sits around the urethra, is the most common cancer in men.
‘If we catch it early, results can be very good,’ says Professor Chris Eden, a consultant urologist at London Bridge Hospital. He recommends a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test in your mid-40s, even if you have no symptoms.
‘From various studies, we know that if your PSA is very low when you are in your mid-40s (i.e. under 0.5), you are very unlikely to die from prostate cancer.
‘But if it is at the higher end of the PSA range (at 1 or over), there may be a chance it will increase and you will have to be treated for the disease so you can keep an active eye on things,’ he explains.
However, ‘PSA tests can be unreliable with lots of false positives,’ – leading to a biopsy which can cause pain, infection and bleeding.
‘Up to 75 per cent of PSA tests may indicate cancer which are not then confirmed at biopsy,’ he says, ‘and up to 15 per cent of cancers aren’t detected by PSA tests.’
Liver function
COST: Available privately as a finger-prick blood test at home –OptimallyMe Liver Function Test, £33.99. Forth with Life, £49, One Day Tests, £35.
Premature deaths from liver disease in England increased by almost 40 per cent between 2001 and 2022, with too much alcohol, obesity and hepatitis infections accounting for around 90 per cent of cases. But if caught early, disease progression can be halted and sometimes reversed.
Kevin Moore, a professor of hepatology at University College London, says: ‘Around 20-25 per cent of the general population have fatty liver disease [linked to obesity] and 50 per cent drink alcohol regularly. The two together can significantly increase the risk of cirrhosis [scarring of the liver].’
Dubbed a silent killer, symptoms of liver disease are often not apparent until it’s advanced.
Professor Moore says the risk factors for cirrhosis often emerge in our 20s and it generally takes 20 years to develop, ‘so it is important to catch the development of significant liver disease at a stage when lifestyle changes may have an impact’.
Thus, tests in your 40s are important, he says.
The British Liver Trust does not recommend private home liver tests because they are ‘only one little piece of the jigsaw puzzle’ of diagnosis, and recommends that you consult your GP.
Menopause
COST: Available privately. Finger-prick blood test at home – Superdrug Basic Menopause Test Kit, £25. Medichecks tests measuring menopause hormones, from £69, book online.
While a GP can confirm menopause based on your symptoms, one marker of impending menopause is rising levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the ‘driving hormone’ that works hard to make the failing ovaries release remaining eggs, explains Dr Karen Morton, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Guildford.
The menopause usually occurs around the age of 51, but perimenopause can start years before.
FSH tests can tell you if the menopause has finished – testing in your late-40s or early-50s can help you start HRT at the optimum time. ‘Measuring FSH can be particularly useful if a woman is not having periods, following a hysterectomy, or due to contraception,’ says Dr Morton.
IN YOUR 50s
START HAVING: Cardiac screening and checks for breast, bladder, bowel and lung cancers.
DON’T FORGET: General health MOT, prostate, liver function, diabetes, thyroid, skin cancer, cervical cancer and vitamin D screenings.
Breast cancer
COST: Free on the NHS for women aged 50 to 71, mammograms performed every three years.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK – the risk rises as women get older and most cases are diagnosed after the age of 50.
Mammography, which uses X-rays to scan breast tissue, is good at spotting breast cancer, especially in women aged 50 and older when breast tissue becomes less dense.
However, according to Cancer Research UK, false positive results can lead to further unnecessary tests, such as biopsies.
Bladder cancer
COST: Available privately, involves an ultrasound scan. Ultrasound London, £175; Sonoworld Clinic Harley Street, London, £235.
Bladder cancer is the UK’s 11th most common cancer, according to Cancer Research UK figures. Normally diagnosed in people aged 85 to 89, it can also affect younger people.
‘It is worthwhile being screened from the age of 55 if you are at increased risk of bladder cancer due to being a smoker [three times the risk], having exposure to certain dyes, or have bladder inflammation or a family history of bladder cancer,’ says Professor Eden.
It involves an ultrasound of the abdomen, inspecting your bladder and urinary tract; written reports are usually available within 24-hours.
Dr Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist at the Tarrant St Clinic in Arundel
Bowel cancer
COST: Free on the NHS. Screening via a stool sample is offered every two years to all aged 50 to 74. Over 75s can request screening by calling the NHS on 0800 707 60 60. Buy privately for £60.
Bowel cancer is the UK’s 4th most common cancer. A FIT (faecal immunochemical test) detects blood in a stool sample.
You can also pay for a 3D scan which shows the bowel clearly (costs from £1,200). ‘Your risk of bowel cancer rises in your 50s when polyps in the bowel may start becoming cancerous,’ says Iain Jourdan, a consultant colorectal surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
‘Getting treatment at this stage means it is much more curable.’
Dr Tony Lopez, a consultant radiologist at the Mount Alvernia Hospital, says FIT tests are a good idea, but only inspect a sample ‘at one moment in time’, so if a tumour is bleeding intermittently it may not show up.
Although reliable, 3D colonoscopy is expensive for a check-up if you don’t have any symptoms.
Cardiac CT scan
COST: Privately, from £600.
Originally developed as a diagnostic tool for people with heart disease symptoms, this technology (a series of low-dose X-rays after a special dye has been injected) is used to look for coronary artery calcification, narrowings and blockages in the heart.
‘Calcification, the build-up of calcium on the blood vessels which typically starts to appear in the 50s, is correlated with the risk of heart attacks,’ explains David Gerrard, a consultant vascular surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
Lung cancer
COST: Free on the NHS for high-risk people (e.g. smokers) aged 55 to 75. Private scans from £400.
Lung cancer claims 35,000 lives a year in the UK, and the most common cause is smoking.
‘The earlier you catch [lung cancer], the better the outcome for the patient,’ says Dr Lopez.
Screening with a low-dose CT scan using contrast dye builds up a detailed image of the lungs, to show any nodules or inflammation. This involves an injection of the dye before the scan, which usually takes only minutes.
IN YOUR 60s
START HAVING: Osteoporosis (women) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (men) screenings.
DON’T FORGET: Cardiac screening and checks for breast, bladder, bowel, skin, cervical, prostate and lung cancers. General health MOT, liver function, diabetes, thyroid function and vitamin D screenings.
Osteoporosis
COST: A free bone density scan known as a DEXA scan (where a scanner passes over your spine and hips as you lie on a table) is available on the NHS if you’re over 50 and at increased risk of osteoporosis (such as post menopause) or under 50 with other risk factors (e.g. smoking). Available privately, £149, bodyview.co.uk and Vista Health, £125.
Osteoporosis affects more than three million people in the UK; half of women over 50 and a third of men over 60 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis.
A DEXA scan can help women in their 60s to check their bone health after menopause and take steps to improve it – including taking supplements, says Professor Gerada. ‘It’s early enough to really make a difference.’
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
COST: Free ultrasound screening for men over 65 on the NHS. Ultrasound and CT scan from £500 available privately.
Around one in 70 men aged 65 in England has an abdominal aortic aneurysm – a swelling of the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart. Most do not cause problems, but if they burst they can be deadly.
Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure and a family history.
Men are six times more likely to have one than women.
‘An ultrasound in your 60s can put your mind at rest or give you information you need for the next steps,’ says Mr Gerrard.
It’s never too late to cut your risk of getting ill
VITAL HEART CHECK IN YOUR 70s
START HAVING: Atrial fibrillation screening.
DON’T FORGET: Osteoporosis (women) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (men) screenings. Cardiac screening and checks for breast, bladder, bowel and lung cancers. General Health MOT, prostate screenings, liver function, diabetes, thyroid function, skin cancer and vitamin D screenings.
Atrial fibrillation
COST: Screening only available privately. EchoMed, £375 for electrocardiogram (ECG); £250 for echocardiogram.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia affecting patients over the age of 65, causing an irregular heart rhythm. But many people are unaware and have no symptoms, says Chris Pepper, a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. A GP can check by checking your pulse. Smart watches and fitness trackers are also increasingly detecting AF, but diagnosis ‘should always be confirmed with a formal electrocardiogram,’ says Dr Pepper.
Dementia
COST: Available only privately, ReMind UK, £695; The Dementia Service (which includes a brain scan), £2,499. There is currently no formal NHS screening for dementia – although if you have symptoms your GP will refer you for further investigations and signs of dementia are also looked for in the NHS General Health MOT.
However, some experts believe that more comprehensive screening for dementia can allow people to make lifestyle choices to slow its progression, improving their quality
of life and enable their families to ‘plan ahead and make informed decisions about their future care and support’, says Dr Rohit Renjhen, a consultant psychiatrist at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
A memory assessment appointment with the charity ReMind UK includes a detailed consultation, cognitive tests and comprehensive report.
Check your eyes and ears, too
‘Eye tests are not just about getting the best glasses,’ says Dr Michael Crossland, an optometrist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and senior research fellow at University College London.
‘Optometrists can identify the early stages of many eye conditions, which can lead to permanent vision impairment if not treated early – including glaucoma [rising pressure in the eye] and age-related macular disease [which causes blurred central vision].’
It is recommended you get examined every two years, unless your optometrist recommends more frequent testing.
Eye tests are free in Scotland and cost £23.53 on the High Street elsewhere, but are free to those over 60, under 16 and for anyone on Universal Credit.
And what about hearing?
The British Academy of Audiology recommends adults have a baseline hearing test between the ages of 55 and 60 and then check-ups every five years.
However, Ben Horlock, lead audiologist at Kensington Hearing in London, recommends starting check-ups at 50 every two years and every year from 65. ‘Early detection allows prompt intervention,’ he says – and age-related hearing loss tends to progress more quickly after 65.
You can arrange a free NHS hearing assessment through your local GP. There are some private providers who also offer complimentary tests.
How many eggs do you have left?
Your ‘ovarian reserve’ refers to how many eggs you have left. There are two ways to calculate it: with a blood test for levels of AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) or an antral follicle count, a transvaginal scan to count the number of healthy follicles in your ovaries.
‘A growing number of women are opting to have ovarian reserve testing as a way to measure their potential reproductive lifespan,’ says Dr Karen Morton, an obstetrician and gynaecologist based in Guildford.
‘This test is of most value in women heading to IVF, as a guide to whether medicines are likely to be able to drive the ovaries to produce lots of healthy eggs for collection.’
At home AMH testing costs from £48, via Randox Health; antral follicle counts cost from £150, at private clinics.
Know your numbers
One in three of us has high blood pressure – but don’t know it. You may not discover you’re affected until you have a heart attack or stroke. Adults of all ages are encouraged to know their blood pressure, as they do their height and weight. Checks are done as part of the five-yearly NHS Health check (for people aged between 40 to 74 in England). You can also keep an eye on it at home (but overdoing it could make you anxious). For a list of monitors approved by the British and Irish Hypertension Society, visit bihs.org.uk/bp-monitors/for-home-use.
4 simple DIY checks to spot any problems early
Our balance, strength, flexibility, endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness diminish as we age – but the rate of decline can be slowed if we are aware earlier that we are falling behind. Find out how you compare, using the following tests from leading US physician Dr Ian Smith.
Sit-and-reach test
This test is an indirect measure of hamstring, hip and lower-back flexibility. As we get older, our soft tissues become less elastic, contributing to a loss of flexibility. This test requires a yardstick and someone to help the measurement.
1. Find an open space on the floor and place a yardstick down. Hold it in place with a piece of tape at the 15 in mark.
2. Sit on the ground with your legs extended and open into a V-shape, with the yardstick between your legs. Place the soles of your feet so that they’re level with the 15 in mark on the yardstick.
3. Clasp your hands together in front of you, one on top of the other, then have someone hold your knees down so your legs stay flat on the ground while you slowly reach forward as far as you can.
4. Hold it for at least one second and record the distance that you reach.
5. Repeat twice more, recording each distance. Choose your best distance.
WHAT IS A GOOD RESULT?
25 years: Woman, 21.5in; man, 19.5in.
35 years: Woman, 20.5in; man, 18.5in.
45 years: Woman, 20in; man, 17.5in.
55 years: Woman, 19in; man, 16.5in.
65 years: Woman, 17.5in; man 15.5in.
3-minute step test
Cardiovascular fitness is your body’s ability to use oxygen to produce energy while you’re engaging in physical activity. This test assesses your fitness level based on how quickly your heart rate recovers after strenuous exercise.
1. Use a 12 in step (e.g. a staircase, or step stool) and complete 24 steps per minute for three minutes. Step up on the platform with one foot. Bring the second foot up on the platform. Lower the first foot to the ground, then the second foot. When both feet are back on the ground, that is considered one complete step.
2. Within five seconds of completion, measure your heart rate (recovery pulse) for 60 seconds, with your index and middle finger on the inside of your wrist.
3. Using the table below, find your age range and recovery pulse, and check how fit you are.
Single-leg balance test
As we get older, our posture and balance change, and often not for the better. Muscles tend to weaken and there are neurological changes that can affect our balance. Stability is key to preventing falls and, in later life, maintaining our independence.
This test is used to assess posture and balance control while standing still.
1. Stand upright near a wall or close to a sturdy object that can steady you in the event you lose your balance.
2. Place your hands on the sides of your hips and raise one foot off the ground at least 1 ft. Hold your foot in the air as long as you can without taking your hands off your hips and without letting your foot touch the ground. Once either of these happens, the test is over.
3. Record your time.
4. Repeat, but this time with your eyes closed. Record this time.
5. Compare your two times.
WHAT IS A GOOD RESULT?
Aged 18 to 39: Eyes open: 43 seconds (both sexes); Eyes closed: 9 seconds (woman), 10 seconds (man).
Aged 40 to 49: Eyes open: 40 seconds (both sexes); Eyes closed: 7 seconds (both sexes).
Aged 50 to 59: Eyes open: 36 seconds (woman), 38 seconds (man); Eyes closed: 5 seconds (both sexes).
Aged 60 to 69: Eyes open: 25 seconds (woman), 29 seconds (man); Eyes closed: 3 seconds (both sexes).
Aged 70 to 79: Eyes open: 11 seconds (woman), 18 seconds (man); Eyes closed: 2 seconds (both sexes).
Aged 80 to 99: Eyes open: 7 seconds (woman), 6 seconds (man); Eyes closed: 1 second (both sexes).
The squat test
This is a good measure of your lower-body strength and muscular endurance. This is not a timed test, rather one that works by doing the exercise until exhaustion and your form breaks down.
1. Stand with your feet just a little wider than your shoulders and your toes pointing just slightly outward at an angle.
2. Keep your head facing forward in a neutral position aligned with your back. Keep your back straight.
3. As you lower your body into the squat position, bend your knees and keep lowering until your knees are at a 90-degree bend and your thighs are parallel to the ground (like sitting in a chair).
As you lower your body, lift and extend your hands out and forward until they are parallel to the ground.
Throughout, keep your back straight, shoulders back, chest forward, arms extended and feet planted on the ground.
4. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, return to the standing position by pushing with your feet, legs and hips and thrusting upward.
5. Continue to do the squats until your mechanics break down and you’re unable to do two consecutive squats with proper form. Record that number and compare it with the data in the table below.
- Adapted from Eat Your Age by Dr Ian K. Smith (HQ, £16.99). © Ian K. Smith 2025. To order a copy for £15.29 (offer valid to 15/3/25; UK P&P free on order over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
