HEALTH
12 simple tests that show your true health
How strong is your grip? What does your waist measurement reveal about your heart disease risk? Peta Bee on the best methods to find out what shape you’re in
Can you last 30 minutes on a treadmill? How about your waist measurement — and the strength of your grip?
GETTY IMAGES
The Times
We all know that keeping our blood pressure, cholesterol and weight in check are essential for warding off a range of health problems. Last week researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City told a scientific conference how keeping tabs on factors including nutrition, blood sugar and weight can lead to having a “biological” age that is six years younger than your chronological one.
But what else could — and should — we be measuring? Tests for everything from our grip strength to how high our levels of vitamin D are can provide key information regarding our susceptibility to disease or even how long we might live for. Some can even be done at home.
Here’s what to do to find out
