How to Determine Your Body Age

Measure your resting heart rate. The heart is one of the most crucial organs in the body, and maintaining a strong and healthy heart is essential for overall wellness. A healthy heart usually beats between 60-100 times per minute at rest. Ideally, your pulse should fall within this range, though elite athletes may have a resting pulse rate below 50. To measure your heart rate, place the index and middle fingers of your right hand on the inside of your left wrist, just beneath your thumb, where a major artery runs. You should feel your pulse. Count the beats over 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get your beats per minute.

• Generally, a lower resting rate signals a healthier, stronger heart. A higher resting rate means the heart has to work harder, indicating less efficiency and strength.
• If your resting pulse rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, add 1 to your chronological age.

Assess your flexibility. Can you still touch your toes? Flexibility naturally declines as we age due to factors like dehydration, changes in tissue structure, muscle fiber loss, and calcium buildup. Your flexibility can provide an important insight into your overall health. Sit on the floor with your back straight, legs together, and arms extended in front of you at shoulder height. Mark the floor at the point below your fingertips, then slowly reach forward, keeping your legs straight. Mark where your fingertips end and measure the distance between the two points in inches.

• How far did you reach? The farther you can stretch, the more flexible and youthful your body appears.
• If you reached less than 5 inches, add 1 to your score. If you reached 10 inches or more, subtract 1. If you fell between 5 and 10 inches, don’t make any changes to your score.

Evaluate your strength. How strong are you? Muscle mass typically increases until the age of 30, after which it begins to gradually decrease. For those over 30 who lead sedentary lifestyles, muscle mass can decrease by 3-5% per decade, even among the physically active. This loss of muscle, known as sarcopenia, can lead to weaker physical strength and mobility, and may increase the risk of falls, frailty, and fractures in the elderly. To test your strength, perform as many modified push-ups (on your knees) as you can without stopping, maintaining a straight body and lowering your chest to within 4 inches of the floor. Continue until you can do no more.

• Like flexibility, the more push-ups you can do, the better. A higher number of push-ups indicates a strong muscle mass and good physical endurance.
• If you managed fewer than 10 push-ups, add 1 to your score. If you performed between 10-19, don’t change your score. Subtract 1 for 20 push-ups, and subtract 2 for more than 30.

Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio. Is your shape more pear, apple, or avocado-like? As we age, weight gain is common, and the waist-to-hip ratio serves as a quick way to evaluate body fat distribution. This can help determine risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers. To find your ratio, divide your hip measurement (in inches) by your waist measurement (in inches). Measure your waist about two inches above your navel and your hips at their widest point.

• A ratio above 1.0 for men or 0.85 for women suggests an excess of fat around your midsection, which can lead to health complications.
• If your ratio exceeds the recommended value, add 1 to your score.

Compute your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is another useful method for evaluating body composition, calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A high BMI could indicate excessive body fat, which can lead to obesity-related health issues. To calculate your BMI, first convert your weight from pounds to kilograms by multiplying by 0.45. Convert your height from inches to meters by multiplying by 0.025. Square your height, then divide your weight in kilograms by your height squared to find your BMI. A BMI of 25 or higher is considered overweight.

• If you're not keen on doing the math, several online calculators are available to help.
• If your BMI is below 18.5 (underweight), add 1 to your score. For a BMI between 25 and 29.9 (overweight), add 2, and for a BMI above 30 (obese), add 3. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 25 (healthy), subtract 1.

Conduct a body fat analysis. The most reliable method for assessing your body composition – even more so than the waist-to-hip ratio or BMI – is through body fat analysis, with bioelectrical impedance being the most accurate technique. During this test, you lie down and place two electrodes on your foot. A small electrical current, which you won't feel, will pass through your body, providing a precise measurement of your fat versus lean tissue like muscle and bone. It will also compare your body fat percentage to average statistics.

• To ensure an accurate result, avoid exercise, saunas, or alcohol in the hours leading up to the test. Women tend to have more body fat than men.
• For women, if your body fat percentage is between 15%-24%, don't adjust your score. Add 0.5 for 25%-33%. Add 1 if your percentage is below 15% or above 33%.
• For men, if your body fat percentage is between 6%-17%, don't adjust your score. Add 0.5 for 18%-24%. Add 1 if it’s below 6% or above 25%.

Track your nightly sleep. Sleep is crucial for your body. It provides time for your body and brain to recover and rejuvenate. Insufficient sleep increases your risks for high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, and obesity. It also negatively impacts cognitive function. How many hours do you sleep each night? Adults typically need 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Regularly sleeping less can make you feel tired, mentally drained, and physically older.

• If you typically get 7-9 hours of sleep, subtract 0.5 from your score. Add 1 if you sleep between 5-6 hours or more than 9 hours. Add 2 if you get less than 5 hours per night.

Be honest about your vices. How much alcohol do you consume? While moderate drinking can be harmless, excessive alcohol increases your risk of cancers, stroke, high blood pressure, liver disease, and pancreatitis. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy drinking is no more than one drink per day for women and two for men under 65 (one for men over 65). A drink is defined as 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of liquor. What about smoking? Any form of smoking, including secondhand smoke, is detrimental to your health. Excessive drinking or smoking can increase your biological age.

• If you don’t drink, subtract 1 from your score. Subtract 0.5 if you stay within the recommended guidelines. Add 2 if you drink more than the guidelines allow.
• If you’ve never smoked, subtract 3 from your score. Subtract 2 if you quit five or more years ago, or 1 if you quit in the last four years. Add 3 if you smoke currently.

Assess your nutrition. How healthy is your diet? Proper nutrition is key to maintaining strong muscles, bones, teeth, and organs. It also helps prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. A balanced diet boosts your energy and keeps your mind sharp. So, how does your diet stack up? A good diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables (ideally 9 servings a day), lean protein like fish, chicken, and nuts, and whole grains. Avoid excessive fried foods, processed sugars, high sodium, nitrates, and unhealthy fats. Failing to follow these guidelines could leave you physically weaker and gain unwanted weight. For more information, visit the National Health Service’s website at https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx.

• If you generally follow these guidelines, leave your score unchanged. Add 1 if you don't.

• Remember, if you’ve recently exercised, are in motion, or are feeling anxious or upset, your heart rate will naturally increase, which can affect the accuracy of your body age calculation.