And if it was possible to find out the state of your health using ultra-simple techniques, doable at home? This is what a study by the Mayo Clinic in the United States seems to suggest. And according to the researchers, the body weight should be left out. Other indicators would be more reliable and more effective in guaranteeing the good health of a patient:
- Aerobic fitness;
- Muscular strength and endurance;
- Flexibility ;
- Body composition.
Various exercises such as running or specific stretching can be used to assess each of these indicators. And by working on your results, you can significantly improve your health and resistance to disease as you age.
The aerobic fitness measures the ability to absorb and use oxygen. “The process of taking in oxygen and using it to produce energy for your muscle cells incorporates many of the body’s most important systems, including the muscles, heart, lungs, and blood vessels, and as such, it is a good indicator of a wide range of your bodily functions”says Dr. Stuart Gray at MailOnline.
Keep fat levels relatively low
The muscular strength and endurance are essential in particular to prevent falls than older people. “With increased activity, blood vessels become more flexible and blood pressure can often drop and the heart then finds it easier to pump blood around the body, improving the ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues“continues the doctor.
The flexibility can be a good indicator, especially to check the health of joints, muscles and tissues. A good range of motion notably ensures the blood supply to the joints and prevents the shortening or lengthening of inactive muscles.
Finally, the body composition indicates the percentage of fat, bone, and water in your body. The key is to keep the level of fat relatively low: indeed, an excess can lead to many pathologies, including type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. To measure it, the most used tool is the body mass index (BMI), even if it does not make the difference between fat and muscle.
Source :
- Can you link hands in an over-the-shoulder back scratch? How fast can you get in and out of a chair? The simple at-home tests to reveal the future of your health, MailOnlineMay 10, 2022.
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