Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Test your physical condition
• Method 2 of 3: Measure your body ratio
• Method 3 of 3: Assess your way of life
• Tips

Calculating your biological age can be a way to find out whether or not you are living a healthy, young life, but it is not an exact, scientifically accurate measure and should not replace a professional diagnosis. It's easy to calculate your actual age, also known as your "chronological age," but to get a number for your biological age, you need to take some physical tests and assess your current lifestyle. The number you get can tell you a lot about your health habits and can be helpful in figuring out how to make changes in your life, especially if you want your biological age to decrease as your chronological age increases!

To step

Method 1 of 3: Test your physical condition

1. Determine your resting heart rate. The heart is one of the most important organs of the body and a well-conditioned and healthy heart is an important part of the general well-being. A normal heart usually beats between 60-100 times a minute. your own heart rate should ideally be no faster or slower than this when you are resting, although some elite athletes have a heart rate below 50 beats per minute. Place the first two fingers of your right hand on the inside of your left wrist, just below your thumb, over one of your great arteries. You should feel a heartbeat. Count the number of heart beats for 15 seconds and multiply that number by four to get the number of beats per minute.
   • In general, a slower resting speed indicates that your heart is strong. A faster speed means your heart has to work harder to do the same amount of work - it is weaker and less efficient.
   • Add one to your chronological age if your resting heart rate is 100 beats per minute or more.
2. Test your flexibility. Can you still touch your toes? Flexibility decreases as we age and can be limited in older bodies by a number of factors such as increased dehydration, changes in the chemical structure of tissues, loss of muscle fibers with collagen fibers and increased calcium deposits. Your flexibility gives you a sense of your overall health. Sit on the floor with your back straight, legs together and arms in front of you at shoulder height.On the floor next to your legs, mark the point directly below your fingertips, then slowly reach forward, keeping your legs straight. Mark where your fingertips reach and measure the distance between the two marks in centimeters.
   • How far have you come? The farther the better as it shows that your body is still limber and youthful.
   • Add one to your age if you could reach less than 12 inches. Subtract one if you could reach 10 inches or more. If you are in between, your age will remain the same.
3. Test your strength. How strong are you? In general, people's muscle strength increases until about their thirties. After that, however, we slowly start to lose muscle mass and therefore also physical strength without additional training. People over the age of 30 who are not active can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade, and even the physically active people lose some. This loss of muscle mass - called sarcopenia - means a loss of strength and mobility and can increase the risk of frailty, falls and fractures in the elderly. Test your own strength. Do as many modified push-ups (on your knees) as you can without stopping, keeping your body in a straight line and lowering your chest to within 10 inches of the floor. Keep going until you can't do more.
   • Like flexibility, more power is better. If you could do a high number of push-ups, you probably have a lot of muscle mass and physical stamina.
   • Add one if you have been able to do less than 10 push-ups. Don't if you could do 10-19. Subtract one if you have done 20 push-ups. Subtract two for more than 30.

Method 2 of 3: Measure your body ratio

1. Determine your waist-hip ratio. Is your body shape more of a pear, apple or avocado? We tend to gain weight as we age, and the waist-hip ratio in particular is a quick way of assessing how body fat is distributed, which could indicate potential health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. Divide your hip measurement (in centimeters) by your waist measurement (in centimeters). Make sure to measure your waist about two inches above the belly button and your hips at their widest point.
   • For a waist-hip measurement, a ratio greater than 1 for men and 0.85 for women indicates that you are carrying a little too much body fat around your midsection.
   • Add one to your score if you exceed the recommended ratio.
2. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Your Body Mass Index or BMI is another way of measuring the ratio of your body, dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters. A high BMI can indicate a high amount of body fat, which makes you susceptible to health problems related to obesity. To calculate your BMI, you use your weight in kilos. Assume your height in meters. Square your height (i.e. multiply your height by itself) and finally divide your weight by your height squared. This is your BMI. A result of 25 or more is considered overweight.
   • For the less math-minded, you can also find online websites like this one that can do such calculations for you.
   • Add one to your score if your BMI is under 18.5 (underweight). Add two if it's between 25-29.9 (overweight) and three if it's over 30 (obese). Subtract one if you fall between 18.5 and 25 (healthy).
3. Do a body fat analysis. The most accurate way to judge your body composition - more than hip-waist ratio or BMI - is through body fat analysis, and the most accurate way to do this is through bioelectrical impedance. During such a test, which you can do with a sports trainer, you lie down and you get two electrodes on your foot. Then an electric current is sent through your body. This flow is very small - you won't even feel it. The test will then give an accurate reading of how much fat your body contains as opposed to lean tissue such as muscle and bone, and how this compares to the average.
   • To get good value, you must not have worked out the hours beforehand, used a sauna, or consumed alcohol. Women can expect to have more body fat than men.
   • Women do not have to do anything if the percentage is between 15% -24%, but add 0.5 to a percentage of 25% -33%. Add one if you get below 15% or above 33%.
   • For men, don't add or subtract anything if your percentage is between 6% -17% and add 0.5 for 18% -24%. Add one if you come out below 6% or above 25%.

Method 3 of 3: Assess your way of life

1. Calculate how much you sleep. The human body needs sleep. Sleep gives your brain and body a chance to rest and repair itself, while a lack of sleep increases the risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke and obesity. Sleep deprivation also impairs your cognitive function. How much sleep do you get every night? The average adult needs between 7-8 hours of sleep per night. If you regularly get less sleep than that, you can get tired, mentally tired, and physically older.
   • Subtract 0.5 from your score if you regularly get between 7-9 hours of sleep. Add one if you get between 5-6 hours of sleep or if you sleep more than nine hours a night. Add two if you sleep less than five hours a night.
2. Be honest about your unhealthy habits. How much alcohol do you drink? While a moderate amount of alcohol is fine, if not beneficial, too much alcohol can put you at risk for certain 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 of all ages and two per day for men 65 and younger, or one for those over 65. A drink is measured differently for beer (350ml), wine (150ml) or spirits (45ml). How about smoking? Medical science is very clear about this: any form of smoking (even passive smoking) is harmful to health. Smoking or drinking too much alcohol will certainly increase your biological age.
   • For alcohol, subtract one from your score if you don't drink. Subtract 0.5 if you stay within the recommended daily guidelines. Add two if you exceed the guidelines.
   • If you don't smoke and have never smoked, subtract three from your score. Subtract two if you quit five or more years ago and one if you quit in the last four years. Add three if you are currently a smoker.
3. Think about your diet. How well are you eating? Good nutrition keeps you in good health with strong muscles, bones, teeth and organs. A good diet can reduce your risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also keep your mind sharp and energize your body. What do you eat? A well-balanced diet should limit baked and heavily processed foods, sugars, sodium, nitrates, and saturated fats - it should include plenty of fruits and vegetables (ideally nine servings per day), lean proteins such as fish, chicken and nuts, complex carbohydrates, and complete cereals. Not including these foods in your daily meals will not only cause weight gain, but it will also make you lack the necessary nutrients, making you physically weaker. Visit the Nutrition Center webpage at https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl.aspx for the basic guidelines.
   • You don't have to add or subtract anything if you meet the guidelines most days. Add one if you don't.

Tips

• Keep in mind that if you've just been exercising, moving, or feeling anxious or angry, your heart rate will have increased and your biological age will be higher as well.