Physical Health for 60 year olds and up

How easily can you stand up from a chair without using your arms? This is a great way to assess your leg strength and power and hence your ability to ward off the need for a wheelchair down the road. The Senior Fitness Tests can reveal your current abilities and/or deficits which may determine how you’ll function in the coming years.

The best way to evaluate your physical needs is to see your local physical therapist (PT) who is trained to  assess its function in many practical ways. PT’s look at the most important tasks like getting out of a chair, walking and stair climbing. 

The best way to know is to “test and not guess” how your body is functioning- kind of like taking your car to the shop and letting the mechanic hook it up to the machines to assess its function. Taking the time to assess your abilities may save some suffering down the road by knowing what interventions you need now. Your physical and cognitive health are heavy determinants on whether you’ll be able to age well at home or wind up being placed in a nursing home prematurely. 

See more on the Senior Fitness Tests in the functional performance section.