The Internet is full of blanket statements like “Every woman should be able to do 11 push-ups” orgeriatric test” It claims to measure whether your body is “old.”
The latest trend is the recent social media issue where people measure their biological age based on their ability to jump off the ground.
challenge It looks like this: Start by kneeling on the floor and use your strength to jump from the kneeling position to your toes.
Even Derek Jeter He took on the challenge (and the former New York Yankees star, of course, successfully completed it). On social media, these fitness challenge videos are usually accompanied by the text: “If you can jump from your knees to your feet, your biological age is said to be under 30.”
But experts told HuffPost that this doesn’t actually measure biological age.
“A true definition of biological age would rely more on genetics, DNA, biological markers (and) cells and what makes up the body,” says Dr. larry ballSports medicine physician at Houston Methodist Hospital.
Lifestyle choices, such as smoking, food choices and exercise habits, also play a role in biological age, he added. For example, not exercising can increase your biological age, but being a gym enthusiast can decrease your biological age.
There are also uncontrollable things that affect biological age, such as illness or comorbidities, Balle said.
But is there one thing that doesn’t really tell you much about your biological age?
“This viral jump test is not a valid measure of a person’s fitness or biological age,” he said. Ben YarmudderExercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Balle added that these challenges don’t necessarily fit any indicator of biological age. Here’s what you need to know:
Being able (or not) to jump from a kneeling position to your feet doesn’t say much about your biological age, but in some cases it may say something about your physical abilities.
James McMillianThe owner of Tone House, a strength and conditioning gym in New York, agreed that the challenge is not a measure of biological age. Instead, it’s a glimpse into your fitness capabilities.
“The jump test is a great way to demonstrate coordination, balance, mobility and explosive power, which can decline with age but are greatly influenced by training history, body composition and injury status,” McMillian said.
Balle commented: “I think what this shows is that you have to have a fair amount of flexibility to get into that position, and then you have to have core and hip strength.”
Balle said it may be easier for teens or 20-somethings to complete the challenge even if they don’t fit the criteria. However, McMillian points out that someone in their 40s, 50s or 60s who trains regularly “can easily outperform a 25-year-old with no training.”
Easy Lynn“If only someone could do this kneeling challenge,” said an instructor at Barry’s in New York.I can safely assume that you have a high level of fitness and body conditioning.”
However, this does not mean that all healthy people can do this. “You can be strong and fit and not be able to do it,” Lynn added. So don’t feel bad if you exercise regularly but can’t jump from your knees to your feet.
There are other ways to measure fitness.
You can definitely try this challenge, but it might not be a good idea for everyone.
“I would not recommend attempting this jump to anyone who has not engaged in intense, consistent resistance training for several years,” Yamuder said.
Balle emphasized that people often get injured when attempting these social media fitness tests.
Here are some safer fitness challenges you can try instead. Running a mile in 12 to 15 minutes is a great way to gauge your fitness, as is doing functional exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats.
“This is a simple movement compared to the more complex and dangerous movement of squats from a kneeling position,” Balle said.
McMillian said things like balance tests, grip strength, and recovery indicators such as resting heart rate and heart rate variability also provide more useful information about your health.
“This information shows your cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance, and nervous system efficiency, which gives you a better idea of how your body is aging,” McMillian added.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t do this. This does not mean that your biological age is over 30 years old.
When asked if everyone should be able to do this, McMillian said no. “The ability to do this depends on hip mobility, ankle stiffness, coordination and lower body strength,” he added.
“People with knee, hip or back injuries, or those without plyometric training, should not expect to be able to land,” McMillian said.
For people who lack coordination, the exercise can be difficult and even dangerous and “may not actually reflect your level of physical fitness,” Lynn added.
“Because this test is difficult, it is not used to define who is eligible. That said, this is a great party trick,” Lynn said.
Instead of focusing on one-off fitness tests, experts say you should look at your health and fitness more holistically.
“It’s healthy to approach fads like this test with some skepticism,” Lynn said. “For the average person, a good way to gauge general health is to eat a balanced diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, limit alcohol and tobacco use, and exercise daily.”
“I’m much more interested in my clients moving every hour than I am in being able to get down to their knees and jump in one go,” Lynn said.
“What’s more important is whether your body can move efficiently and pain-free, not whether you can mimic a social media challenge,” McMillian said.
