Longevity has become a major fixation among billionaires and celebrities, including businessman Jeff Bezos and reality star Kim Kardashian.
The pursuit of a longer, healthier life now drives a global industry worth hundreds of billions of pounds.
Consumers can spend heavily on longevity assessments, from detailed biomarker blood panels to smartwatches that track blood oxygen levels.
Yet experts say you do not need expensive technology or specialist tests to gain an insight into how well you are ageing.
Several straightforward checks can be carried out at home — even in front of the television. They include standing on one leg and rising from the floor without using your hands.
These everyday movements rely on the strength, flexibility and balance that help people remain independent as they age, says Leslie Kenny, co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project.
Research has also linked poor performance in such exercises with a higher risk of premature death.
Here is our expert-backed guide to the most useful longevity exercises, what they measure and what your results may reveal about your health.
Experts say expensive products are not essential for assessing how well you are ageing
Lower yourself to the floor — then get up without using your hands
What it tests: Strength, flexibility, balance and co-ordination
Getting down to the floor and standing back up requires several muscle groups and movement systems to work in unison. It is also a practical skill when there is no chair or other support available.
Ms Kenny describes rising from the floor without relying on your hands or knees as a simple and useful longevity check.
In a 2025 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 4,282 adults aged 46 to 75 were scored on their ability to sit down and stand up from the floor.
Participants received five points for sitting down and another five for standing up. One point was deducted for using a hand or knee, while a wobble cost half a point.
‘A score of eight or more is considered healthy, while lower results have been shown to predict cardiorespiratory illness in middle-aged and older adults,’ says Ms Kenny.
‘Those who scored between zero and four had six times the risk of dying from cardiac illness compared with people who achieved a perfect ten.’
Ms Kenny recommends trying the test yourself and recording your result.
Test your grip strength
What it tests: Hand and forearm strength, offering clues about overall muscle health
Lower grip strength is strongly associated with cognitive decline and a greater risk of dementia
Grip strength is one of the most extensively studied indicators of health and longevity.
Studies show that hand strength broadly reflects the condition of other muscle groups, meaning a weak grip can indicate wider muscular decline.
A forceful squeeze also depends on efficient nerve signals travelling from the brain to peripheral muscle fibres. That may help explain why reduced grip strength is closely linked to cognitive decline and increased dementia risk.
You can measure grip strength with a grip-strength gauge, also known as a dynamometer. These devices are often available at GP surgeries or can be bought online for about £30.
To take a reading, squeeze the device as hard as you can with your dominant hand. The gauge will record the force produced.
Average grip strength varies according to age and sex. For women aged 45 to 59, the average ranges from 28.8kg to 25.1kg, while men in the same age group typically record between 42.8kg and 40.7kg.
Among women aged 60 to 79, the average falls to between 23.6kg and 19.6kg. For men in that age bracket, it declines to between 38.4kg and 32.7kg.
A large international study found that every 5kg decrease in grip strength was associated with a 16 per cent increase in the adjusted risk of death from any cause.
Without a dynamometer, Ms Kenny suggests testing your grip by hanging from a bar for one minute.
Unlike a dynamometer, which measures a brief squeeze, this exercise requires sustained grip strength. Your body weight and shoulder health will therefore also affect the result.
Hold a deep squat
What it tests: Hip and ankle mobility, as well as balance
One simple way to assess leg strength is to lower into a deep squat and hold it for two minutes while brushing your teeth
‘The legs contain the largest muscles in the body, and muscle mass is positively associated with longevity,’ says Ms Kenny.
‘Leg strength can therefore act as a useful proxy for the amount of muscle you have overall.’
A practical home test is to lower into a deep squat and stay there for two minutes — perhaps while brushing your teeth.
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‘Holding the position shows that your legs have enough reserve to sustain it,’ Ms Kenny says.
‘I regularly do squats, and I ask my team to complete ten at the one-hour mark, and sometimes after 30 minutes. It is comparable to taking a two- or three-minute walk.’
If a deep squat feels challenging, practise in short intervals, she advises. Gradually extend the hold and work towards lowering closer to the floor.
Reach your fists towards the floor
What it tests: Flexibility in the hips, hamstrings and back
Stand upright, hinge forwards and see whether you can bring your fists towards the floor.
Ms Kenny advises moving slowly and stopping at a comfortable point. Do not bounce or force the stretch.
Research suggests that being able to touch the floor, or come close to it, may support the ability to steady yourself during a fall.
‘My colleague Muir Gray has written several books about suppleness and flexibility,’ says Ms Kenny.
‘Flexibility matters because, when you fall, you need to be able to react and catch yourself. If you are extremely stiff and land flat on your back, the consequences can be serious.
‘Someone with greater suppleness is more likely to correct the movement and soften the fall.
‘These qualities are interlinked. Strength, flexibility and skill all help you recover if you misstep or take a step that is deeper than expected. It is the ability to make an instant correction, in a fraction of a second.’
Stand on one leg
What it tests: Balance and control while supporting your body on one side
In a study of 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, failing to hold a one-legged stance for ten seconds was associated with an 84 per cent higher risk of death over the next seven years
Stand next to a stable support, keep your eyes open and lift one foot from the floor. Record how long you can hold the position safely, then repeat on the other side. Reach for the support straight away if you feel unsteady.
The longer you can maintain the stance, the better, says Ms Kenny. As a starting point, she recommends standing on each leg for 20 to 30 seconds, two or three times a day, close to something stable.
You can then gradually increase the duration to 45 or 60 seconds.
‘Once you are practising the longer holds, try gently raising and lowering the other leg while maintaining your balance,’ she adds.
‘Evidence suggests that balance training can improve stability and reduce the risk of falls.’
A 2022 study involving 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75 found that those unable to complete a ten-second one-legged stance had an 84 per cent higher risk of death during the following seven years.
‘It is fundamentally about balance,’ Ms Kenny explains. ‘Walking involves transferring your weight from one leg to the other. If you land awkwardly on an uneven surface, you need to recover in a split second to avoid falling.
‘Balancing on one leg strengthens each side of the body, giving you the core and leg control needed to stabilise yourself when you encounter a dip or bump.’
Try downward dog
What it tests: Mobility, upper-body loading and control of the trunk
The yoga pose downward dog can significantly activate the external oblique muscles, which help stabilise the trunk and control the spine
‘Yoga and similar practices allow us to rehearse some of the movements involved in a fall, helping the body develop muscle memory,’ says Ms Kenny.
‘Over time, the body learns how to respond automatically and regain its balance.’
For beginners, Ms Kenny recommends downward dog, a familiar yoga pose in which the body forms an upside-down V, with the hands and feet on the floor and the hips raised.
It is fine to keep the knees bent, and the heels do not need to reach the ground.
‘Beginners should aim to hold the pose for 15 to 30 seconds. More experienced practitioners can work towards 60 to 120 seconds, while a regular practitioner might hold it for 30 seconds to one minute,’ she says.
Ms Kenny describes the pose as a way to practise control in an unfamiliar position, with the head lowered and the body supported differently from when standing.
‘The important point about downward dog is that it is not merely a stretch,’ she says. ‘It also recruits the muscles that stabilise the spine and pelvis.’
In a University of Miami research trial, 30 yoga practitioners had the electrical activity in their muscles measured while performing 11 different poses.
The researchers found that downward dog produced meaningful activation in the external oblique abdominal muscles, which contribute to trunk stability and spinal control.
Researchers said the movement could also benefit people with lower back pain and those experiencing a broader decline in fitness.