How long can you stand on one leg? How far can you walk in six minutes?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

How long can you stand on one leg? How far can you walk in six minutes? The answers can provide clues about your health.

wsj.com
Five Do-It-Yourself Tests to Monitor Your Health as You Get Older
These exercises can provide useful feedback on your health.

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[erronis]

1. These are great health questions. I know I am starting to fail both rapidly.

Been very active (handball, tennis, hiking) for most of my life. Arthritis in an ankle has hobbled me way too much and everything has gone downhill. But probably not unexpected for the mid-70's.

Now I worry about instability and falls.

[secondwind]

3. Same here... I was an avid jogger for years and years...

now I worry about stumbling and falls... such is life.......

I'm mid 70's as well.

[multigraincracker]

4. Up until last year I was stumbling and falling on jogs.

Lucky I never got hurt. A friend that runs and a doctor watched me walk and jog. Told me I was shuffling my feet and to focus on rolling on and off of the balls of my feet. Have not fell for a year now. I think we all need a coach.

[phylny]

8. This is really good advice, thank you for sharing!

[PortTack]

2. Bookmarking..thx!

[2naSalit]

5. About twenty yearas ago...

I participated in an academic study exploring the relationship between balancing exercises and improvement in lower back problems. It seemed a positive relationship, I have continued some of the exercises since just because they seemed like the kind I probably should have in my routine.

[markie]

6. just took

the sage test... don't think I need a physician to decipher

[Chainfire]

7. I can generally make it from the home office to the kitchen in under 6 minutes.

Is that good? I never could stand on one leg, I find the geometry of such a suggestion nearly impossible, and besides that, it would probably leave my leg badly bruised.