For me, strength and fitness is now about having the power to lift my toddler and run around after her for years to come. So when I heard about a longevity fitness test, my interest was piqued. How has all my hard work been paying off over the past year?<\/p>\n
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What did I have to do?<\/p>\n The longevity test at Hooke Fitness<\/a>, a gym and preventative health clinic based in London\u2019s Mayfair, examines five components.<\/p>\n It begins with an InBody body composition analysis to identify muscle mass and visceral fat levels. The test moves on to tests of strength, muscular endurance and balance, with results compared against population norms and training recommendations made based upon your results. It finishes with a VO2 max test, widely considered to be the gold standard for measuring cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity, with the result used to design personalised heart rate training zones.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what I learned from my test.<\/p>\n 1. My muscle mass could be improved<\/p>\n The InBody scan showed that my muscle mass reading sits in the 46th percentile for my age and sex, and \u201cis associated with maintaining functional independence, but suboptimal metabolic health outcomes,\u201d my report reads.<\/p>\n To improve this, I should focus on full-body resistance training with moderate to heavy loads. This is a helpful reminder. While I love lifting weights, I\u2019ve been neglecting my usual pure weights sessions in the gym in favour of HIIT classes lately.<\/p>\n 2. My grip strength was surprisingly good<\/p>\n Stronger individuals tend to live longer, points out Aaron Deere, health and performance director at Hooke. \u201cThe strength tests we use\u2014grip strength and press-up capacity\u2014are both validated, practical markers of overall strength and have been shown to predict life expectancy and all-cause mortality independently of other health factors,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Grip strength, specifically, is a widely recognised proxy for total-body strength, reflecting both muscular function and neuromuscular health, he adds.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images \/ microgen)<\/p>\n We used a professional-grade hand dynamometer to measure my grip strength for my test. Averages vary by age and sex. My results were 40.2kg on my left hand and 39.2kg on my right hand, which notched in the 96th and 94th percentile, respectively, according to Hooke.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is associated with optimal functional strength, mobility and physical resilience,\u201d my report reads. \u201cGrip strength in the 90th percentile and above is associated with strong protection against cognitive decline and a substantially reduced mortality risk.\u201d<\/p>\n To maintain good strength and grip capacity, I\u2019m again prescribed heavy strength training, with a particular focus on high grip demand (things like deadlifts, cleans, pull-ups with added load), along with exercises focusing specifically on grip endurance and grip power such as heavy loaded carries.<\/p>\n 3. My strength endurance needs some work<\/p>\n Next up, it was push-ups performed with the added demand of tempo. Unlike grip strength, which measures a maximal output with a singular repetition, this measures strength endurance, my tester Thanos Tzoumaris explains. \u201cSo how many times can you manipulate your bodyweight in a particular tempo\u2014doing a full press-up every second\u2014which helps us standardise the test.\u201d<\/p>\n This is harder than it sounds. I managed nine in total on my knees, which puts me on the 15th percentile. \u201cYour current press-up strength is associated with early signs of diminished upper-body strength and muscular endurance, which is linked to increased incidence of cardiovascular issues and metabolic syndrome,\u201d my report reads.<\/p>\n I, like many women, have always found push-ups challenging, and have never really given them the attention I should. To improve my muscular endurance, my report recommends including push-ups with progressive volume increases, compound upper-body exercises (such as a bench press and overhead press) and core-strengthening work.<\/p>\n 4. Balancing on one leg with eyes closed is much harder than it looks<\/p>\n As you age, balance becomes even more important. \u201cIt\u2019s a dictator of healthspan and lifespan,\u201d says Deere. \u201cIf you can recover from that slip on the stairs without falling, that\u2019s the difference between an injury and avoiding one.\u201d Your balance reflects the integration of neuromuscular function, proprioception (your body\u2019s internal sense of position), strength and coordination, he explains. \u201cAll systems that decline with age, increasing the risk of falls, fractures and mobility loss.\u201d<\/p>\n As a keen yogi, who practises at least once a week without fail, I usually feel comfortable standing on one leg and enjoy testing my balance in tree or dancer pose. But with eyes closed? It\u2019s a completely different ball game, and something I never really do.<\/p>\n Embarrassingly, I manage 14 seconds on my left leg and only seven on my right. According to my report, these balance scores are associated with sufficient balance for daily activities, but make me vulnerable to age-related decline.<\/p>\n We typically rely on our vision to balance, so taking away this sense tests a new dynamic, Deere explains. The fact that I can balance easily on one leg with eyes open is a good sign, \u201cbut ultimately, balance is a skill and it\u2019s about practising under different dynamics.\u201d<\/p>\n To improve my score, I should integrate static and dynamic balance drills into my fitness routine. That could be balancing on one leg with eyes closed, or while trying to catch a ball or on an unstable surface like a Bosu ball, for example. Compound lower-body strength exercises and ankle stability work will help, too.<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/qfoeZUcufMVL94RhPEYAkU.jpg\")
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