Are you ageing well? 5 simple tests to get a picture of your biological age

Here are five to try.

1. Standing on one leg: the ‘flamingo’ test

Dr Kenton Kaufman of the Mayo Clinic in the US state of Minnesota, who authored a study on gait, strength and balance, calls the position “a remarkable feat of integration between these systems”. The ability to maintain this posture declines more sharply with age than almost any other physical measure.

According to the UK’s National Health Service, the time you ought to be able to remain standing on one leg varies by age. If you can stand with all of your weight on one leg for 30 seconds, you are performing well for a middle-aged adult. On average, it is 37 seconds if you are 50 to 59, 30 seconds if you are 60 to 69, between 18 and 19 seconds if you are aged 70 to 79, and a little over five seconds if you are over 80.