These Two Simple Tests Could Tell You Your Long-Term Health Prospects

The two tests we're going to talk about today deal with overall neurological function by assessing how well you can move. Moving well is about your nervous system, so if you're balanced and graceful, that says good things about your nervous system. If you can run 12 miles but get low scores in these tests, your outlook might not be so bright. The tests also assess mobility, something that declines naturally as we age, but which is strongly associated with surviving falls and other injuries as well as with continued quality of life into old age.

The first test we'll discuss is also the simplest. All you'll need is a patch of floor to stand on.

The Tabara Test

This is done by standing on one leg. That's it. You can stand any way you like as long as one foot is off the floor and you're not leaning on anything. You can hold out your arms out for balance and keep your eyes open. It's not a test you can pass or fail, but it does tell you something about your neurological health.

Try to stand on one leg for 20 seconds each side.

What The Test Tells You

The Tabara test comes from the research of Japanese scientist Yasuharu Tabara, associate professor in the Center for Genomic Medicine at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine. Professor Tabara studied 1, 400 men and women whose average age was 67. They found that "individuals showing instability while standing on one leg, as well as problems walking, should receive increased attention, as this physical frailty may signal potential brain abnormalities and mental decline".

"Narrowing or blockages of tiny blood vessels deep within the brain can give rise to small strokes or tiny amounts of bleeding," says Dr Richard Libman, chief of vascular neurology at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, New York. 

These are thought to be the cause of both the mental decline and the poorer motor skills the team identified. Among those who had had one small stroke, 16 percent had trouble balancing; among those who had had two or more strokes, 33 percent had trouble balancing for 20 seconds. Thirty percent of those with evidence of more than two small bleeds had trouble balancing, and so did 15 percent of those who had suffered one small bleed.

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Looked at from the other direction, those figures aren't all that high. If you struggle with the Tabara test, don't worry: it doesn't necessarily mean that you're in danger or that you've had a stroke. Balance varies from person to person, but doing the test regularly is actually a pretty good way to prevent falls and improve balance — and we're still not sure whether improved balance can improve other health outcomes or not.

What About The Second Test?

The Araujo Test, Or The SRT

The Araujo test is almost as simple as the Tabara test, but there are a few more rules. Basically, all you're going to do is sit down on the floor and stand back up. That's how it got its other name, the Sit Rise Test. 

The Araujo test is scored on a 10-point sliding scale. You lose a point for the following: touching the floor with your knee, elbow, forearm, or the side of your leg, or putting one hand on your knee to brace yourself. You also lose half a point for wobbling or losing your balance at any point. Each of the two movement phases, getting down and getting up, are scored for five points each.

What The Test Tells You

Where the Tabara test is very much oriented towards neurological function, the Araujo test is pointed towards general function. It tests balance, strength, mobility, mechanoreception and other factors, including cardiovascular health. 

It goes back to the time in 2009 when Dr Araujo noticed that many of his older clients were having trouble with simple everyday tasks like getting up and down, picking things up off the floor and other basic movements. That led him to wonder if he could test his patients for the likelihood of a dangerous fall in a simple, real-work way. That's where his sitting test comes from.

The Araujo test is pretty accurate in terms of its health predictions. In a study in the European Journal of Cardiology, Dr Araujo had 2000 patients between 51 and 80 take the SRT. All the test patients were participants in the Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. The findings were surprising: participants who scored less than eight on the SRT were twice as likely as high scorers to die within six years. Those who scored five or less were five times more likely to die within six years. 

So What Should You Do If You Scored Low In These Tests?

First, everyone's different. Some people have great natural balance or have played sports that make strong balance demands. Don't panic!

Secondly, the solution is the same: eat right and exercise. 

Choose an exercise program that's geared towards functional strength and mobility. Gradually improve your balance and coordination. That will allow you to safely exercise at greater intensity down the line and it will also help protect you against falls, slips and trips. 

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What if you're a younger person? The research that went into the creation of these tests was done on older people, 51 years and up. What if you're 25 and you score low in both tests?

That's a warning sign. Younger people should be able to comfortably ace these tests. If you're struggling at them now, it may be time to rethink some lifestyle decisions. Try focusing on mobility, balance and strength until you can do both tests easily, and you'll see the pay-off in every area of your life.