If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram, you’ve probably seen fitness challenges focused on your biological age. In some cases, it’s funny to see people attempting these challenges or impressive to see them succeed. You’ve probably felt inspired to try out some of these challenges and even questioned their legitimacy.
“Most of these challenges, like completing 11 consecutive push-ups (for women), doing pull-ups or performing a kneeling-to-squat jump, are quick screens of muscular strength and functional movement ability,” said Dr. Andrew Jimenez, an assistant professor of sports medicine and hip preservation at Yale’s department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation.
I'm in my late 30s and I like remaining active. I know exercise is important for aging well and maintaining independence as we age. But should I be able to do over a dozen pull-ups, or is that a sign that I need to work on my fitness abilities? I spoke to orthopedic doctors to break down the truth behind biological aging tests and the best way to determine how well you’re aging.
What is biological age?
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We know our current age is something we can’t control, but our biological age refers to how our body is aging based on biomarkers like our heart function, bone density, skin elasticity and more. In other words, you could be biologically older or younger than your actual age, depending on how well you take care of your health. The same applies to your fitness abilities as you age.
The reason people focus on the ability to do certain physical activities is because as we get older, we lose lean muscle mass, which makes these things harder. Dr. Aaron Casp, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and advisor for Rally, points out that most of the trends we see are loosely determined by population-based data showing what the average person of a certain age is physically capable of.
“An explosive movement from kneeling to a squat requires a certain amount of strength, core stability, flexibility and body control that the majority of 40-year-olds just don’t have anymore,” he said.
Are these age tests legitimate?
One of the viral challenges that has been going around says that women should be able to do 11 consecutive push-ups. This concept stems from an interview with orthopedic surgeon and longevity expert Vonda Wright, MD, on the Mel Robbins podcast.
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