Bhagyashree shares fitness checks that reveal your ‘real age’; says, ‘90% of people fail’

Can fitness tests reveal your functional age?

Dr Vajalla Shravani, MPT, fitness and pilates expert at Tone30 Pilates, tells indianexpress.com, “Simple fitness assessments can offer valuable insights into a person’s functional age, which often differs significantly from their chronological age. While these tests cannot replace a comprehensive medical or fitness evaluation, they are effective indicators of how well the body is ageing.”

She continues, “Balance and lower-body mobility are particularly important because they directly influence independence, fall risk, and the ability to perform daily activities. Research consistently shows that good balance, adequate strength, and mobility are among the strongest predictors of healthy ageing, quality of life, and the ability to remain physically independent in later years.”

Why balance, mobility, and breathing decline with age

“Ageing naturally leads to a gradual loss of muscle mass, joint mobility, connective tissue elasticity, and neuromuscular coordination,” shares Dr Shravani, adding that modern lifestyles accelerate this decline because prolonged sitting and reduced physical activity limit movement variability.

As balance, flexibility, and mobility decrease, everyday tasks such as climbing stairs, reaching overhead, bending down, or getting up from the floor become more challenging. Dr Shravani mentions that poor balance increases the likelihood of falls, while restricted mobility can contribute to chronic pain and movement compensation patterns that raise injury risk. “Similarly, inefficient diaphragmatic breathing can reduce endurance, increase fatigue, and affect overall physical performance and stress management.”

How to improve mobility, balance, flexibility, and breathing after 40

The encouraging aspect of functional fitness is that significant improvements can occur at any age with consistent practice. Dr Shravani suggests that for balance, single-leg stands, tandem walking, and controlled stability exercises are highly effective. Mobility can be improved through dynamic stretching, joint mobility drills, yoga, and strength training performed through a full range of motion. Flexibility responds well to regular stretching routines and movement-based practices such as Pilates and yoga.

“To improve breathing capacity, diaphragmatic breathing exercises, brisk walking, swimming, and aerobic conditioning can be particularly beneficial. Equally important are lifestyle habits such as maintaining a healthy body weight, staying physically active throughout the day, prioritising sleep, and avoiding prolonged periods of sitting, all of which help preserve functional fitness and slow age-related decline,” concludes Dr Shravani.