I’m a physio to the over 50s – the seven signs you’re ageing well

“Most people judge how well they are ageing by the wrong things,” says Phil Evans, chartered physiotherapist, founder of over-50s-focused practice Urban Body and author of Built to Last After 50. “They focus on a few more wrinkles, an aching knee or feeling stiffer first thing in the morning. But, as a physiotherapist who has spent more than 20 years working with people over 50, none of that tells me much.” Instead, what Evans is far more interested in is what your body can still do. “I call it capacity,” he says. “Not how active you are, but what you’re capable of when you need it.” And if you are capable of these seven things, you are ageing much better than you think… Shorts 1. You can get out of a chair without using your hands “It sounds almost too simple, but this is one of the first things I check. Sit in a dining chair, fold your arms across your chest, and stand up without pushing off your knees or the armrests. Then lower yourself back down slowly. “If you can do this comfortably, it tells me you’ve maintained a good level of leg strength, which matters enormously for independence. It’s the movement you use every time you get off the sofa, out of the car, or up from the toilet. When that starts becoming difficult, you begin to notice it in all sorts of everyday activities. And if it’s a struggle, don’t write it off as your age: leg strength can be improved, and this is one of the simplest movements to start practising.” 2. You can get down to the floor and back up again “Getting down to the floor and back up again tells me a lot about how well someone is ageing. It requires strength, mobility, balance and, just as importantly, confidence. “I see a lot of people in clinic in their sixties and seventies who have stopped getting down to the floor without even realising it. They start avoiding it, and over time it becomes harder until eventually they find they can’t do it at all. Yet being able to get up and down keeps a surprising number of everyday things open to you: playing with grandchildren, gardening or reaching a low cupboard. “It’s a good marker that your strength and mobility are holding up together. If you can lower yourself down and rise again without too much drama, that’s a very good sign. If you can’t, it’s well worth practising safely.” 3. You can stand on one leg “Balance is one of those things that fades so gradually that nobody notices until they have a wobble. It’s worth testing, carefully. Stand next to a kitchen worktop with one hand resting on it for safety, lift one foot slightly off the ground, and see how steady you feel. Phil is a physio for the over 50s (Photo: Provided) “If you can hold it fairly comfortably, that’s a good sign. If you’re wobbling almost straight away, don’t be alarmed. The good news is that balance can improve with practice, so doing a little regularly can make a real difference. Just make sure you’re always within reach of something solid when you practise.” 4. You still walk at a decent pace “How fast you walk can tell us a surprising amount about how well you are ageing, and walking speed is increasingly recognised as a useful marker of physical function as we get older. “But I’m less interested in numbers than in the real world. Can you still walk briskly when you need to? Tackle a hill without stopping? Keep up with people rather than asking them to slow down for you? “One of the things I see is people gradually walking more slowly and avoiding anything that feels like hard work. Over time, they walk shorter distances and start avoiding anything that challenges them. If you can still walk at a good pace and tackle a hill when you need to, that’s a good sign your body is holding up well.” 5. You can carry something reasonably heavy “Strength that only lives in a gym isn’t much use to anyone. What matters is whether you can carry the shopping in from the car, lift a suitcase into the boot or pick up a grandchild who wants lifting. “That’s what strength is really for – not for bigger muscles or personal bests, but being able to keep doing the things you want to do. This kind of everyday, whole-body strength, including your grip, is worth protecting, because you rely on it far more often than you probably realise. “If you can still pick up and carry something with a bit of weight to it without straining, that is a genuine marker of capacity. And if it is becoming a struggle, that is a signal to start gently rebuilding it, not a reason to start avoiding it, because avoidance speeds the decline.” 6. You don’t treat every ache as a sign of decline “This one isn’t a physical test. It’s a mindset, and it might be the most important of the seven. “Ageing well does not mean never having aches and pains. Almost everyone over 50 has something that grumbles from time to time. What matters more is how you respond to it. “An ache is not automatic proof that your body is falling apart, and pain does not always mean damage. Joint pain usually has several threads to it, including strength, previous injuries, how you’ve been moving and your general health, and many of those are things you can influence. Not every twinge is a problem (Photo: andreswd/Getty/E+) “The danger is that if you read every twinge as a warning to stop, you gradually move less, become stiffer and start losing confidence in your body. Learning to keep moving sensibly, rather than fearing every ache, can make a huge difference.” 7. You’re still saying yes “Here’s the one that matters most, and it isn’t measured in seconds or kilograms: are you still saying yes? Yes to the walking holiday, yes to getting down on the floor with the grandchildren, yes to the garden, the day out, the new thing you’ve never tried. “Sometimes the decline starts with slowly saying no. No to the trip because you’re not sure you’ll keep up, no to the stairs, no to the things you used to enjoy. The more things you stop doing, the less you ask of your body, and over time it adapts to doing less. “Ageing well isn’t about making your body behave like it’s 30. It’s about keeping enough strength, movement and confidence to carry on living the life you actually want. Your body is far more adaptable than you’ve been led to believe, and it is rarely too late to give it a reason to respond. So, if you can still say yes and mean it, you’re probably ageing far better than you think.” ‘Built to Last After 50‘ (Rethink Press, £16.99) is out now