The 3 simple at-home tests to check how well YOUR brain is really ageing

The Sun

27-05-2025

WHILE it's impossible to predict your exact lifespan, experts have developed simple tests over the years to gauge how well (or how badly) a person is ageing.
The sit-to-stand test has gained popularity in recent years, with the aim to measure how many times a person can rise from a seated position to a standing position and back within 30 seconds.
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The test can be a predictor of frailty and mortality - lower scores may indicate a higher risk of falls and reduced mobility.
But if you want to really understand how well you're ageing, it's important to look beyond physical health.
Mental sharpness, emotional resilience and social connection matter just as much, says Marco Arkesteijn, a lecturer in sport and exercise biomechanics at Aberystwyth University.
Writing for The Conversation, he advises a better way to test how well you're ageing is to assess your cognitive fitness, which includes skills like attention, memory and flexibility.
Three tests he recommends are the Trail Making Test, the Stroop Task, and Dual-task Challenge.
He says: "These kinds of tasks test how well your brain handles competing demands – a key ability that becomes even more important as we age.
"This skill is known as cognitive flexibility, and it helps you adapt to changing situations, switch between tasks and manage distractions."
Trail Making Test
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The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test used to assess visual attention, task switching, and executive function.
It involves connecting dots in a specific order.
A subject is given a sheet containing the dots (numbers and letters) and a pencil.
10 second one leg stand test
For part A, the subject is instructed to connect the numbers in numerical order as quickly as possible.
For part B, the subject is instructed to connect the alternating numbers and letters in the correct sequence.
The time taken to complete each part is recorded.
Part A measures psychomotor speed and visual search.
Part B measures executive function, including set-shifting and inhibition.
Time difference between part A and part B can indicate difficulties with task switching and executive function.
As well as being a test for ageing you can do at home, the TMT is used in various clinical settings, including evaluating brain injury, identifying early signs of dementia, and tracking progress after brain injuries and other neurological conditions.
Stroop Task
The Stroop task is a psychological experiment designed to measure cognitive interference, specifically the interference between reading a word and naming the colour it's written in.
Participants are presented with colour words, and the task is to name the colour of the ink the word is printed in, even when the word itself contradicts that colour.
The word "RED" might be printed in blue ink, creating a conflict between the word's meaning and the ink colour.
Signs of difficulty with the Stroop task include slower reaction times, increased errors, and finding it hard to override the automatic tendency to read the word rather than identify the colour.
In clinical settings, the Stroop task can be used to assess attention deficits and cognitive flexibility, such as evaluating individuals with ADHD or other neurological conditions.
Dual-task Challenge
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A Dual-task Challenge involves simultaneously performing two tasks, often a motor task and a cognitive task, to assess the impact of one task on the performance of the other.
This approach is used to study how attention and cognitive resources are allocated and how multitasking can affect performance, particularly in areas like gait and balance.
Common dual-task scenarios include walking while talking, counting while performing a physical exercise, or paying attention to a conversation while walking.
Struggling with dual-task challenges can manifest in various ways.
You might experience decreased performance in either or both tasks, increased reaction times, or changes in physical movement like reduced walking speed or balance issues.
Specifically, you could notice difficulties with tasks requiring cognitive flexibility, executive function, memory, attention, and processing speed.
In some cases, people may also report increased falls or a fear of falling due to the challenges of dual-tasking, especially when combined with occupational demands.
Dual-task training is used in rehabilitation, particularly for individuals with neurological conditions or injuries, to improve balance and gait, and it's also used in research to understand how cognitive abilities influence physical performance.
But the most important thing to do when doing these tests is to complete them a few times at the start, then retest yourself once a month.
That way you can track improvements or deterioration.
Arkesteijn says: "Cognitive changes may be slower to notice than physical ones, so regular checks can help reveal progress over time."
But he adds: "There's no single test or score that can capture how well you're ageing. Think of it more like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Physical health, mental agility, emotional balance, social connection - they all matter, and they all interact.
"And of course, even if you perform well now, some changes inthe future may be beyond your control.
"No test can fully predict what lies ahead."