Dana Smith, a New York Times reporter who writes about health, aging, and brain health, wrote about four key indicators of aging well:
- Balance Test: do a single-leg stand that tests your balance – or your ability to balance on one leg for 10 seconds
- Muscle Strength and Flexibility Test: be able to sit-to-stand [see video above] – or your ability to sit down on the floor and rise again without support
- Stamina and Power Test: do a 30-second chair stand that tests how many times you can rise from a chair in 30 seconds with your arms crossed – or the ability of men over 65 to do 12 or more while women should be able to do 11 or more]
- Range of Motion Test: touch your knees to a wall while standing with toes touching the wall, without your heels rising
These tests on dryland are simple measures of your strength, fitness, agility, and balance – four tests to evaluate how the potential for your healthful longevity. Lower scores or difficulties doing these tests correlate to higher mortality rates, higher injury risks, and lower stamina and strength.
Are there similar tests that open water swimmers can do that similarly measure your strength, fitness, agility, and balance?
We imagined the following tests:
- Balance Test: swim straight in the open water without sighting for a minimum of 50 meters – or swim straight across a pool with your eyes are closed
- Muscle Strength and Flexibility Test: swim 25 meters of butterfly, followed by 25 meters of backstroke and 25 meters of breaststroke with extra points for doing 50 meters in the pool or open water
- Stamina and Power Test: swim 100 meters of freestyle followed by pulling yourself out of the water using both arms – with extra points for doing that set 3 times
- Range of Motion Test: stretch your triceps behind your head and sit with the bottom of your feet touching each other without strain
Are there other healthful longevity tests that middle-aged and older swimmers can do?
© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project
New Open Water Swimming Educational and Motivational Course – register here