6 Unconventional Signs Your Body Is Aging Well… and My Very Unscientific Responses at 72!
Apparently, there are six ways to determine whether your body is aging gracefully. After reading them, I have concluded that either I am aging terribly, or whoever created this list has never actually met anyone in their 70s!here are the six signs, along with my personal, highly Here are 6 sophisticated clinical observations. 
1. Standing on One Leg for 10 Seconds
The experts say: Being able to balance on one leg without holding onto anything reflects good coordination, nervous system function, and potentially better long-term health.
My response: Honey, I have days when balancing on TWO legs for 10 seconds feels like an Olympic event. If I attempt the one-leg version, somebody better have 911 on speed dial. I guess my body didn’t get the memo about aging well!
2. Rising From the Floor Without Using Your Hands
The experts say: Getting up from the floor without using your hands, knees, or furniture demonstrates lower-body strength, mobility, and power.
My response: At 72, getting DOWN on the floor without assistance would be a major accomplishment. Getting back UP? That’s an entirely different sporting event!
I need both hands, at least one piece of furniture, a strategic plan, and possibly a small construction crew. If I make it upright again, I’m not doing it to demonstrate mobility. I’m doing it because I left my phone on the counter!
3. Holding a Deep, Flat-Footed Squat
The experts say: A deep squat with your heels flat on the ground indicates excellent ankle and hip mobility.
My response: Have these experts ever met a woman in her 70s? A deep squat at this age could activate several bodily systems that were never mentioned in the research!
Forget ankle and hip mobility. I’m more concerned about whether my bladder and sphincter are going to cooperate. The only thing worse than getting down into that squat is realizing you now have to get back up!
Some things are better left untested.
4. Sweating Early During Exercise
The experts say: Sweating shortly after beginning exercise can indicate that your body’s temperature-regulation system is responding appropriately.
My response: At 73, I don’t necessarily break into a sweat when I exercise. I break into negotiations with my heart, my lungs, and whatever energy reserves I have left!
My body doesn’t always say, “Let’s get moving!” Sometimes it says, “Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?”
Of course, if I experience unusual heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or excessive exhaustion, I’m not calling that aging. I’m calling my medical team!
5. Having a Firm Grip
The experts say: Grip strength is associated with overall muscle strength, neurological function, and healthy aging.
My response: A strong grip in your 70s can come from years of practice gripping a steering wheel while dealing with drivers who think 50 miles per hour is the Indy 500!
And let’s not forget all those years of gripping things tightly enough to keep from losing your temper.
Although, in the interest of public safety, I recommend keeping your hands on the steering wheel and away from anybody who irritates you!
A strong grip is a wonderful thing. Knowing when to LET GO is probably an even better sign of aging well. 
6. Having No Sock Imprints on Your Ankles
The experts say: Minimal sock marks and swelling around your ankles can be reassuring, although they don’t independently prove that your circulation, kidneys, or sodium levels are healthy.
My response: Sock imprints? Sweetheart, I’m not worried about leaving a mark from my socks. I’m more concerned about getting the compression socks ON in the first place!
Those things require strength, flexibility, patience, and a level of determination usually reserved for climbing Mount Everest.
My compression socks and I have an ongoing relationship. They support my circulation, and I support the person who invented the device that helps me put them on!
Romance may be dead, but circulation is important.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I’m beginning to suspect that aging well has less to do with standing on one leg, squatting like a gymnast, or getting up off the floor without assistance.
Maybe it has more to do with laughing at yourself, adapting to what your body can do today, asking for help when you need it, and refusing to let a birthday determine your sense of humor.
At 72, I have earned the right to use furniture strategically, wear whatever socks my circulation requires, and consider getting off the floor a major life achievement.
I may not pass all six tests, but I can still laugh, learn, love, encourage others, and find humor in the ridiculous business of getting older.
And if aging gracefully means I have to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, somebody please bring me a chair.
I’m aging authentically, not auditioning for Cirque du Soleil! 