Why pay hundreds for a professional body scan? Do it yourself at home for free. These doctor-recommended online tests and apps uncover subtle health issues you might overlook, focusing only on what you need.
Hearing naturally declines with age, but protecting your ears at concerts, movies, or with headphones can help slow it. Check yours with the National Hearing Test, which assesses speech understanding in noisy settings.
Ophthalmologists at Het Oogziekenhuis Rotterdam developed this free online eye test. It's rigorous and provides clear advice, like seeing an optician, if reading requires extra light.
Measure heart risk simply with a tape measure—waist fat matters more than BMI for cardiovascular health. Place it between your lower rib and pelvis top, exhale, and check:
Apps like the Instant Heart Rate app also track your pulse post-workout or at rest.
In clinics, fitness is gauged by muscle oxygen uptake and heart rate recovery. At home, try the Police Condition app (Android only), designed for police physicals but great for anyone. It features five workouts emphasizing explosiveness and recovery.
Or use the Cooper VO2 Max app for the classic Cooper test: Run as far as possible in 12 minutes and compare by age for your fitness level.
Read also: 'Do you want to start running? That's how you get off to a good start'
Dermatologists urge monitoring suspicious spots for skin cancer. The Skin Monitor app compares your photo to a database, tracks changes, and is doctor-endorsed—it won the 2012 Health App Award.
Source: Santé May 2015. Text: Heleen van Croonen
