Your body’s got secrets—this machine spills them
One thing fitness experts always tell people at the start of their wellness journey is this: No two bodies are the same. And that’s true even for two people of the same age. You and your friend may both be 36, but one competes in triathlons, while the other has started opting for seated tickets at concerts because standing hurts his back six songs in. (Guess which one I am.)
There’s chronological age, or simply, how long you’ve lived. And then there’s wellness age—a buzzword, yes, but still quite a useful conceptual metric. It estimates how healthy your body is relative to your age in years, based on various health indicators like fitness level and lifestyle. A snapshot of how well your body is doing, if you will.
Curious about your numbers? The Technogym Checkup—a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assessment station designed to calculate your wellness age through a series of physical and biometric tests—can give you exactly that.
I was cautiously optimistic when I visited the Technogym pop-up event at the Focus_ store in Power Plant Mall (you can visit the Technogym Showroom in BGC for your own free assessment). My sleep had been … well, ish. I bike regularly, and I stretch once in a while. Surely, it couldn’t go that badly?
The machine—which looks like a sleek, high-tech weighing scale outfitted with a screen, resistance levers, a dynamometer, and motion sensors—measures everything from balance and body composition to cognitive function, cardiovascular health, and mobility.
The whole process takes about an hour. All things considered, I thought I did pretty well—especially on the cardio part. But range of motion? That was a sobering reality check.
Useful data
My neck and shoulder flexion—basically, how well those joints bend—were on target. But my ankle flexion test, which involved stepping one foot forward while keeping the back leg straight? The machine said I was out of range.
As for the hip flexion test—I passed … barely. I was asked to bend over and reach my toes. I did it. Whew! And then a staff member pointed out I was bending my knees, which apparently isn’t allowed. What do you mean I have to touch my toes without bending my knees? I’m not Carlos Yulo.
My wellness age? 40. Suddenly, I was reminded of a time I interviewed a singer in his late 40s, who prefaced his answer to my question with, “Noong panahon natin.”
But then, a sigh of relief. Turned out the machine’s user profile had been set to that of a 50-year-old woman. So, I guess I actually crushed it? Also: How awesomely healthy was the lady who came before me?
Mix-up aside, the resulting data can be incredibly useful for anyone wanting to start their wellness journey but unsure of where to begin. And with nutrition and wellness experts on-site, the Technogym Checkup can help create personalized exercise and training programs to help improve your wellness score—and possibly lower your wellness age.
As for me? Well, I better start stretching my joints before I pull a hamstring just tying my shoes—or before I become fully 36 going on 40.
