Gather up four of your male friends. Statistically, one of you will die from a heart-related problem. Let's make sure it's one of the other bastards and test your heart health now.
The Test
Walk up 4 flights of stairs in under 45 seconds.
THE RULES
Start a timer and walk (don't run) up four flights of stairs. That's 60 steps.
No stopping and resting.
Researchers at the European Society of Cardiology devised this as a quick test of overall heart health and to judge your likelihood of developing coronary artery disease. It was pretty accurate, even compared to those doctor-supervised stress tests and fancy heart imaging studies (1).
HOW TO EVALUATE YOUR RESULTS
Anything under 45 seconds is good.
Around 60 seconds means you might have some work to do.
Anything over 90 seconds and, well, make a doctor's appointment.
Remember, this isn't a sprint to the top. Just walk and make sure you can sustain that pace.
