3 easy health tests

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These tests will give you an insight into your risk of suffering from heart attacks, dementia and diabetes. They're all simple enough that you'll be able to get them all done in under five minutes. Once you've done these checks you can look through our comprehensive guide on how to diagnose, and improve, your fitness.

Measure your waist

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The location of where your body stores fat can be just as important as your actual weight. If a man’s waist is larger than 40in (102cm), then he runs a much higher risk of developing diabetes. Plus, that same spare tyre could also double the chances of dementia and heart disease. 

Look into your eyes

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Regardless of being fit or not, if you regularly put toxins such as nicotine, alcohol or saturated fats into your body then your cholesterol levels will rise. You can see if your levels are too high by looking at your eyes in the mirror; a grey ring around the white of your eye is an indicator of high colesterol. 

Work out your BMI

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If your body mass index (BMI) is 25-30, you are overweight. If it’s over 30, you’re clinically obese and could be putting strain on your joints and heart. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. If that sounds too much like maths, can always use this BMI Calculator instead.

Matt joined Men’s Fitness in April 2014 as features writer after spending several years writing for a luxury lifestyle magazine, swapping champagne and canapés for cardio and leg days.

Matt is a keen Thai boxer and his interest in fitness took off when he made the decision to compete semi-professionally and had to get in shape. Training aside, he says the worst thing about fighting is resisting the urge to apologise all the time. 

Oh, and he’s still on the look out for a decent fight nickname after being told ‘The Best’ was reaching a little bit…

Favourite move: Any kind of squat variation

Favourite sport: MMA and Muay Thai kickboxing

Personal best: Competing in a semi-pro K1 bout

Targets: Sub-1hr 40m half marathon and winning a fight by KO

Scariest MF moment: Writing about myself in the third-person for this profile

Favourite MF website story: Spider-Man workout

Favourite trainer quote: ‘Hands up, chin down’ – every striking coach ever

Biggest gym crime: Avoiding the weights and sticking to the treadmill