Take Stock

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Welcome to Day 1 of your Stay Young plan. Longevity starts here. Take some time today to note where you are, healthwise, right now. It'll make it easier to track your progress over the next 2 weeks. Follow these four steps:

1. Find out your RealAge. Do you know yours? It's the biological age of your body and mind, based on your lifestyle and health habits -- and this plan aims to make yours younger!

If you've already taken the test, update your profile to find out what your RealAge is today. If you've never taken it, take the test now.

2. Measure your blood pressure. If you don't have a home monitor, check your local grocery or drug store. Many of the larger chains have a blood pressure monitor near the pharmacy counter that you can use for free. These monitors are not always as accurate as they could be, so your best bet is to invest in a good home monitor. Either way, follow these tips for reliable readings.

3. Measure your heart rate. Twice. First thing in the morning (resting), and again at the peak of your day's most intense exercise (active). If you don't have a heart rate monitor, do it the old-fashioned way: Use a finger (not a thumb) to locate the pulse point on the opposite wrist -- just below the base of your thumb. Count the number of beats over a 10-second period, and then multiply that number by six. That's your heart rate.

4. Measure your waist and height. Circle a tape measure around your waist at the belly button while you're taking a deep breath and sucking in. You would anyway, we know, but it's actually the right way to measure, because it gets the muscle we don't want to measure out of the way. Now measure your height. The ideal ratio is for your waist to be half your height.

Note your numbers in a diary or journal, or print this page and fill in your numbers below.