Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZLMOsSPppP/

BTW. It doesn’t involve your blood pressure or cholesterol numbers.

SUNY Buffalo epidemiologists studied more than 5,000 women ages 63 to 99 and found that their muscle strength is strongly linked to survival over an eight year period. Their study, published in JAMA Network Open, is one of the largest studies ever to examine strength and longevity in older women.

The two tests that are predictive are surprisingly simple hand grip strength and how quickly a person stands up from a chair five times without using their hands. Every additional 7 kilograms of grip strength are associated with about a 12% lower risk of death. Faster chair-stand performance is also linked to improved survival.

Most surprising: these associations remain even after accounting for physical activity levels, fitness, inflammation, and body size. In other words, only strength seems to matter. So ladies and probably you guys too… you can work on that grip strength with resistance training, hand exercises, and free weights.

Don’t forget, though, that healthy aging is best supported by both aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activities.

The references for this report are available on my website.

#HealthyAging #Longevity #StrengthTraining #WomensHealth #MedicalResearch