Surprising Statistics On Living Longer (You Probably Didn't Know)
Jun 05, 2023While it can feel morbid to talk about death, or like something that’s far away, what if there were some simple things you can be focusing on now to improve both the quantity and quality of years ahead? It’s one thing to live longer, it’s another thing to do everything you want (without any assistance) as you get older. That’s the kind of life I want to live, and the kind of life I admire when I see other older adults doing that. Even if you feel like you’ll live forever, there are some surprising stats I want to share with you that impact our exercise program design with all of our clients:
1: Not Being Able To Balance On One Leg For >10 seconds Greatly Increases Risk of Death In Individuals Over 50
In a study that looked at a simple balance test of standing on one leg for 10 seconds found that there was a significant increase in mortality rates in the group that couldn’t perform a 10 second balance test.
To improve this, try incorporating regular walking, agility/balance training, and single leg strength exercises into your routine.
2: Decreased Grip Strength Is A Better Correlation Than Cardiovascular Markers (ex: Blood Pressure) To All Cause Death
This isn’t saying that cardiovascular training isn’t important, but it is highlighting the importance of grip strength (and overall strength as found in other studies) to maximizing your longevity. Which makes sense, when you consider that those who are regularly active physically are probably not lacking in grip strength. Who knew a firm handshake would help you live longer.
To improve this, worry less about specific grip strength training and more about heavier resistance training and compound movements such as deadlifts, carries, rows, pullups, and other similar movements.
Now remember, these studies show correlation, not causation. That means simply training your grip strength or balance on its own does not make you live longer. But the things you can be doing that RESULT in better grip strength and balance - walking, resistance training, etc - are the habits you should be focusing on now in order to set you up for both longer and better years ahead.