International
New research on women aged 63 to 99 supports the health benefits of staying strong into older age. The US research team tested the strength of 5400 women using two common tests: the grip strength in their dominant hand, and how fast they could repeatedly stand up from a chair without using their hands. Being stronger was significantly linked to a lower risk of mortality, even after controlling for other factors like their age, body weight, and whether they smoked. Notably, muscular strength was associated with a lower risk of death even in women not meeting recommended levels of aerobic activity.
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In this study of ambulatory older women, greater muscular strength was associated with lower mortality even when controlling for accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time, walking speed, and systemic inflammation. These findings suggest that assessing strength and promoting its maintenance are instrumental for optimal aging.
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