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Surgeon Reveals At-Home ‘Strength Test’ That Is a Telltale Sign of a Longer Lifespan

Doctor Jones' method of predicting your lifespan is based on how much muscle strength and endurance your body has.

PUBLISHED 4 DAYS AGO

Elderly woman smiling while holding dumbells at home during workout. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Lordn)

There's no direct way to predict how long one would live. Several factors including diet, lifestyle, level of activity and the environment where we live might influence our lifespan. Even medical experts cannot tell us the exact age when we will bite the dust. However, in the modern day, there are other ways to find out the approximate number of years we have left on this Earth. Speaking in an episode of his Nutrition World (@nutritionw) podcast, nutrition expert, Ed Jones, revealed a “grip strength test” that is an excellent predictor of one's lifespan.

Image of sand falling in an hourglass. Time running out. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Matthius Kulka)

“If you can’t hold a dumbbell that’s 3/4ths of your weight for one minute, you will die earlier than you would if you were stronger. That beats cholesterol, it beats every blood test,” Jones said, sharing the tip he learned from the longevity expert, Dr. Peter Attia. “How many health professionals have asked you that? None, none.” He explained that a body’s strength is an important biomarker that indicates how it will weaken over time and eventually, when the person will die. "Everything,” Jones added. “Your heart, every system of your body. If you can do this with the right weights, everything else is stronger. The stronger and resilient body ages slower and has less disease.”

A woman holding a dumbbell in her hand. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Thierry Dosogne)

A recent study published in the journal Nature also stated that the analysis of “3,002,203 participants showed that grip strength was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality.” Noting that grip strength is an excellent biomarker for determining cardiovascular and various chronic diseases, the researchers concluded the study by saying, “We found participants with low grip strength carried higher mortality risk.” This affirms what Jones said about holding the dumbbells.

Nurse helping an old woman with dumbbell exercise. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Blend Images - JGI/Tom Grill)

In the comments section, however, some people didn’t align with Jones’ idea of predicting death. Many said that aging markers vary with muscle mass, diet, and even genetics. “I had an aunt who smoked every day since she was 18 who sat on the couch and watched TV most of her life and she lived to 102. Genetics play a huge role in aging,” commented Dante Giuliano. "The main factor in aging is lack of muscle," Adriaan Howell added. Rick Poofer reflected, “My father-in-law is 94 and his older sister is 98 and neither one could do it. His dad lived to 109 and uncle to 106. Longevity has nothing to do with grip strength. They all said, to stay busy, eat real food in moderation, and most important have a good attitude. Appreciate life.”

Senior couple enjoying day out on their bicycles (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Flash Pop)

Ultimately, Jones’ idea of predicting death might not work for everyone and might not be perfect, but it is indeed an excellent way to foresee the consequences of one’s lifestyle choices. Not just the grip strength test, take any test such as the “sitting-rising test,” or the “cheek swab test,” or even the AI-based “death clock;” every method comes with a set of limitations and bounding factors that may not always provide accurate results. Nevertheless, working on gaining muscle strength is, in any case, an ingenious tip to stay healthy and happy!

You can follow Nutrition World (@nutritionw) on Facebook for more health tips!