Get Stronger, Live Longer
Kara Gordon Palley 
The secret for longevity - building muscle - is accessible by virtually anyone, and you don’t have to train like an Olympic body builder or gym addict
Get Stronger, Live Longer (Updated 7/17/2023)
Back in 2017 I attended an interactive workshop on senior fitness to better serve this important, unique and growing population. Imagine my surprise when the instructor told us: “Leg strength is where it’s at. The rest is commentary. Google it.” I thought wow, I just learned the entire field of senior fitness—get stronger to live longer!
Confession: I’ve taken a few liberties here. But that instructor did let me in on one of the best-kept secrets in the health and wellness field. A secret I am happy to share with you today. The key to longevity is in your hands because it is right in your very own legs! Even better, you don’t have to look or train like an Olympic bodybuilder to reap the benefits.
YOU. Yes you - have the power to maximize longevity on your own terms regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, and even genetic pre-disposition. The side benefits are endless and include greater independence (especially as you get older), feelings of self-confidence and improved overall health.
After I crawled out of that internet rabbit hole I wrote an article for a local publication entitled On One Foot - which is updated here.
Until fairly recently the prevailing wisdom in the medical community held that exercise leads to better health outcomes. Even though a direct link between exercise and longevity could not be made at the time, the indirect links were compelling enough.
First and foremost, increasing balance, coordination and strength reduces the risk of falls, one of the leading causes of permanent disability and death in the United States - and a major concern of the aging population.
Exercise can also cause delays in the onset of age-related brain deterioration. Active lifestyles improve heart function and foster growth in bone density. The hormones released during exercise can stave off or reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, a particular concern among people in midlife and beyond. Regular workouts also build confidence, stimulate a healthy appetite and promote deep and restful sleep.
How is leg strength linked to longevity? The main way is by preventing falls, as stated in the previous paragraph. More muscle leads to better body composition, or a higher ratio of muscle power to body weight. When it comes to your legs, the stronger they are, the less you will fall, and the longer you will live.
It is really that simple.
The Statistics on Death Due to Falls
According to the CDC, in 2020, unintentional injuries were the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. with unintentional falls the third largest component.
Unintentional falls were the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths among adults 65 and older, and the second cause of unintentional injury deaths for all ages.
One of the most serious fall injuries is a broken hip. In fact, one in five hip fracture patients die within a year of their injury.
- Each year over 300,000 older people—those 65 and older—are hospitalized for hip fractures.
- More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways.
- Women experience three-quarters of all hip fractures.
- Women fall more often than men.
- Women more often have osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break.
- The chances of breaking your hip go up as you get older.
Studies on Leg Strength and Longevity
There are many recent studies linking leg strength and longevity:
1. (UPDATE - NEW STUDY) - Association of Low Muscle Mass With Cognitive Function During a 3-Year Follow-up Among Adults Aged 65 to 86 Years in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada (2022)
Low muscle mass was linked with faster cognitive decline in adults over 65. The link was discovered as part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, when researchers from McGill University conducted a three-year follow-up of 8,279 adults between 65 and 86 years old.
Appendicular lean soft tissue mass (ALM), memory, executive function, and psychomotor speed were assessed.
Result: The people with lower muscle mass showed a faster rate of cognitive decline compared to those with more muscle.
Scientists think it’s because those with more muscle mass were more active and also had better cardiorespiratory fitness – which meant more blood flow to their brains.
(Note: this study covers muscle mass in general, not just in the legs)
2. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Gama Filho University, Rio de Janeiro (2102) – 2002 adults (68% men) aged 51 to 80 were followed for an average of 6.3 years. At the beginning of the study they were given a simple leg strength test: sit down on the floor and then get up, using the least amount of support from hands, knees or other body parts. Test score depended on how much support was needed.
Result: Middle-aged and elderly people who needed to use both hands and knees to get up and down were almost seven times more likely to die within 6 years compared to those who didn’t need support. The more support needed, the worse the outcome.
3. Leg strength predicts mortality in men but not in women with peripheral arterial disease. Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University (2010) – men and women over 55 with peripheral arterial disease were given a series of leg strength tests.
Result: poorer leg strength was associated with higher mortality in men with peripheral arterial disease.
4. Calf muscle characteristics, strength measures, and mortality in peripheral arterial disease: a longitudinal study - Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University (2012) - 434 participants participants underwent measurement of calf muscle density, knee extension power and isometric knee extension, plantar flexion, and hand grip strength measures. Participants were followed up annually for up to 4 years.
Result: lower calf muscle density and weaker plantar flexion (foot) strength, knee extension power, and hand grip were associated with increased mortality in participants with peripheral arterial disease, independently of the ankle-brachial index (a blood pressure measure comparing the upper and lower extremities) and other factors.
5. Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins. Kings College, London (2015) – the cognitive function of 324 healthy female twins between the ages of 43 to 73 were studied for a decade.
Result: Leg power predicts both cognitive aging and global brain structure, despite common genetics and early life environment shared by twins.
6. Strength, but not muscle mass, is associated with mortality in the health, aging and body composition study cohort - Health ABC (2006) – Over 2,000 participants, male and female, between the ages of 70 and 79 were given a variety of strength tests over time, including testing their quadriceps (the large muscle in the front of your thigh).
Result: The strong association of strength with mortality is not explained by low muscle mass. So muscle strength as a marker of muscle quality is more important than quantity in estimating mortality risk.
Amazingly, in all these studies mortality did not depend upon illness. Instead illness plagued those who were weaker.
So.....Starting and maintaining an exercise regimen with increasing leg strength as the major goal will in turn increase your flexibility, balance and motor coordination.
Once again: among the numerous benefits of stronger legs:
- Reduce the risk of falls. Falls are one of the leading causes of permanent disability and death.
- Improve brain function and decrease the rate of age-related brain changes.
- Increase your ability to engage in physical activity, keeping your heart healthy.
- Maintain your independence as long as possible.
Obviously, the best way to improve leg strength is to hit the gym. If you are not ready to join a gym yet, a great way to get started is to walk, then build up to power-walking. You can also independently do squats, leg lifts and even simply sit with your legs uncrossed.
But your best bet is with a fitness professional, after getting clearance from you doctor. The fitness pro can get you started on a safe, varied and fun training program that’s just right for you and that will keep you motivated by monitoring results and providing positive feedback.
Don’t wait, get started today!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fasta...
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fasta...
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/hip-...
https://web.archive.org/web/20...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20598471
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22440216
https://web.archive.org/web/20...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go...
https://jamanetwork.com/journa...
_________________________________________________
Book a call with me and let's create a plan to get your health and fitness on track together.
Categories: Move