New research following more than 5,000 women aged 63 to 99 shows a clear connection between stronger muscles and longer life. Over an eight-year span, those with better muscle strength faced a noticeably lower risk of death, with findings published in a major medical journal.
The University at Buffalo team tracked muscle function and survival among ambulatory older women. Researchers measured grip strength and timed five unassisted sit-to-stand chair rises to gauge muscle performance, then linked those measures to mortality over eight years.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open and relied on objective tests rather than self-reports. That made it possible to look more precisely at strength itself, rather than relying on memory or general activity surveys, which can blur the picture.
“In a community cohort of ambulatory older women, muscular strength was associated with significantly lower mortality rates, even when we accounted for usual physical activity and sedentary time measured using a wearable monitor, gait speed and blood C-reactive protein levels,” study lead author Michael LaMonte, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo, told Fox News Digital. Many earlier studies did not include those objective measurements, making it difficult to determine whether muscle strength itself was linked to longevity, according to LaMonte.
“Our study was able to better isolate the association between strength and death in later life,” he added. That separation matters because it suggests strength is not just a byproduct of being more active; it can be an independent marker of resilience in later years.
The analysis also found that higher muscle strength mattered even for women who did not meet the standard aerobic activity target of 150 minutes per week. “The findings of lower mortality in those who had higher strength but were not meeting current national guidelines on aerobic activity were somewhat intriguing,” LaMonte said, highlighting that strength can offer benefits even when aerobic exercise is limited.
Current federal guidance recommends strengthening activities one to two days per week that target major muscle groups. The study reinforces that advice while showing why clinicians often use simple tests like grip strength and sit-to-stand times in geriatric assessments.
Resistance training does not require an expensive membership or fancy machines. Exercises can be done with free weights, resistance bands, bodyweight movements or everyday household items like cans, so building and maintaining strength is accessible to many.
“Movement is the key — just move more and sit less,” he said. Practical small steps—standing up from a chair more often, carrying groceries, or adding short resistance sets—can help maintain the muscle capacity that supports daily function.
The authors acknowledge limits: strength was measured in older age but the study did not track how muscle strength earlier in adulthood might shape later outcomes. “We were not able to understand how strength and mortality relate in younger ages,” he said, noting that future research should explore whether building strength earlier could have an even greater impact on longevity.
