A New Study Says Two Simple Tests Predict How Long You Might Live, No Gym Required

A large, long-running study just tied grip strength and a basic chair-stand test to mortality risk. Here is what the numbers actually say, and how functional training already builds both.

The study behind the headline

Researchers led by a team at the University at Buffalo followed 5,472 ambulatory women between the ages of 63 and 99 for an average of 8.4 years, tracking 1,964 deaths over that span. The findings ran in JAMA Network Open in February 2026, and the setup was refreshingly simple: no lab equipment, no expensive scans, just two basic physical tests measured at the start of the study.

This is observational research on an older female population, not a clinical trial and not a promise about any one person's outcome. Treat it as useful context for why certain kinds of strength matter, not as medical guidance, and talk to a doctor about your own individual health picture.

What the two tests actually measure

The first test is dominant-hand grip strength, measured with a simple handheld device. The second is a timed chair-stand, standing up from a seated position five times in a row as quickly as possible, a test that needs nothing more than a chair and a stopwatch.

What makes both tests useful is that they held up as predictors even after researchers accounted for how active someone already was, their body weight, and whether they had existing chronic conditions. In other words, these two quick checks appear to be picking up on something that the usual health markers do not fully capture on their own.

The actual numbers

Women whose grip strength reached at least 24 kilograms on their dominant hand showed roughly a third lower risk of dying during the study window compared to those with weaker grip, with the risk continuing to drop in smaller steps as grip strength climbed higher still.

The chair-stand test told a similar story. Women who could complete five stands in under 11 seconds carried close to a third lower mortality risk than slower performers, again holding up independent of how active or heavy they were, or what health conditions they already carried.

• Study size: 5,472 women, ages 63 to 99
• Follow-up: an average of 8.4 years, 1,964 deaths recorded
• Grip strength threshold: roughly 24 kilograms on the dominant hand
• Chair-stand threshold: five reps completed in under 11 seconds

Why this actually matters for how you train

Neither of these tests is measuring some rare, specialized skill. Grip strength comes directly from the kind of work most functional training already includes: farmer's carries, dead hangs, deadlifts, and heavy pulls all load the hands and forearms hard. Leg power for a fast chair-stand comes from the same place as a strong air squat, a loaded step-up, or a controlled box jump, the exact movements that show up in a well-built training program week after week.

None of this is a reason to chase a specific number or treat a single test as a verdict on your health. It is a reason to keep showing up for the strength work that already builds both, since the payoff here is not just how you move in a workout, it is how independently you may be able to move decades from now. If you want a training plan that actually targets this kind of durable, full-body strength, come train with us.

How to actually train the two things this study measured

You do not need a lab test to start working on either of these. Both are built directly by the kind of training a good functional program already includes.

1. Grip strength: Farmer's carries, dead hangs, and heavy pulls all build the raw grip strength the study measured.
2. Chair-stand power: Air squats, box step-ups, and loaded sit-to-stands build the same leg power behind the timed test.
3. Full-body strength work: General resistance training supports both grip and lower-body power at once rather than isolating either one.
4. Consistency over intensity: Showing up regularly matters more for building durable strength than chasing one especially hard session.
5. Mobility as a foundation: Moving through a full range of motion makes both tests, and everyday movement, noticeably easier.
6. Tracking your own numbers: Timing your own sit-to-stands occasionally is a simple, equipment-free way to see whether training is actually working.

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