Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

1.  Blood pressure is treated but don't care about perfection.
2. No clue on blood sugar
3. Not worrying about cholesterol, taking statins, so there.

Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

There is no silver bullet to ensuring a longer, healthier life (and no single supplement, treatment, or hack). Rather, longevity is a complex interplay between genetics, lifestyle, environment, access to health care, and pure luck. But one top longevity doctor says there’s a great way to increase your odds of seeing your 100th birthday: Fight back against chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“Preventing chronic disease can extend the number of healthy years people have,” says David Dodick, MD, a neurologist and the chief science and medical officer at Atria Health + Research Institute. “We’re preventing diseases that will kill them sooner.”

There are lots of daily habits that can help you slash your risk of chronic disease, and we bet you’re familiar with the greatest hits: eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, prioritizing sleep, and reducing stress. But Dr. Dodick says that there are three key numbers that can forecast your risk level and signal that it’s time to make healthy changes before disaster strikes. And they’re found at your annual physical.

Intrigued? Dr. Dodick shares the metrics you should pay attention to on your next doctor’s visit—and why they matter so much for long-term health.

1. Blood Pressure

Why it matters: Your blood pressure—the force of your blood pushing against your arteries—is a key sign of your cardiovascular health. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and dementia, says Dr. Dodick. While about half of all American adults have hypertension, not all of them are properly getting treated for it, he adds.

 Related video: The six pillars of longevity most people ignore (KFMB San Diego)

Your ideal range: You want your blood pressure consistently below 120/80 mm Hg, says Dr. Dodick. (And we mean both the top and bottom numbers.) Stage 1 hypertension is diagnosed with a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher, per the American Heart Association (AHA).

2. Blood Sugar (A1C)

Why it matters: Type 2 diabetes is an incredibly common chronic disease in the U.S., says Dr. Dodick, and can raise your risk of developing dementia, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health issues. The condition doesn’t happen overnight; it manifests slowly in your blood work in the form of ever-higher blood glucose (sugar) and hemoglobin A1C scores. (The latter denotes the average amount of blood sugar in the previous three months, and is reported as a percentage.)

Your ideal range: While a normal A1C is anything under 5.7 percent, Dr. Dodick says that an optimal score is less than 5.5 percent. “The lower your A1C, the healthier you’re going to be,” he says. Meanwhile, prediabetes is defined by a score of 5.7 to 6.4 percent, and diabetes is 6.5 percent or greater.

3. LDL Cholesterol

Why it matters: Despite its “bad” moniker, your body needs moderate amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to move cholesterol and other lipids through your bloodstream to your cells. But too much of it contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries and is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and dementia, says Dr. Dodick.

Your ideal range: Dr. Dodick likes his patients to have an LDL of less than 90 mg/dL—a slightly more aggressive number than the AHA’s recommendation of less than 100 mg/dL.

Hate Your Numbers? What to Do Next

It can be scary when your labs reveal issues, even if they’re small. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do now to improve your numbers and curb your risk of serious health issues in the future. Your doctor can offer specific recommendations, but these are a great starting point:

• Tweak your diet: We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: Have you considered the Mediterranean diet? It’s flexible, delicious, and linked with reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes risk.
• Move daily: Exercise isn’t just good for your heart health; it’s also critical for reducing diabetes risk and boosting your cognitive health. While 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, plus two days a week of strength training, is the gold standard, even five-minute “exercise snacks” can make a difference.
• Eat more fiber: Fiber: It’s not just for gut health. According to the National Lipid Association, eating 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can help lower total and LDL cholesterol by up to 11 points. If Metamucil makes you sad, add more helpings of foods like berries, apples, and lentils.
• Find some peace: Easier said than done in 2026. But unmitigated stress wreaks havoc on your blood pressure and glucose levels and is linked to various chronic diseases. Make time every day for meditation, yoga, embroidery, puzzling, or any other mindful activity that helps you recenter.
• Consider medication: Sometimes, all the lifestyle changes in the world can’t compensate for your unique genetic wiring. That’s where meds enter the picture. Talk to your doctor about your options and when they think a prescription would be necessary.

Aging Brains Maintain Robust Language Networks Despite Cognitive Decline

 How will your competent? doctor exploit this to prevent cognitive decline posts stroke? Oh NO, your doctor KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT PREVENTING COGNITIVE DECLINE!  Your incompetent board of directors doesn't know how to hire competent persons! You'll have to reconstitute the hospital so your children and grandchildren get a good recovery from their strokes!

Aging Brains Maintain Robust Language Networks Despite Cognitive Decline

Summary: While executive functions like memory and problem-solving naturally decline as we age, new brain imaging research reveals that the neural network responsible for language remains preserved and fully functional. The study suggests that highly specialized brain regions are more resilient to aging compared to general cognitive networks.

Key Facts:

• Brain activity in the language processing network is nearly identical between younger (ages 17–39) and older (ages 41–80) adults.
• The “multiple demand network,” which governs executive control tasks like working memory, showed significantly reduced synchronization and weaker activation in older adults.
• Language skills typically remain stable and can even improve with age, as older adults continually build their vocabularies—functioning much like a large language model trained on a lifetime of data.

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

As human beings age, many cognitive functions naturally decline. Brain scans have consistently shown age-related deterioration in neural networks responsible for executive functions, working memory, and problem-solving. But when it comes to language, the aging brain tells a completely different, highly resilient story.

Barring neurological conditions such as stroke or dementia, most older adults retain excellent language skills. In fact, many individuals experience linguistic improvement as they accumulate a richer vocabulary throughout their lives.

A newly published brain imaging study—a collaboration between researchers at MIT and Boston University—has finally uncovered the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon.

By analyzing the brains of older and younger adults, scientists discovered that activity in the brain’s language processing network remains remarkably stable as we age. When performing language tasks, older adults exhibited neural activation patterns almost completely identical to those seen in younger adults.

“In the language network, we couldn’t find any differences between older and younger groups,” says Anne Billot, a lead author of the study and currently a postdoc at Harvard University. “In contrast, the executive system showed decline across almost all of the measures. The network synchronization declined in older adults, the extent of activation was reduced, and the magnitude of activation was reduced as well.”

The research team divided participants into two cohorts: a younger group (ages 17–39) and an older group (ages 41–80). The participants engaged in carefully designed tasks to isolate two distinct brain systems: the “multiple demand network” (responsible for flexible problem solving and executive control) and the language network.

To trigger the multiple demand network, participants performed a spatial memory task where they had to remember the location of squares in a grid. As expected, older adults displayed weaker, less synchronized activation in these frontal and parietal brain regions compared to younger participants.

However, when subjects listened to stories and read sentences to trigger the language network, the results were strikingly different. Both younger and older adults demonstrated equivalent levels of spatial distribution and neural activity. When encountering unusual grammar or unfamiliar words, both groups showed the same spike in sensitivity and heightened neural response.

“We have previously used similar kinds of materials to show that young adults show strong sensitivity to these points of linguistic difficulty: activity in the language areas goes up. Here we found that in older adults, you also see this sensitivity, which suggests that there’s nothing fundamentally different about how they process language,” explains Evelina Fedorenko, an MIT associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences and senior co-author of the study.

Unlike the multiple demand network, which operates as a flexible, general-purpose resource vulnerable to aging, the language network specializes in accumulating knowledge.

“Vocabulary keeps increasing as long as people have been measuring, which makes sense. People get exposed to more and more language, and older people sometimes start reading more, so they get an extra boost — it’s like a large language model trained on increasingly more data,” Fedorenko notes.

These findings suggest that highly specialized regions of the brain may be fundamentally shielded from the normal wear and tear of aging, preserving our ability to communicate effectively throughout our entire lifespan.

Editorial Notes:

• This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
• Journal paper reviewed in full.
• Additional context added by our staff.

About this Aging Research:

• Author / Media Contact: Sarah McDonnell
• Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Contact Info: Sarah McDonnell
• Image Credit: Neuroscience News
• Original Research: Open access. “Preserved topography, lateralization, selectivity, and functional connectivity of the language network in older brains” by Anne Billot, Niharika Jhingan, Swathi Kiran, Evelina Fedorenko, et al. Nature Communications. Published August 24, 2026.
• https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76598-x

Mini 'arteries-on-a-chip' could help predict a person's risk of stroke

 Have your competent? doctor lay out a path to stroke recovery with all this chip based research.

• BBB on a chip (1 post to February 2017)
• Brain on a chip (9 posts to October 2012)
• Lab on a Chip (3 posts to May 2012)

Do you prefer your doctor, hospital and board of director's incompetence NOT KNOWING? OR NOT DOING? Your choice; let them be incompetent or demand action!

Mini 'arteries-on-a-chip' could help predict a person's risk of stroke

Researchers have pioneered a way to create miniaturized copies of a person's carotid artery that could help doctors predict and manage the patient's stroke risk, a new study suggests.

In the research, published in July in the journal Cell Biomaterials, scientists used these "arteries-on-a-chip" to monitor how real blood flows through a patient's carotid arteries, which carry blood to the brain, face and neck. This could enable doctors to identify not just how and what type of clots form in that specific patient, but also determine which medications would be most effective in dealing with the blockage.

While the technique is currently a proof-of-concept, someday, it could help medical practitioners to better tailor treatments for each patient.

"When the inner lining of an artery is damaged, material underneath the cells, including collagen, becomes exposed to the blood," Zhao said. A bloodborne protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF) grabs hold of platelets from the flowing blood. Those platelets then stick together and recruit more platelets, building a clot, he said.

But forming a clot is only half the story; it's what this mass does next that determines the risk to the patient.

In some cases, the growing ball of clotted blood will stay firmly rooted to the artery wall, slightly impeding blood flow but not posing any immediate danger. However, if tiny fragments break off this static clot, they can travel toward the brain, where they risk blocking smaller vessels and thus causing a stroke.

"Clinically, we are very good at imaging how narrow an artery is," Zhao said, "but narrowing alone does not tell us exactly how a clot will behave."

This is where artery-on-a-chip models come in, he said. Rather than relying purely on medical scans, the team's model recreates the exact shape and structure of an individual patient's blood vessels using 3D printing. To create the models, they first use a patient’s existing CT scans to 3D print a plastic replica of their carotid artery, including any narrowing caused by atherosclerosis. Next, the inside of this plastic structure is coated with collagen, and then cells that line the carotid artery get layered on top. Blood is passed through the replica artery, mimicking the speed and pressure of blood flow in the body.

Nicotine Directly Damages Blood Vessels, Raising Heart Attack and Stroke Risk: Study

 Have your competent? doctor validate that the benefits outweigh this risk! Oh NO, your doctor is so incompetent, doesn't know of nicotine benefits! A fireable offense!

• nicotine (43 posts to October 2010)

Nicotine Directly Damages Blood Vessels, Raising Heart Attack and Stroke Risk: Study

Scientists just identified the 3 best ways to prevent muscle loss as you age

 

More reasons for your competent? doctor to have EXACT 100% RECOVERY PROTOCOLS! You don't want sarcopenia or muscle atrophy to occur. 

Ask your doctor if 'Exercise-in-a-pill' (9 posts to May 2017) will also produce this benefit.

Scientists just identified the 3 best ways to prevent muscle loss as you age

• A meta-analysis of 96 randomized controlled trials found that strength and balance training, along with protein intake, led to the biggest improvements in walking speed, grip strength, lean muscle mass, overall performance, and balance.
• The holistic approach is key, since longevity depends on multiple areas of health—your diet, balance training, and exercise, experts say.
• The bottom line is that it is possible to fight against muscle loss—at any age.

Muscle loss is common as people get older, but it’s not inevitable. A combination of strength training, protein, and other healthy lifestyle habits can help to combat what's known more scientifically as sarcopenia. Still, those are pretty vague recommendations, making it hard to know exactly how to approach this. Now, new research is laying out a clear formula.

The meta-analysis, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, analyzed data from thousands of people and came up with straightforward guidance that everyone can use.

Here’s what the researchers discovered when it comes to preventing muscle loss as you age, plus why it makes sense.

Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD,is the co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Bert Mandelbaum, MD, is a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

What did the study find?

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 96 randomized controlled trials in order to understand the effectiveness of different types of exercise on muscle strength, physical function, and muscle mass in people with sarcopenia.

Related video

: The five muscle groups doctors say to train hardest as you age (Talking With Docs)People who ate protein but didn’t exercise only had small changes in their muscle mass, and didn’t see meaningful improvements in their strength or mobility.

Why is this combination important for preventing muscle loss?

A big element is that these factors will help to support your playspan, which is the ability to stay physically active as you age, says Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Approaching playspan from multiple areas of health—your diet, balance training, and exercise—can come together to support longevity. “It’s important to be comprehensive,” he says.

While exercising to combat muscle loss makes sense, protein is crucial, too, according to Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. “As we age, muscles become less responsive to protein, a process known as anabolic resistance,” he explains. “Higher protein intakes help overcome this by repeatedly triggering muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.” While the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is for 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, active women looking to gain muscle may want to aim for 1.2 g/kg or slightly above.

Protein provides the building blocks for muscle, but resistance exercise provides the signal that tells the body to actually build it, according to Keatley. “Without mechanical loading, amino acids are more likely to be used for energy or general maintenance rather than new muscle tissue,” he says. “This disconnect is even stronger in older adults.”

The national guidelines suggest a minimum of two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity, although upping that to three (and even up to five) sessions a week can help support muscle-building. (Always talk to your healthcare provider or a trainer before drastically changing your exercise routine or diet.)

As for balance, some experts suggest incorporating balance moves, like single-leg stands, marching in place, and alternating reverse lunges, into your strength workouts, or doing them alone for 10- to 15-minutes a few times a week.

What’s the takeaway here?

The researchers provide a concrete formula to follow to combat muscle loss, but maintaining muscle mass requires a multi-faceted approach. “The impact isn’t going to be significant enough just by choosing one of these drivers,” Dr. Mandelbaum says. “You need all three to make a difference.”

Beyond that, Keatley stresses that it is possible to fight against muscle loss with age. “Meaningful improvements are possible at any age with the right inputs,” he says.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

 Since my doctor and therapists COMPLETELY FUCKING FAILED at getting me running, I'll stick to walking.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

Workers in their 80s and 90s share 5 tips for staying healthy and active

©Courtesy of Patricia Casey/Marilyn Gettinger/Eileen Hartigan

• Older Americans said that mental stimulation and purpose are keys to healthy aging.
• Most workers over 80 I spoke to value routines, social connections, and staying active.
• Researchers and workers agreed that optimism and engagement support longevity and well-being.

After studying stem cell aging for decades, Dr. Thomas Rando learned that some of the best longevity advice is timeless.

"I often make the joke that the billions of dollars that have been spent on studying healthy aging could come down to the two things your mother told you," Rando, the president of the American Federation for Aging Research and director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA, told Business Insider.

"Eat a good diet and get plenty of exercise."

Rando dedicated his career to studying how tissues repair themselves — and why they eventually lose the ability to do it well. What he learned is that many of the drugs tested in animals that are meant to extend lifespan work as effectively as a balanced diet and exercise do. One example was a 2022 study that found mice that were put on fasting diets were as resilient to stress as those injected with ketone bodies.

He said that many drugs and interventions are "just in a way supplementing the challenges that humans face in dieting and exercising."

that lifestyle habits such as eating whole foods and taking care of his body are the keys to longevity. "From my own studies, if you are eating well, sleeping well, and exercising, it's unlikely that supplements are going to make a difference," he said.

Rando shared the three longevity habits he's stuck to for years, from avid running to lots of socializing.

By his 30s, Rando realized his work schedule made it hard to exercise: organizing basketball or squash games just took too much time. So, he started running solo a few miles a day, a few times a week.

After a colleague convinced him to run a 5K, he fell in love with racing. He worked his way up to a 10K, half-marathon, and eventually, a marathon. He's been a marathon runner for the last few decades.

"Not that people should do marathons, but I really believe in the rejuvenating powers of exercise," Rando said. While he's still researching all the ways that working out benefits longevity, he said there's lots of evidence to support that regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

Rando, who's currently dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, said he's running a little less often and focusing a little more on strength training, which is also important for healthy aging as muscle mass declines over time.

Beyond the anti-aging benefits, he said he loves how running makes him feel. "I think clearly, I think I solve problems when I run," he said. "So that was an added icing on the cake."

He fasts one day a week

I usually do one meal a day, around 5pm. No point in the Mediterranean diet, there is nothing specific in it, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly. 

Rando generally follows the Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world. He eats lean protein, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on red meat, carbohydrates, and processed foods.

"I love a steak dinner, and I'll splurge on that," Rando said. "But my typical dinners are either purely vegetarian or with some light meat or some fish."

For decades, he's practiced a form of intermittent fasting where he doesn't eat breakfast. He usually has a light lunch of edamame and hard-boiled eggs, and eats his biggest meal at dinner. Some studies find that intermittent fasting can help control blood sugar levels and burn fat, while others show mixed evidence that intermittent fasting has sustained benefits.

Over the past few years, Rando also fasts for 24 hours once a week, another form of time-restricted eating. Because dinner is his biggest meal, he usually starts fasting until dinner the next day, rather than starting the fast in the morning.

Still, he isn't super strict about fasting. "My lifestyle is just not conducive to fasting multiple days in a row, partly because of the exercise, partly because I'm going to dinners and lunches with people," he said. "But I do believe in fasting as a means toward healthy aging."

Because intermittent fasting is still being studied, including any potential long-term risks, Rando considers it "a leap of faith."

"I believe from the science that this will have a long-term benefit," he said. But it's not because he feels the same immediate effects as he does from exercising. "I just feel hungry."

Socializing at work

My social connections are extensive.

As president of AFAR, Rando naturally interacts with a lot of people. "Through my work, I lead a very social life," he said, including collaborating with other researchers, sitting on various committees, and attending events. He said he also makes it a point to socialize outside work.

While he said it's harder to quantify the impact of social ties on longevity, there's a lot of compelling anecdotal evidence in favor of it. Some of it comes from Rando's own research: Dr. Ira Eliasoph, a 96-year-old AFAR study participant, said strong relationships helped him live a long life.

"I believe in the evidence that social interactions are really important as people get older," Rando said.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

 

I think I'm good on these at age 70.

If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

Fitness after 60 isn't measured by how much weight you can lift or how many miles you can run. Instead, it shows up in the movements you perform every day without thinking twice. Standing from a chair, balancing on one leg, reaching overhead, and walking confidently all depend on strength, stability, and coordination working together. As a trainer, I've found that a few simple standing exercises reveal far more about someone's overall fitness than most gym workouts.

Many adults judge themselves against unrealistic standards or compare their abilities to people decades younger. I prefer using functional movements because they measure the qualities that matter most for healthy aging. These exercises challenge your legs, core, balance, and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously while closely resembling everyday activities. If you perform them with good control, you're likely in better shape than you realize.

I've used these assessments with hundreds of adults over 60, and they consistently separate those who simply exercise from those who move exceptionally well. Don't worry about perfection or speed. Focus on maintaining good form from beginning to end. Your results will tell you a great deal about your current level of functional fitness.

RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises That Restore Hip Strength This Week, No Gym Needed After 60

Exercise 1: Sit-to-Stand Test

I can do this from a standard kitchen chair, couches and Adirondack chairs, not!

The sit-to-stand remains one of my favorite indicators of lower-body strength because it mirrors one of the most common movements you'll perform every day. Strong quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles all contribute to completing this exercise with control. Clients who perform it easily usually walk farther, climb stairs more comfortably, and maintain greater independence as they age. The challenge isn't simply standing up. It's doing so repeatedly without using momentum or your hands.

How to Perform It

• Sit near the front of a sturdy chair.
• Cross your arms over your chest.
• Stand completely.
• Sit back down under control.
• Repeat continuously for 30 seconds.
• Count your completed repetitions.

Benchmark: Completing 12 to 17 controlled repetitions without using your hands indicates excellent lower-body strength for most adults over 60.

RELATED: 4 Standing Exercises That Flatten Apron Belly Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 2: Single-Leg Balance Hold

I've failed the one leg standing test of the Berg Balance Scale from the beginning, 20 years of failure so far and will never get better. My therapists DID NOTHING to get my one leg balance fixed!

Balance often becomes the first physical quality to decline with age, making this one of the most valuable assessments I use. Standing on one leg requires the ankles, hips, core, and nervous system to communicate continuously while making tiny adjustments. Clients who hold this position comfortably usually demonstrate excellent coordination and lower-body stability. Strong balance also reduces fall risk while improving confidence during everyday movement.

How to Perform It

• Stand next to a chair for safety.
• Shift your weight onto one leg.
• Lift the opposite foot slightly.
• Keep your eyes focused ahead.
• Avoid grabbing the chair unless necessary.
• Time your longest hold.

Benchmark: Holding the position for 30 seconds or longer on each leg reflects top-tier stability for most adults over 60.

RELATED: The 10-Minute Chair Routine That Restores Leg Strength Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 3: Standing March Endurance

Impossible to lift the left knee to hip height unless in a pool. It has nothing to do with my endurance or balance. 

 Walking depends on far more than simply putting one foot in front of the other. Strong hip flexors, stable core muscles, good balance, and cardiovascular endurance all contribute to maintaining a smooth, confident stride. The standing march combines each of these qualities into one practical assessment. I often use it because it closely reflects the stamina needed for shopping, traveling, hiking, and enjoying an active lifestyle.

How to Perform It

• Stand tall.
• Lift one knee to hip height.
• Lower with control.
• Alternate legs continuously.
• Maintain an upright posture.
• Continue for one minute.

Benchmark: Completing the full 60 seconds without losing posture, shortening your stride, or needing extra support places you above average for functional endurance after 60.

Read the original article on Eat This Not That.

Researchers Explain Why Walking Becomes Increasingly Difficult With Age

 I have no push-off power on my left foot because MY FUCKINGLY INCOMPETENT DOCTOR AND THERAPISTS  didn't get me recovered and never cured my spasticity. For that failure they should all be fired!

Researchers Explain Why Walking Becomes Increasingly Difficult With Age

Building strength in this 1 area of the body can reduce dementia risk, research shows

 

My doctor and therapists were complete fucking failures at getting my left hand recovered, so grip strength there is poor, mainly because they never cured my spasticity!

Building strength in this 1 area of the body can reduce dementia risk, research shows

A wealth of research links dementia risk to lifestyle choices and chronic illnesses. Among that data are studies that consistently show physical activity, specifically building and maintaining strength, can reduce one's likelihood of cognitive decline.

As 10 million new dementia cases arise annually, strength in one area of the body stands out as an especially reliable indicator for cognitive health, one 2022 study found: your hands and forearms.

Improving and maintaining grip strength during middle age can lead to better neurological health later in life, Jennifer A. Schrack, Ph.D., director at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center on Aging and Health, tells TODAY.com.

However, she adds, building grip strength involves much more than upper-body workouts at the gym; it’s an undertaking that calls for a full-body commitment meant to stimulate your mind for the long run.

How Grip Strength and Dementia Are Related

Your grip strength is a reflection of your total body strength, which research has repeatedly linked to overall cognitive function, says Schrack. "We use grip strength in studies because it’s easy to measure, whereas total body strength is much more difficult to measure," she explains.

Grip strength in particular can track how well the brain is communicating with the rest of the body to control motor function and sensation, she adds. It is measured with a hand dynamometer, available at physical therapists’ offices, some primary care offices and at hand specialist practices.

A 2019 study found the weaker an older adult's grip strength, the greater the likelihood of cognitive impairment. The study authors said that measuring grip strength can help identify people who may have symptoms beyond normal age-related cognitive decline and need early intervention.

A 2022 study looking at grip strength and dementia risk similarly concluded that increasing muscle strength in middle age may help maintain brain health.

Because muscle mass typically peaks between ages 30 and 35, TODAY.com previously reported, strength and coordination will progressively decline after that. It also doesn’t help that “we tend to do less as we age,” Schrack says. That lack of movement further drives this loss of muscle mass, she explains, and degeneration in muscle function often precedes mental degeneration.

When to Start Building Grip Strength

While there are benefits to being fit at all stages of life, Shrack says the most critical time to prioritize building strength to reduce dementia risk is between ages 45 and 65. Doing so combats the decline in muscle mass taking place.

In one study, the most physically active adults (in mid-life and late-life) were 41-45% less likely to develop dementia than the least active.

What is considered good grip strength? Shrack points to a 2014 study that found the average grip strength for men was between 26-32 kilograms (meaning they squeezed the equivalent of this weight with their grip), and anything less than that was considered “weak.” For women, grip strength between 16-20 kilograms was considered “intermediate,” and anything below 16 was “weak.”

How to Improve Grip Strength

Since grip strength is a reference for overall strength, improving it calls for strengthening your entire body, says Schrack. But you can also integrate grip strength into your routine with specific exercises in the same way you'd treat any other muscle group.

Your approach should depend "on a person’s age and fitness level, of course, but there’s lots of things people can do,” Schrack says.

For older populations, she recommends chair stands, wall pushups and light dumbbells. They can also squeeze stress balls or use resistance bands between their arms if they want to dedicate part of their workouts to grip strength.

Occupations, hobbies and sports, she says, can make a difference, too. Schrack’s mother is an 85-year-old organist whose hands get a challenge every day. And those who enjoy knitting, tennis or golf will definitely have their grip strength put to the test.

Younger people, on the other hand, will need something more challenging, says Schrack. Their muscles will require regular strength training and progressive overload. For grip-strength-focused exercises, Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., assistant professor of exercise science at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions, tells TODAY.com he recommends these workouts:

• Farmer’s carry
• Suitcase carry
• Bottoms-up kettlebell carry
• Dead Hang

The pullup bar I installed in the garage at shoulder height since anything higher and I'd never get the left hand open and around the bar at a higher level. Will lift my legs ups to do the dead hang properly.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com