Crunch Time Enlarges Lifetime

How many sit-ups can you do? Maybe you think this is an outdated measure of fitness. Perhaps. Yet new research indicates your sit-up performance may predict your chances of living longer.

A new study of physical fitness and the risk of dying was done in Canada. Researchers measured muscular fitness in more than 8,000 people. They measured sit-ups, pushups, grip strength, and flexibility. The results were close to a similar study of muscular strength and death in Japanese men and women.

Some parts of physical fitness can be used to predict the risk of death (mortality). One example is grip strength. The lower the grip strength measured, the more predictable the chance of earlier death. Grip strength is a good measure of overall body strength.

The main finding in this study had to do with sit-ups. How many sit-ups an adult can do is linked to mortality for both men and women. The fewer the sit-ups performed, the greater the risk of death. Flexibility and push-ups were not predictive of death. There are several reasons why abdominal muscle strength may be a better measure of mortality.

Having strong abdominal muscles is a sign of an active and independent life. Muscle strength also shows there is enough muscle mass (number and size of active muscle fibers) for good health. How the body uses glucose (sugar) is important in preventing diabetes, a deadly disease for some people. The muscles are a key part of the processing of glucose. The more the amount of active muscle is present, the better the body can use glucose.

The payoff for staying active and doing regular exercise is more than a trim waistline. It now appears that muscle fitness is a key part of maintaining health and life.