If you were wondering whether you might kick the bucket prematurely in comparison to your peers, it turns out there’s a simple test you can complete which could give you a good idea.
It might not be the cheeriest of activities, but the good news is you can carry it out in the comfort of your own home – so there’s really no excuse not to give it a whirl, lads.
Nutrition expert Ed Jones, who founded health firm Nutrition World back in 1979, reckons the ‘power of natural health’ is the key to a long and happy life.
He’s a avid believer in holistic health and is a professional member of the American Botanical Council, which aims to encourage people to take care of themselves with the help of herbs and medicinal plants.
All in all, he’s quite the boffin when it comes to taking care of your body in the most natural way possible.
In an episode of his Nutrition World Podcast, which he hosts alongside his daughter Cady Kuhlman, the expert touched on a trick he’d learnt from Dr Peter Attia, who is a leading expert in longevity medicine.
The medic is renowned for his work in the field, having opened a private clinic dedicated to extending the lifespan of patients back in 2014.
On top of this, Dr Attia is always sharing his knowledge on how the right nutrition and physical activity can help people live longer, so Jones seems to hold him in high regard.
The one and only Chris Hemsworth does too, as Dr Attia was the medic who worked alongside him on the Disney Plus documentary series Limitless to investigate how humans can stave off their death by switching up their lifestyle.
So, now you know he’s even got the A-list stamp of approval, let’s get down to it.
Discussing Dr Attia’s mortality test, Jones explained that his fellow nutrition expert believes that a strong body is a long-lasting one – so a weaker person would be more at risk of early mortality.
Speaking on the Nutrition World Podcast, the health expert revealed that there is a simple test which ‘doctors never ask about’ that could suggest you’re en route to an early grave, which he dubbed ‘grip strength’.
He explained: “If you can’t hold a dumbbell that’s 3/4ths of your weight for one minute, you will die earlier than you would if you were stronger. That beats cholesterol, it beats every blood test.
“How many health professionals have asked you that? None, none.”
Elaborating on this, he explained that a person’s grip strength is a ‘marker for how everything else will weaken’.
“Everything,” Jones continued. “Your heart, every system of your body.
“If you can do this with the right weights, everything else is stronger. The stronger and resilient body ages slower and has less disease.”
Those who are unable to do so might want to work on building some strength up to turn the tables, he explained.
Plenty of studies back up this idea, as those who tend to be stronger are at lower risk of deadly diseases as well as cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
But even if you’re not convinced that the grip strength test will yield any accurate results, surely there is no harm in giving it a go, is there?
Dig out those dumbbells, people!