The iron
Five years ago, singer Cher, then 71, boasted of her ability to hold a five-minute iron. If true, this impressive score is about five times higher than the typical “good” benchmark: movement is now a common metric of fitness. By placing the forearms on the ground, the body raised, with the weight on the toes, the core is strengthened, improving the balance and muscles of the back and reducing the risk of injury.
A stronger core also helps with household chores, such as gardening, DIY, and cleaning, all of which require small movements that activate your environment.
Raise your bet by making a dynamic board, suggests coach Matt Roberts. Starting from the same position, raise one arm in front of you, keeping it straight, then lower it again, before repeating with the next arm. Then repeat with each leg. “This is a good alternative to testing the core force,” he says, adding that “it’s a fairer test. [of strength] than the pure passive test for many people. “
Standing from a sitting position
The sitting and reach test is commonly used to measure back strength and hamstrings, as well as flexibility. It involves sitting in a chair without arms, and seeing how many times you can stop, from sitting, every minute.
A study by the Medical Research Council showed that participants who could do it more than 36 times in a minute were twice as likely to be alive 13 years later than those who were able to repeat the movement only 23 times.
Roberts suggests that standing from a sitting position, without using your hands, is a better fitness metric. A 2020 study from Okinawa, Japan, which has one of the largest hundreds in the world, found that movement was a strong indicator of longevity.
Another article in the European Journal of Cardiology called for more than 2,000 adults between the ages of 51 and 80 to repeat the action, and found that those who fought were five to six times more likely to have died six years later, compared to people able to do so. ease. “Even more relevant,” the authors wrote, “is the fact that the 1-point increase in the session increase score was related to a 21% reduction in mortality.”
Pressures
Being able to do 40 push-ups in one minute reduces the risk of heart disease by 96% among middle-aged men, according to a 2019 study by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. For a good pressure technique, keep your hands forward with your elbows close to your body. “The shoulders should stay directly on the hands at all times, and the body should be completely straight,” Roberts says.
Dam strength
This is measured with a hand-held dynamometer, held with the elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, while pressing the handle as hard as possible. The result is a strong indicator of bone mineral density – which decreases with age – and heart health, mobility and cognitive function.
A study of 140,000 people found that for every 5 kg drop in grip capacity, the probability of death increased by 14% and the risk of heart attack increased by 7%. To improve grip, try exercises such as hanging a single arm from an upper bar (30 seconds is a good start), push-ups, and push-ups.