In women aged 63 to 99, greater muscle strength was associated with a significantly lower risk of dying over the following years, and the link held even for women who did not meet standard aerobic activity guidelines.
That is the finding of a study of 5,472 older women published February 13, 2026, in JAMA Network Open, led by researchers at the University at Buffalo.
Every 7 kilograms (about 15 pounds) of extra grip strength was linked to a 12 percent lower mortality rate over an average follow-up of 8.3 years.
Faster performance on a simple sit-to-stand test tracked the same way, with each 6-second improvement in completing five chair stands tied to a 4 percent lower mortality rate.
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The results add to a growing body of research suggesting that for older adults, how strong you are may be as informative for longevity as how much cardio you log.
What the study measured
The analysis drew on the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) study, an offshoot of the Women's Health Initiative. Participants had a mean age of 78.7 years. During follow-up, 1,964 women died, according to a summary from News-Medical.
Researchers measured strength two ways. Grip strength was recorded with a hand dynamometer, a squeeze gauge that produces a number in kilograms.
Lower-body function was captured with a chair stand test, timing how long it took each woman to rise from a seated position five times without using her hands.
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Both measures tracked mortality strongly. Women in the top group for grip strength had roughly a 33 percent lower risk of dying during follow-up than those in the bottom group.
The fastest chair-standers had about a 37 percent lower risk than the slowest, according to Medical News Today's coverage of the paper.
Independent of cardio minutes
The most striking result is what remained after the researchers accounted for aerobic activity. Using hip-worn accelerometers, they controlled for actual movement, sedentary time, walking speed and inflammation markers. Muscle strength still predicted lower mortality.
That association persisted in women who did not hit the standard target of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, which the CDC recommends for adults 65 and older, alongside muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days.
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Michael LaMonte, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions, led the work. He argues that basic strength is what makes the rest of an active life possible.
"If you don't have enough muscle strength to get up, it is going to be hard to do aerobic activities, such as walking, which is the most commonly reported recreational activity in U.S. adults ages 65 and older," LaMonte said in the university's announcement.
What the numbers do and do not show
The study is observational, so it cannot prove that building strength causes lower mortality. Frail people can be sicker for reasons unrelated to their muscles, and stronger women may share other habits that protect them.
The authors adjusted for many of those factors, but residual confounding is always possible in this kind of design.
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Still, the size of the cohort, the length of follow-up and the use of objective activity measurements make the association hard to explain away as a quirk.
The mortality benefit appeared consistently across grip strength and chair stand time, two very different tests of function.
What stronger muscles look like in practice
For non-athletes, "stronger" does not mean lifting heavy in a gym. The CDC lists lifting weights, working with resistance bands and bodyweight moves like squats and push-ups as muscle-strengthening activities that count.
Exercises that engage the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms are the target, on at least two days a week.
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Getting up out of a chair without using your hands, climbing stairs and carrying groceries are all functional versions of the same movements the study measured. Balance work is recommended alongside strength training for older adults to reduce fall risk.
Anyone with a chronic condition, a recent injury or concerns about starting a new routine should talk with a doctor or a physical therapist before ramping up.