Simple Ways to Improve Three Biomarkers Most Correlated to Your Mortality

Paul von Zielbauer
Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:37:09 -0800
Lifestyle

VO2 max, grip strength and balance are among the three characteristics most strongly correlated to lowering mortality risk — aka your risk of dying early. The research is compelling, the advice abundant. So abundant, in fact, that to non-athletes who want to build strength in each of these three areas, figuring out where to start can be daunting.

My advice: Avoid the musclehead nostrums. Skip the 40-minute YouTube videos. And by all means, ignore the bilious bloviators talking out of their posteriors from the sunlit uplands of the longevity influencer-industrial complex, where everyone is perpetually strong, healthy and under 30. They're just trying to take your money.

By contrast, a 59-year-old newspaper columnist isn't (nobody writes for a living thinking of the cash, believe me). Thus, I offer you some very simple, actionable and effective ways to improve your cardiorespiratory health, grip strength and functional balance through movements you can do at or near home in a few minutes a day. No gym required.
Updated: Thu Nov 06, 2025

VO2 max, grip strength and balance are among the three characteristics most strongly correlated to lowering mortality risk — aka your risk of dying early. The research is compelling, the advice abundant. So abundant, in fact, that to non-athletes who want to build strength in each of these three areas, figuring out where to start can be daunting.

My advice: Avoid the musclehead nostrums. Skip the 40-minute YouTube videos. And by all means, ignore the bilious bloviators talking out of their posteriors from the sunlit uplands of the longevity influencer-industrial complex, where everyone is perpetually strong, healthy and under 30. They're just trying to take your money.

By contrast, a 59-year-old newspaper columnist isn't (nobody writes for a living thinking of the cash, believe me). Thus, I offer you some very simple, actionable and effective ways to improve your cardiorespiratory health, grip strength and functional balance through movements you can do at or near home in a few minutes a day. No gym required.

VO2 Max: Measuring Your Cardio Fitness

VO2 max measures how efficiently your body delivers oxygen to your muscles during exercise. The research here is blunt: a 2018 study of more than 122,000 adults found that participants in the lowest quartile had a fourfold increased risk of death compared to those in the highest quartile. After 30, most people lose about 10% per decade, though that rate varies wildly depending on how often you move your body.

This is my best-kept fitness secret: Jumping rope for five to 10 minutes will radically improve your baseline VO2 max. You don't need to be good at skipping rope, either; you just need to keep doing it as well as you can. The movement simultaneously builds lower-leg strength in your knees, calves, ankles and feet, all of which contribute to better balance.

Can't stand jumping rope? Climb stairs aggressively for a few minutes. Alternatively, buy a cheap two-level project stool at the hardware store and do step-ups. Or try jumping air squats, if your joints cooperate. Even fast walking for 10 to 30 minutes will improve your VO2 max if you're starting from sedentary.

Moving out of that lowest quartile carries significant mortality benefits, and you don't need to become an athlete.

Grip strength: A Surprisingly Powerful Predictor

Your ability to squeeze things hard turns out to be a remarkably consistent biomarker for systemic aging. People with stronger grip strength in midlife tend to live longer, maintain independence and show lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. This makes evolutionary sense: arresting a dangerous fall in later life often depends on whether your hands can grab and hold.

The simplest intervention requires nothing but a thick, soaking-wet towel. Wring it out with maximum force, alternating hand positions. Too easy? Find an old pepper mill — the older and more resistant, the better — and grind pepper rapidly for a couple of minutes. Your forearms will burn.

Farmer's carries also work well: Walk around holding heavy objects at your sides. Dumbbells, kettlebells, grocery bags, a couple of toolboxes, water jugs — anything with heft. If that's too ambitious, stand and hold a cast-iron skillet away from your body for as long as possible. For an added balance challenge, hover one foot off the ground while holding the skillet, which also trains balance. (Careful not to drop the pan on your pets.)

Dead hangs from a pull-up bar or sturdy overhead structure are the gold standard of grip strength tests. Time yourself. Start with 10 to 15 seconds. Can you work up to 30? You improve quickly over time.

Balance: The Perishable Skill

Falls cause more injury-related deaths in the United States in adults over 65 than anything else. Balance decline typically begins after 50. Unlike strength, which you can rebuild fairly quickly, balance is perishable — you can't suddenly acquire it when you need it.

The heel-to-toe walk mimics a sobriety test: Place your heel directly in front of your toes and walk a straight line. Use a wall for support if necessary.

Better yet, default to standing on one leg whenever possible: while brushing teeth, scrolling your phone, watering plants, opening mail, peeling an orange, buttering toast, folding laundry, combing your hair, washing dishes — you get the picture. Aim for 15 seconds at first and work toward 30 to 60 seconds on each leg.

The single-leg deadlift is my personal favorite for building balance and functional strength in your hips and glutes. Stand on one leg, hinge forward, reaching toward the ground with your hands while extending your free leg behind you — kind of like an old-school oil derrick. This compound movement ranks among the most effective exercises for lower-body and core strength.

The Real Barrier Isn't Equipment, It's Your "Why"

There are dozens of simple, often unconventional ways to raise your heart rate, improve your neuromuscular fitness and build a stronger relationship with resistance training, even if you're just resisting gravity or your own body weight.

Most don't require a gym, expensive equipment or more than a few minutes a day to start. What it does require is a willingness to try something new and an understanding of why it matters to you.

Figure that out first, and you've already started the journey toward extending your healthy lifespan.