“Unlock the Secret to Longevity: Can You Pass This Surprising Home Test?”

Ever wondered if your grip strength could be the key to a longer life? Apparently, health expert Ed Jones thinks so! He’s got a rather alarming assertion that if you can’t hold a weight equal to three-quarters of your body weight for just one minute, you might be signing up for an early departure from this world—cheery, right? If you’re like me, the thought of failing a one-minute test can get your heart racing—not from the workout, mind you, but from the sheer panic of wondering how much longer you’d have to scroll through TikTok instead of heading to the gym! Jones’s advice emphasizes the importance of physical condition, suggesting that a strong grip is a strong indicator of overall health—and perhaps a solid excuse to flex those muscles. Curious about how to test your strength and maybe stave off a premature end? Dive into this light-hearted yet insightful exploration of fitness and longevity. LEARN MORE

A health expert has claimed that you’re going to ‘die early’ if you can’t pass a simple one minute test. It’s a cheerful sort of day, isn’t it?

This is one test you can do from the comfort of your own home, but since you’ll need some equipment to do it you may be better off heading down the gym for it.

Nutrition expert Ed Jones has claimed that if you want to be sure of a longer life then you need to be in a physically good condition and have a strong body.

He claims that what you really need is a ‘grip strength’ test and to do it you’ll need to find a dumbbell that’s three-quarters your own body weight.

Ed Jones (left) reckons if you can hold three-quarters your body weight for a minute you’ll live a long time (Nutrition World)

The average British man is about 85kg and the average British woman around 72kg, so for the average bloke you’d need to be holding just under 65kg and women would need 54kg, and apparently all you need to do is demonstrate your grip strength by holding it for a minute.

Discussing this mortality test, which he says he learned from longevity medicine man Dr Peter Attia, 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.”

He claimed your grip strength is a ‘marker for how everything else will weaken’.

“If you can do this with the right weights, everything else is stronger. The stronger and resilient body ages slower and has less disease.”

They’ll need to be heavy (Getty Stock Photo)

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.

If you don’t have massive dumbbells lying around your house and lack a gym membership then you might be interested in a different test you can do from home.

For this one you simply sit cross-legged on the floor and stand up, giving yourself a score of 10 and knocking off a point each time you needed something other than your core muscles and legs to lift yourself.

Additional words by Olivia Burke