08/13/2026
What if one of the most important signs of healthy aging isn’t a number on a lab report?
A new study published in JAMA Network Open followed more than 13,000 adults age 65 and older for about seven years.
Researchers looked at something very practical: how well people could actually move.
They measured balance and agility, lower-body strength, and cardiovascular fitness — and people who performed better on these measures had a lower risk of dying during the follow-up period.
Now, that does NOT mean standing on one leg or doing chair stands will magically make you live longer. This was an observational study, so it found an association — not cause and effect.
But I think there’s an important message here:
**Healthy aging isn’t only about the numbers. It’s also about function.**
Can you get up from a chair comfortably?
Can you maintain your balance?
Can you walk, climb stairs and move through your day with confidence?
Can your muscles support the life you want to keep living?
We talk a lot about lifespan. I think we need to talk just as much about **healthspan — maintaining our strength, mobility and independence for as many of those years as possible.**
That’s what healthy aging means to me.
Which do you think we tend to neglect most as we get older — **strength, balance or cardiovascular fitness?**
Follow Deanna Wickey Wellness for practical, science-aware conversations about healthy aging without the hype.
