Human study · Exercise · 3 Nov 2026
In 13,423 adults ages 65 and older, higher balance, strength, and march scores lined up with a lower chance of dying over seven years
Source: Harvard Health
What the research found
Harvard Health editor Julie Corliss, with review by physical therapist Kristina Dunlea, summarized a JAMA Network Open paper from 10 August 2026. Researchers tested 13,423 community-dwelling older adults in 2015 and 2016 and followed them for seven years. During follow-up, 1,631 died. Tests were a two-minute march, a 30-second arm curl, a 30-second chair stand, a one-leg stand, an 8-foot up-and-go, and two reach tests. People with the highest combined march, strength, and balance scores had a 61 percent lower risk of dying than people with the lowest scores. Flexibility was not tied to lifespan. Balance and agility showed the strongest link, then lower-body strength, then the march. One test cannot prove that practice extends life. People willing to enroll may have been healthier than average. Not medical advice. Someone who already feels unsteady should ask a clinician before balance practice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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