VO2 max, grip strength & balance training for non-athletes

These three biomarkers have the strongest correlation to mortality risk. Take them seriously.

Jumping rope: the best VO2 max workout you can do in fewer than 10 minutes.

You’ve probably heard about VO2 max, grip strength and balance as the three characteristics most strongly correlated to lowering your risk of dying early. All the talk, articles and videos about them can lead non-athletes into a state of analysis paralysis, in which you do nothing because there’s just too much information to even figure out how to start.

If that describes you, here are some simple ways to work your way into stronger results for each of these biomarkers.

Simple VO2 max, grip strength and balance training habits

Forget the online musclehead extremism, lengthy YouTube how-to videos and precious influencer crapspackle. Instead, let’s explore how to simply and gradually 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.

1 | VO2 max (cardiorespiratory fitness)

What it is: A measurement of your cardio fitness as measured by how efficiently your body can deliver oxygen to your muscles. It’s measured relative to your weight. Many electronic wearable devices claim to be able to measure VO2 max.

Why you should care about it: The lower yours is, the greater your statistical mortality risk. A 2018 study of more than 122,000 adults found those in the lowest VO2 max quartile had a fourfold increased risk of death compared to those in the highest quartile.¹ After age 30, VO2 max typically declines about 10% per decade, but the rate is highly variable — and modifiable. Sedentary people lose cardio fitness faster; active people can maintain surprisingly high levels into their 70s and 80s.

Simple, low/no-equipment ways to improve VO2 max:

• Jumping rope. Hands down the simplest, most convenient, accessible and do-it-anywhere way to increase your cardiorespiratory fitness in a few minutes a day. You don’t need to be good at jumping rope. You just need to be willing to keep doing it as well as you can for 5 to 10 minutes. You improve quickly. Jumping rope also helps build lower-leg strength in knees, calves, ankles and feet, which help with balance.

• Stair climbing. If you have stairs at home, use them as a workout machine. Otherwise, most people in urban areas are within a few minutes walk or drive of a more challenging set of stairs. This is another workout you can accomplish in a few minutes of aggressive movement. Alternately: buy a cheap, sturdy two-level project stool at a hardware store and use it for step-ups and step-downs.

• Jumping air squats. If you can lower yourself into a squat and jump off the ground from there, you can do these at home in your street clothes. In a few minutes, you’ll have yourself a nice VO2 max workout. This movement also builds lower body and core strength. Hate this exercise? Pick any one of the movements in this medley:

• Fast walking. If you’re starting from sedentary, walking at the fastest pace you can manage for 10, 20 or 30 minutes will improve your VO2 max. Remember, moving out of the lowest quartile of VO2 max for your age has significant associations with lower mortality risk.

2 | Grip strength

What it is: The maximum force your hand and forearm muscles can generate when squeezing.

Why you should care about it: It’s a surprisingly powerful predictor of overall mortality, disability and frailty. People with stronger grip strength at midlife tend to live and maintain independence longer and have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. It’s essentially a biomarker for systemic aging. That said, it’s not grip strength per se that helps you live longer and healthier but what the presence of grip strength signifies in a person: A habit of resistance training and/or regularly carrying heavy things.² That said, there’s nothing wrong with building your forearm muscles (as anyone who has assembled an Ikea bookshelf with a hand screwdriver can attest.)

Simple, low/no-equipment ways to improve grip strength:

• Towel wringing. Wring out a thick, soaking-wet towel with maximum force, alternating hand positions. Too hard? Grind pepper with a pepper mill (the older and more resistant the mill, the better). A couple minutes of rapid, nonstop grinding will have your non-athlete forearms burning.

• Farmer’s carries. Walk around holding heavy objects (dumbbells, kettlebells, grocery bags, toolbox, water jugs) at your sides. Maintain good posture. If that’s too hard, stand and hold a cast-iron skillet away from your body for as long as you can. (Be sure to avoid dropping it on your pets.) For an added balance exercise, try hovering one foot off the ground while holding the heavy skillet.

• Dead hangs. Hang from a bar or sturdy overhead structure. Time yourself. Start with 10-20 seconds. Can you get to 30? Do these regularly and you’ll see how fast your grip strength improves. Very few people on Earth can hang for 90 seconds. All it takes is practice and commitment.

• If none of the above appeals to you, try weighted ball catches, using a weighted silicone ball. The forward catches in the video below work your grip, and the movement has the added benefit of being terrific for encouraging greater neuroplasticity and hand-eye coordination.

3 | Balance

What it is: Balance is your ability to maintain your center of gravity over your base of support by coordinating your vision, inner ear (vestibular system), proprioception (body position sense) and muscle strength.

Why you should care about it: Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65, and balance decline typically begins in your fifties. You can’t acquire balance suddenly; for older adults, it’s one of the ultimate perishable skills. Especially the ability to maintain a semblance of balance without vision (as in a very dark room).

Simple, low/no-equipment ways to improve balance:

• Heel-to-toe walk. Walk in a straight line placing heel directly in front of toes, like a sobriety test (use a wall for support if necessary).

• Single-leg stances. Practice standing on one foot while brushing teeth, talking on or scrolling your phone, watering the plants, opening the mail, peeling an orange, making coffee, buttering toast, folding laundry, combing your hair, or doing dishes — the point being, default to standing on one leg whenever possible, instead of two. Aim at first for 15 seconds and work up to 30 to 60 seconds per leg.

• Single-leg deadlift. Stand on one leg, hinge forward reaching toward the ground with opposite hand while extending free leg behind you. This exercise challenges balance and builds (really important) functional strength in your hips and glutes. This is one of the most effective lower-body and core compound movements there is. For a slightly more challenging variation, try this:

Why any of this should matter to you

The biggest message I hope you’ll take from this post is that there are hundreds of simple, creative and often unconventional ways to raise your heart rate, move your body, improve your neuromuscular fitness, including balance, and build a stronger and more comfortable relationship with resistance training (even if you’re just resisting gravity or your own body weight) for greater lifespan and healthspan.

It doesn’t take a gym, expensive equipment or more than a few minutes a day (or a week, if that’s your speed) to start building that relationship. All it takes is a determination to try something new and to understand why you want to.

1. Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183605. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605. PMID: 30646252; PMCID: PMC6324439.

2. Thanks to reader Yonatan for correcting my original description of grip strength.