I recently had the opportunity to contribute to an article for The Vitamin Shoppe looking at four health metrics that may provide some valuable insight into long-term health and longevity. In the fitness industry, we tend to focus on things like body weight, calories and steps, the article however, takes a closer look at resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), VO₂ max and grip strength. I was asked to weigh in specifically on the latter three and explain why they may be worth paying attention to.
VO₂ max specifically, is one of our best measures of cardiorespiratory fitness and has a strong relationship with long-term health outcomes. HRV as I've talked about in previous posts, gives us a different look under the hood, providing insight into autonomic nervous system activity, stress and recovery. Then there is grip strength, which is considerably less high-tech but has been associated with overall strength, physical function and longevity. No, this doesn't mean squeezing a tennis ball 500 times a day is the secret to living to 100 years old, but grip strength is more useful as a simple indicator of our overall physical capacity.
These are also good examples of why exercise should be about more than burning calories or changing what you see when you flex in the mirror after a shower. Whether it's through Small Group Training, Personal Training or Active Rehab at AIM Athletic, improving cardiovascular fitness, maintaining strength and building physical capacity can have benefits that extend well beyond the gym.
If you'd like to learn more about these metrics, why they matter and how you can improve them, check out the full Vitamin Shoppe article, The Top Health Metrics Everyone Should Track.
You've got the info, now it's time to take AIM!
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