As this month’s theme centers on investing, most conversations begin with retirement accounts and financial security. But there is another form of capital that deserves equal attention: your ability to move, function and live independently as you age.
What if the most important investment you make today is not in a portfolio, but in your longevity?
When people think about health, they often focus on lab reports such as cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. While those metrics matter, research increasingly shows that functional fitness, how well you move, balance, carry and sustain effort, may be an even stronger predictor of longevity and mortality.
A review published in Frontiers in Physiology found that muscle strength, balance, mobility and cardiorespiratory fitness are independently associated with survival across the lifespan. Additional studies in BMJ Open and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reinforce that measures such as gait speed, grip strength and chair-rise ability strongly predict falls, disability, cardiovascular events and early death. Physical function is not just a wellness metric. It is a long-term investment indicator.
Longevity physician Dr. Peter Attia summarizes it well: The goal is not simply to live longer, but to preserve physical function for as long as possible.
Functional Risk Assessment
Simple tests reveal powerful insights. The Timed Up and Go test measures how long it takes to stand from a chair, walk a short distance and return. Slower times are associated with higher fall risk, hospitalization and mortality. Even small declines can signal early functional changes.
Walking speed, often called gait velocity, is so predictive it is considered a vital sign. Slower gait speed is linked to increased mortality regardless of age. Think of it as a market index for physical health. When it declines, it reflects stress across multiple systems.
The 30-second sit-to-stand test measures lower-body strength, a foundational asset for independence. Lower scores predict frailty and falls, while stronger performance correlates with longer life. Like compound interest, strength built over time delivers lasting returns.
Balance testing plays a similar role. Impaired balance increases the risk of fractures and disability, the equivalent of sudden financial losses that disrupt long-term stability.
Grip strength and loaded carries assess real-world robustness. Low strength is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and early death, even after accounting for other risk factors.
Finally, VO₂ max, a measure of aerobic capacity, remains one of the strongest predictors of lifespan. Higher cardiovascular fitness significantly lowers mortality risk at every age.
Building Your Longevity Portfolio
Just as financial portfolios require diversification, longevity depends on investing across multiple domains: strength, balance, mobility and endurance. These functional measures serve as early warning indicators, guiding action before decline occurs.
While we cannot control the markets, we can invest daily in our physical resilience. The dividends are not just added years, but stronger, more capable ones.
Because true wealth is the ability to live fully, independently and well.
About Brian Mullins
Brian Mullins, MS, PT, earned his master’s degree and Certificate of Physical Therapy from Duke University and a bachelor’s in biology with a specialization in athletic training from Rowan University. With more than 30 years’ experience, he treats athletes of all ages, integrating advanced biomechanical assessment technology developed by the Movement Performance Institute in California.