EXERCISE is key to living longer, with aerobic fitness, strength and good balance previously shown to lower mortality. But a new study has suggested even the simplest of movements could add years to your life expectancy. 2 Being more flexible was shown to increase life expectancy in men and women Credit: Alamy 2 The Flexindex involves 20 movements, one of which is flexing your wrist Credit: Alamy The importance of flexibility exercises was demonstrated by Brazilian researchers.
Their study on 3,100 healthy middle-aged adults used something known as a ‘Flexindex’. It’s a tool used to evaluate body flexibility using a series of 20 movements. In the study, men and women with low scores on the test had a higher risk of dying, five times more in some cases than those who were more flexible.
READ MORE ON LONGEVITY YOU FETA BELIEVE IT Chilling out and eating cheese could help you live longer, experts say LIVE LONGER From brushing teeth to how you should walk - 8 hacks to help you live longer Corresponding study author Dr Caludio Gil D. Araújo, a sports medicine physician, said: “Being aerobically fit and strong and having good balance have been previously associated with low mortality. “We were able to show that reduced body flexibility is also related to poor survival in middle-aged men and women.
” Dr Araújo was the one who developed the test more than 40 years ago. The test measures the range of motion in seven sets of joints - the ankle, knee, hip, torso, wrist, e.