Dr Amir Khan, a well-known doctor and ITV personality, has highlighted that leg strength is one of the most significant predictors of healthy ageing. In a recent Instagram video, he emphasised that the condition of your legs can determine how resilient your body remains as you grow older.
Why Leg Strength Matters
According to Dr Khan, maintaining leg strength is crucial for preserving independence in later years. He explained: "As a doctor, when I think about ageing I'm not really thinking about six packs or looking fit. I'm thinking: can you get out of a chair easily? Can you climb stairs? Can you stop yourself falling? Can you carry shopping? Can you stay independent?"
He added: "Your legs are your foundation as you age, and medically, leg strength is incredibly important."
Mobility and Muscle Mass
One of the primary reasons leg strength is vital is its role in maintaining mobility. Dr Khan noted: "Muscle mass naturally declines with age. This is called sarcopenia. From around our 30s onwards, we slowly lose muscle unless we actively maintain it. And when muscle drops, balance worsens, fall risk increases, mobility reduces, frailty increases, and falls in older age can genuinely change lives."
Metabolic Health Benefits
Beyond mobility, leg muscles serve as major metabolic organs. Dr Khan stated: "They help regulate blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation. So stronger muscles are linked to lower risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, frailty, and loss of independence later in life."
Simple Tests for Leg Strength
Dr Khan revealed that straightforward assessments can indicate overall health. "Walking speed and the ability to stand from a chair without using your hands are actually associated with longevity and overall health outcomes," he said. "Your body is telling us how resilient it is."
Exercises to Improve Leg Strength
He advised that improving leg strength is achievable at any age. "You don't need to become a big bodybuilder. Simple things matter: walking more, climbing stairs, resistance bands, squats, strength training, getting up and down from the floor." He concluded: "Strong legs aren't just about fitness; they're about your freedom as you age. So work your legs out, people."
Research Backing
Dr Khan's advice aligns with a 2024 study published in PLOS ONE, which found that the ability to balance on one leg is a reliable indicator of age-related decline. The study showed that the time people could stand on one leg declined by about 2.2 seconds per decade for the non-dominant leg and 1.7 seconds for the dominant leg. Researchers noted: "This study underscores the significance of the unipedal balance test in monitoring elderly subjects. The duration an individual can maintain balance on one leg emerges as the most reliable determinant of ageing, surpassing strength, gait, and other balance parameters."
