What Struggling to Lift 5 Kilograms Might Say About Your Health

Difficulty lifting a 5-kilogram object signals higher risk for multiple chronic and age-related health conditions in people over 50.

Highlights:

Muscle weakness linked to higher risk of chronic illness in adults over 50
Simple five-kilogram lifting test predicts future physical and mental health challenges
Struggling to lift daily items indicates lower quality of life and higher disease risk

Older adults who cannot lift an object weighing 5 kilograms are more likely to develop serious chronic illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders that lower their quality of life. This difficulty in lifting a common weight was strongly linked to physical weakness and a higher chance of experiencing multiple health issues ().

More than 51,000 individuals aged 50 and above across 15 countries were tracked to examine how their ability to lift a 5-kilogram weight related to long-term health. The findings show that those who had trouble lifting this weight were at increased risk of developing depression, joint problems, chronic lung diseases, high cholesterol, hip fractures, strokes, and Alzheimer's disease.

How to Stay Active as You Get Older
Being physically active with a healthy dose of exercise for senior citizens is one of the ways to be fit, independent and be mentally active.

TOP INSIGHT

Did You Know?
Struggling to lift just 5 kgs could signal early warning signs for serious health problems like stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and depression. #medindia #muscleweakness #musculoskeletal disorders

Simple Lifting Ability Connects to Future Disease

The risk remained consistent across all genders and age brackets, proving the lifting test to be a powerful early indicator of overall health. The assessment could be performed at home and serves as a warning for potentially serious health problems.

Professor Rizwan Qaisar, lead author, explained that difficulty lifting a 5-kilogram object—comparable to a small kitchen appliance or a bag of groceries was directly associated with reduced physical strength, a key factor that contributes to disease onset in older adults.

Association Between Physical Fitness and Metabolic Syndrome in the Elderly
Lack of physical fitness and muscular endurance leads to increased risk for development of metabolic syndrome in old age.

Muscle Weakness as an Early Red Flag

The test was introduced to replace expensive muscle strength assessments that require clinical equipment. By offering a no-cost alternative that older adults can use at home, the study opens doors to more accessible and widespread health monitoring.

Professor Qaisar emphasized that muscle weakness is far from a minor inconvenience. Rather, it is a serious early sign of poor health. Traditional tools used to assess muscle health are typically limited to clinical environments and are often too expensive for widespread use.

Exercise for Seniors
Poor health and recurrent illnesses can severely compromise quality of life for seniors. But with appropriate exercise, seniors can age gracefully and maintain overall good health.

Global Relevance of Physical Strength in Aging

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.71 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions that limit movement and physical function. In the United States alone, muscle weakness is present in about 5 percent of adults aged 60 and older, making this issue globally significant.

The investigation, published in Scientific Reports, suggests that the difficulty of lifting a 5-kilogram weight is a valid home-based test to flag early signs of muscle weakness. It offers new insight into how strength and mobility are directly connected to mental and physical health outcomes.

Exercise to be Prescribed for Robust Health in Elderly
There is compelling evidence suggesting that people in all conditions of health and at all fitness levels benefit from regular physical activity.

Widespread Health Implications Beyond Mobility

Over a span of four years, 19.5 percent of the 51,536 individuals tracked were unable to lift 5 kilograms at the beginning of the observation period in 2013. These individuals later experienced a significantly higher incidence of low quality of life (9.42 percent), depression (8.14 percent), low handgrip strength (7.38 percent), and osteoarthritis (6.98 percent), regardless of age or gender.

Additional risks included rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, and neurological conditions such as strokes and Alzheimer's disease. The risk was especially elevated in men compared to women, after adjusting for country and age.

Practical Home Assessment for Preventive Care

The ability to lift 5 kilograms provides more than just a functional measure—it signals the need for timely medical intervention. Professor Qaisar described the approach as a "really easy, no-cost way" to understand one’s physical status. If lifting something as simple as a bag of sugar proves difficult, that could be a crucial clue.

Co-author Professor Azhar Hussain emphasized how this test can empower individuals to make lifestyle changes and seek help before illnesses fully develop. The results also enable healthcare professionals to use this method as a frontline screening tool for at-risk individuals, potentially enhancing public health outreach and preventive strategies.

In conclusion, this large-scale investigation provides powerful evidence that struggling to lift a 5-kilogram object is a clear warning sign of declining health in older adults. By turning a simple daily task into a vital diagnostic tool, the findings offer a practical way to identify health risks early and promote preventive care in aging populations.

Reference:

The simple task of lifting five kilograms serves as a predictor of age-related disorders in old adults - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03128-y)

Source-Medindia