Want to know how well you’re aging? Check your grip strength.
A multi-country study of approximately 140,000 adults between 35 and 70 years old found those with an 11-pound decline in grip strength had a 17-percent higher chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke across a four-year period.
Another study, conducted in 2023, involved 1,275 adults 51 years and older. The subjects’ grip strength was measured, and their epigenetic age assessed from blood samples.
(Epigenetics is the study of how cells control gene activity.) Researchers found those with a weak grip had an accelerated rate of DNA aging. Conversely, those with higher grip strength had a slower rate of aging.
“There’s a definite link between losing grip strength and other diseases,” says Lindsey Elston, a licensed occupational therapist and certified lymphedema specialist with Steward Rehabilitation Services. She adds that the technique of measuring grip strength is invaluable for health assessment.
What exactly is grip strength? At the biomechanical level, grip strength is generated by the forearm muscles. It measures how firmly and with how much stability you can grip heavy items. Whether we think about it or not, we rely on our grip strength for many common tasks, from carrying in groceries from the car to opening a jar or lifting a heavy pot off the stove.
As Cleveland Clinic explains it, your grip strength – the amount of force you have when you clench your hand around an object – is a huge indication of your overall health. The strength you hold in your hands, wrists and forearms says a lot about how healthy you are and is also an indication of your risk for injury, mental health conditions, and more.
“Grip strength naturally begins to decline around age 50, and maybe even earlier,” says Ardeshir Hashmi, M.D., Cleveland Clinic’s geriatric medicine specialist. “People who maintain their grip strength age more slowly. They stay healthier longer and are stronger throughout their bodies.”
Elston says that, as an occupational therapist, she sees first-hand what happens to people when a lack of grip strength interferes with their day-to-day life.
“For instance,” she says. “Maybe you need to wear compression hose due to circulation or venous problems. But you need strong hands to pull them up and if you don’t have sufficient strength, you’ll be endangering your health by not being able to put them on.”
Hand weakness can be caused by many conditions. Among them:
- Arthritis
- Ganglion cyst
- Sarcopenia
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Stroke
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Pinched cervical nerve (cervical radiculopathy)
- Epicondylitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Genetics
Elston advises that you check with your primary care provider if you have – or suspect you have – any of these conditions and notice that your grip is weakening.
The accepted ways of measuring grip strength are:
- Handgrip dynamometer: Hold the dynamometer up with your arm at a 90-degree angle, then squeeze the grip measurement mechanism as hard as you can.
- Weight scale: Push down on the scale with one hand as hard as you can, with the heel of your hand on the top of the scale and your fingers wrapped around to the bottom.
A decline in grip strength is correlated with a range of adverse health issues, including heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. It has been found to be a predictor of the likelihood of post-surgical complications, post-surgical recovery time and mortality.
GoodRX Health lists eight forearm- and hand-strengthening exercises you can try at home on its website.
1. Tennis ball squeeze
- Hold the ball in your right hand with your palm face up and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Use your four fingers to clench the ball as hard as you can. Do not use your thumb for this exercise.
- Hold the squeeze for five seconds and release it.
- Clench and release 10 times, then repeat steps one-three with your left hand. You can practice this exercise five-10 times a day.
2. Towel wringing – start with a small hand or face towel and work your way up to a larger towel.
- Wet a towel and hold it horizontally in front of you, grasping each end.
- Twist each end of the towel in opposite directions to wring out the water.
- Repeat up to five times.
3. Reverse wrist curls
- Sit upright on a bench and hold a barbell (or dumbbell) in both hands with your palms down in an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body).
- Lean forward and rest your forearms on your knees.
- Keep your forearms on your legs and lift the weight, bending your wrists back.
- Slowly lower it, letting your wrists curl
- Complete two-three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
4. Farmer’s carry – use dumbbells or kettlebells.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Pick the heaviest weights you can handle.
- Stand up straight with your shoulders, back, and core tight.
- Walk the length of a room and back. If the exercise feels too easy, use heavier weights and/or walk longer
- Repeat three-four times.
5. Plate pinch
- Stand with the side of a five-10-pound weight plate resting against your calf.
- Squat down and grab the plate, using four fingers on the outside and your thumb on the inside to pinch it.
- Stand up and hold the plate for 10-15 seconds before squatting down to rest.
6. Dead hang
- Stand under a pull-up bar with your back straight. Raise your arms to grab the pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your palms facing away from your body.
- Hang with your arms straight and your core engaged for 20 seconds, or as long as you can.
- Repeat five-10 times.
7. Pull-ups – you might want to start with dead hangs before advancing to pull-ups.
- Stand under a pull-up bar with your back straight. Raise your arms to grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your elbows and lift your body until your chin is at or just above the bar. Hold for a moment and try to avoid swinging your body.
- Lower yourself down to the starting position.
- Start with three to five pull-ups and work up to 10 to 12.
Finally, Elston says be sure to take advantage of the aids that are available online or in drug stores that will help make your life easier. “Jar openers, button hooks, zipper pulls, key turners, grippers … there are so many things that will help you stay independent and enjoy a good quality of life,” even if grip strength has declined to some degree.
Lindsey Elston, OTR/L, CLT, has a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Florida. She works at Steward Rehabilitation Services. Call 321-639-0847 for an appointment. For location of other offices, visit rockledgeregional.org/services-directory/rehabilitation-services.