Did you know that the strength of your grip can reveal a lot about your overall health?
A simple test—squeezing a handheld device as hard as you can—can give clues about your risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and even depression.
It might even hint at how long you’ll live.
Grip strength is how firmly you can grab or squeeze something. It mainly involves the muscles in your hand and forearm. Though it seems basic, scientists have used grip strength as a health measure since the 1950s, and it remains one of the easiest and cheapest ways to check muscle strength.
The test is usually done with a tool called a dynamometer.
You sit down, bend your arm at a 90-degree angle, and squeeze the device as hard as you can, often three times. The highest result is recorded in kilograms or pounds.
Generally, grip strength below 29kg for men and 18kg for women is considered low. You can even buy a simple dynamometer for under £5 and test yourself at home.
A strong grip often means you have good overall muscle strength and more lean body mass. This becomes especially important as we age because strong muscles help people stay independent—doing things like standing up from a chair or walking around the house without help.
Many studies have found that people with weaker grip strength tend to have a higher risk of serious illnesses like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Some research even suggests that people with stronger grips in middle age are more likely to live longer.
However, grip strength isn’t the whole story. A 12-year study published in 2022 found that walking speed, the ability to rise from a chair, and leg strength were better indicators of long life than grip strength alone. In other words, having strong legs and total muscle mass may be more important for health and longevity.
That’s because grip strength acts as a “proxy”—a stand-in—for overall muscle health. It’s not the grip itself that protects you from disease or early death, but the muscle mass and strength it reflects. Muscles help manage blood sugar and release special chemicals called myokines, which protect different parts of the body, including the brain and heart.
So instead of just focusing on improving your grip, it’s better to build full-body strength, especially in your legs. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and press-ups can help build strong muscles that support long-term health.
While grip strength is a quick and low-cost way to assess health, building overall body strength is the best way to stay strong, healthy, and independent as you age.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Source: The Conversation.
