Grip strength and longevity
When considering overall health, grip strength isn’t something you may necessarily consider. However, studies have shown a correlation between improved grip strength and better health outcomes in older adults. From reducing the risk of fractures to improving cognitive function and slowing down the ageing process, maintaining grip strength as you age could be vital to your overall well-being.
In this article, we share what grip strength is, the benefits of maintaining grip strength as you age and exercises you can try at home to help improve your grip strength.
What is grip strength?
Grip strength refers to how firmly and securely you can hold an object and the amount of force your hands can apply.
While it may not seem significant, grip strength is a key indicator of overall health. Studies have shown a strong link between better grip strength and slower ageing. Although the exact reasons are still being explored, weak grip strength can be an early warning sign of declining health and reduced muscle function.
How do you measure grip strength?
Grip strength can be measured in two ways:
- Handlegrip dynamometer—To measure grip strength with a handle grip dynamometer, hold the device up with your arm at a 90-degree angle, then squeeze the grip mechanism as hard as you can.
- Weight scale – To measure grip strength on a weight scale, push down on the scale with one hand as hard as you can, making sure the heel of your hand is on the top of the scale, and your fingers are wrapped around the bottom.
When measuring your grip strength, it is important to test both hands. Although it is normal for your dominant hand to be stronger, your non-dominant hand should have a similar level of grip strength. If you do find a significant imbalance between your dominant and non-dominant hands, you can address this by focusing on strengthening your weaker hand with exercises.
It’s also important to remember that numerous factors can affect your grip strength reading, including:
- Your general energy level when you take the test
- How much you’ve used your hands that day before taking the test
- Your overall health on the day of the test
As a result, it is advisable to take a grip strength test first thing in the morning, when you feel fit well and alert, and before you do any other activity that could strain your hands.
What is the average grip strength for my age?
Although grip strength can vary, the below table offers an indication as to average grip strength for different age ranges and genders:
Women:
- Ages 20-30: 26-32kg
- Ages 30-40: 25-29kg
- Ages 40-50: 22-27kg
- Ages 50-60: 20-25kg
- Ages 60-80: 17-22kg
Men:
- Ages 20-30: 48-55kg
- Ages 30-40: 45-52kg
- Ages 40-50: 42-49kg
- Ages 50-60: 39-45kg
- Ages 60-80: 17-22kg
Benefits of grip strength
Although grip strength is something that often gets overlooked when considering our overall health and wellbeing, studies indicate it can have an impact on our longevity. Some of the benefits of increased grip strength as we age include:
- Reduced risk of fractures or falls – not only can our hands directly help to minimise the impact of falls and be used to grasp onto nearing structures to prevent falls from occurring, but there is also a correlation between hand strength and lower leg strength. Weaknesses in the lower leg are responsible for the majority of falls in older people, so by working on improving grip strength, it is possible to reduce the risk of falls or fractures from falling.
- Improved bone mineral density – better hand grip strength has been associated with improved bone mineral density, which can be important as we age in lowering our risk of fractures or bone-related conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Better posture and balance—better posture and balance can decrease your risk of falls, which is beneficial as we age. Although this may seem obvious, some evidence suggests that people with improved hand grips have better posture and balance.
- Improved cognition – several studies have shown a link between stronger hand grip scores and improved cognitive ability in terms of short and long-term memory, language and concentration span.
- Lower hospitalisation, complication and recovery rates – better grip strength along with lower sit-to-stand time and higher walking speeds have been shown to correlate with lower hospitalisation, complication and recovery rates in older adults.
- Improved longevity – some studies have shown a link between lower hand grip strength, increased biological ageing and even premature death.
- Reduced risk of chronic health conditions – several studies indicate that improved hand grip strength is linked to a lower prevalence of a range of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and heart attacks.
- Better quality of life – individuals with a better hand grip strength typically enjoy a much better quality of life and tend to continue living independently for longer as they age.
Best exercises for improving grip strength
When it comes to maintaining or improving your hand grip strength, there are three main types of grip strength you need to work on:
- Crush –refers to how strong your grip is using your fingers and the palm of your hand.
- Support – refers to how long you can hold onto or hang from something.
- Pinch – refers to how firmly you can pinch something between your fingers and thumb.
Below, we share some of the best exercises to help you strengthen your grip:
Towel wring
This exercise works your crush strength. It involves wetting a towel, holding it out in front of you while gripping the ends and moving each hand in opposite directions to wring water from the towel. Once you have removed all the water, you can repeat the process but move your hands in the other direction this time to make sure you work both types of crush grip. Aim to repeat the exercise a few times per day.
Hand clench
Put a tennis ball under the palm of your hand and squeeze it using your fingers, but not your thumb, to work on your crush strength. Repeat between 50-100 times a day to see improvements in your grip strength.
Dead hang
To work on your support strength, grab onto a pull-up bar with your palms and fingers forward over the bar. Then lift yourself so you’re hanging from the bar with your arms fully straight, and hold on for as long as you can. It’s best to start with a short amount of time, such as 10 seconds, and slowly build up as your strength improves.
Pinch grip transfer
To work on your pinch strength, stand up straight, holding a weight plate in your hand. Pinch the edge with your fingers and thumb and move the weight in front of your chest while maintaining a pinch grip. Grab the weight plate in your other hand using the same pinch grip and lower it down to your other side. Aim to repeat this transfer of the weight 10 times a day a few times a day to improve your grip strength.
Gain insights into your health
While hand grip strength can be an indicator of your overall health, for more comprehensive insights, why not book a Private Health MOT with Bluecrest Wellness?
Our complete health check packages enable you to take a proactive approach to managing your health by providing insights into key areas like your diabetes risk, cholesterol level and much more. All our packages are available to book across the UK, making it easy for you to find a location convenient for you. Plus, you can be confident that we will deliver fast, efficient and accurate results as we have established links with leading UK laboratories and are fully accredited for a wide range of tests. In addition, alongside a comprehensive Results Report, you get free 24/7 access to a GP helpline for a year following your tests.
