The Overlooked Fitness and Health Metric Everyone Should Know About

“Could you please open this marmalade jar?” At my ex-girlfriend's place, I was requested to open a jar for her, like I had done many times before.

It was to be expected that I would be stronger than her, given that I have been exercising with kettlebells for the last eight years and she has spent most of her entire life sitting.

My partner could utilize my firm grasp to open jars, but I now see it may also be a sign of my mental and physical well-being. I didn't realize it at the time, but now I do.

Inadequate grip strength is indicative of generalized physical illness.

One measure of general health is the strength of one's grasp. Why? Considering that one's grip strength is indicative of their whole strength.

Those whose jobs require them to lift heavy objects or who regularly engage in weight training tend to have stronger grips than those whose hands are always at a computer keyboard. Furthermore, compared to a sedentary individual, an active person has better health.

Not unexpectedly, an umbrella review by Soysal et al. (2021) found that grip strength may serve as a “[…] useful indicator for general health status and specifically for early all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as disability.”

Another research project investigated the association between an individual’s strength and how long they were hospitalized after getting COVID-19. The researchers evaluated grip strength as a surrogate for total strength and muscle mass and found that individuals with a stronger grasp had shorter hospital stays.

And while grip strength is a sign for general physical health, it may also act as a marker for mental health.

We know that physical and mental health are interrelated and that regular strength training helps prevent the detrimental effects of depression, anxiety, and dementia. And although the evidence is relatively scant, there are studies suggesting an association between grip strength and mental wellness.

For example, Jiang et al. (2022) evaluated the association between grip strength and mental health. The researchers evaluated the association between grip strength and cognitive loss as individuals become older and other indicators of mental health, such as life satisfaction, anxiety, sadness, and subjective well-being.

The study’s authors conclude that “[…] greater grip strength was associated with better cognitive functioning, higher life satisfaction, greater subjective well-being, and reduced depression and anxiety symptoms. “

How tight is your grip?

You may test your grip strength directly using a “dynamometer.” You may purchase one on your favorite online purchasing site for roughly 30€. Hold this gadget in your palm and squeeze as hard as possible. The display will show you how much force you create with each squeeze.

What should you aim for? One research study says the limits for preserving good bone and muscle mass as we age are over 25.5 kg for men and 18 kg for women.

However, take these statistics and ideas with a grain of salt.

In ordinary life, we barely require maximal grip strength. Instead, we need strength-endurance—the capacity to hold items for some period. For example, when you carry your groceries home, that’s strength-endurance. Or while gripping a tennis racquet for 90 minutes—that’s strength-endurance.

If you want to assess your strength-endurance, I’m sorry there aren’t any criteria specified yet that you might use for comparison. However, if you are on a strength-training adventure (which you should be 😉), you may measure whether your grip endurance is developing.

Simply select a big weight and hold it for as long as possible. Record how long you last. Repeat the activity after a certain duration, for example, every four weeks. If you realize that you can survive a little bit longer each time you complete the workout, your grip strength endurance is developing.

However, you could wish to increase your grip if you are stuck at the same duration or regressing. You have a few alternatives for this.

How to strengthen your grip strength.

When I began kettlebell training, I wanted to improve my hands, especially since I believed that grip strength was the limiting aspect during kettlebell swings. So, I got a pair of grip strengtheners.

For a time, I utilized them whenever I was viewing a lesson or video. They are a terrific solution to keep your hands occupied during such activities. Another method is to squeeze a tennis ball for 5 seconds a few times.

However, unless you want to target your grip especially for certain activities (like tennis) or are recuperating from a hand injury, you don’t need to add specialized workouts for your grip.

In fact, I say you shouldn’t. Instead, you could adapt your workout choices such that your grip is challenged together with other muscle groups. Some of the greatest workouts that build your complete body and your grip are farmer’s walks and deadlifts.

And when you do lift weights, skip the weight-lifting gloves.

They hinder your capacity to increase grip strength. If your grasp is poor, you shouldn’t disguise that weakness by wearing gloves and fooling yourself into being able to lift more. In the near term, you may need to lessen the weight you are moving about, but you are establishing grip strength for daily living and long-term health.