Unlock the Power of Grip Strength

How firmly can you hold onto things? What about something heavier?

Grip strength. This is one crucial element that often goes unnoticed when it comes to holistic well-being. However, a strong grip is the foundation for functional movement and cognitive vitality. Let’s explore the significance of grip strength and how you can take small impactful steps toward a healthier, more resilient lifestyle.

Foundation of Independence and Mobility

You might not realize it, but your grip strength is the unsung hero in your daily life. From mundane tasks, such as opening jars, to maintaining balance and stability, a strong grip plays a crucial role. 

Take a moment to think about it. Grip strength is useful for a number of daily tasks, including:

• carrying bags of grocery

• lifting and carrying kids

• lifting and carrying laundry baskets and clothes shopping

• shoveling dirt or snow

• climbing rocks or walls (okay, maybe not a daily task)

• swinging a racket in pickle ball

• swinging a club in golf

• opening a champagne bottle (again, not a daily task, but still important!)

• putting dishes away

• Carrying a serving dish across the kitchen

• Turning a doorknob or key

Grip strength directly correlates with maintaining independence, mobility, and a sense of self-reliance in daily activities. One study found that it’s the strongest predictor of overall muscle endurance and strength (1). 

Sounds extreme, right? But when we don’t have good grip strength there are potential consequences.

Reduced Functional Independence

Those everyday tasks that require grip strength may become challenging. This can lead to a reduction in functional independence, affecting your ability to perform routine activities without assistance.

Increased Risk of Falls

Grip strength is closely linked to overall stability and balance. Insufficient grip strength may contribute to an increased risk of falls, particularly in older adults (3). The ability to grasp handrails or other support structures is crucial for maintaining balance and preventing accidents.

Limitations in Physical Movement

Many forms of movement, such as weightlifting, exercise machines, or even basic bodyweight exercises, require adequate grip strength. Without it, you may find yourself limited in the types of activities you can do.

Impaired Dexterity and Coordination

Grip strength is essential for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. A weak grip may result in impaired dexterity, making tasks that require precision, like buttoning a shirt or writing, more difficult and less efficient.

Joint Discomfort and Pain

Weak grip strength may contribute to joint discomfort and pain, particularly in the hands and wrists. This can be a result of overcompensation by other muscles or increased stress on joints due to improper biomechanics during activities.

Impact on Emotional Well-being

Struggling with daily tasks due to weak grip strength plain sucks. This can contribute to feelings of frustration, helplessness, or even depression.

Impact on Cognitive Function

It’s not just about physical fitness – there’s a strong link between grip strength and brain health. Research shows that robust grip strength is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline (2). By engaging the muscles in our hands, we stimulate neural pathways that promote brain longevity. It’s a reminder that taking care of our bodies also nurtures our minds. Let’s explore the holistic approach to health, crafting a resilient future for ourselves.

Okay, enough about potential consequences. Are you ready to strengthen your grip? Because small, consistent, actions lead to big changes. And the best time to start is right now. Let’s build the foundation for a more empowering life together. 

Empowerment Through Progression

You might want to jump in feet first and go hang from a tree branch for 5 minutes. But let’s start with small, incremental efforts. Don’t worry, they WILL lead to big impacts.

Life demands a range of movements, and practicing varied grip activities improves functional adaptability. Diverse grip movements can promote muscle balance, prevent the overuse of specific muscles, and prevent excessive strain on specific joints.

Tips to get started

1. Open the hand. These days hands are often held in a “claw” position with the fingers curled – over the keyboard, on the phone, on the steering wheel, etc. Open your hands, strongly. This can feel like a BIG stretch. Do this 5 times on each hand.

2. Touch your thumb to each finger. Notice if one hand is easier. I noticed that my left hand felt weaker when I started doing this. Over time, it changed. Repeat on each hand 5 times.

3. Play with therapy putty. My family and I have been experimenting with this. It comes in different strengths. And my goodness, the firm is much harder to squeeze. There are different hand exercises you can do. 

4. Floor time for your hands. Come to your hands and knees. Listen to your wrists when starting out. Press into the palms and see if you can distribute the weight so it’s not “dumping” into one area of your hand only. 

5. Carry heavier objects. If you don’t have dumbbells then put some items into a grocery bag for weight and carry it out to the mailbox and back. 

Grip strength is one way to keep vitality in your life by staying mobile and independent. A transformative change lies within the seemingly modest act of improving your hand strength. Integrate grip-strengthening movements into your daily routine, and let’s build a future of sustained health, vitality, and independence together.

Interested in learning how you can move more? Check out this article!

Sources:

1. Trosclair, D1; Bellar, D1; Judge, L W2; Smith, J1; Mazerat, N1; Brignac, A1. Hand-Grip Strength as a Predictor of Muscular Strength and Endurance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25():p S99, March 2011.

2. Joseph Firth, Brendon Stubbs, Davy Vancampfort, Josh A Firth, Matthew Large, Simon Rosenbaum, Mats Hallgren, Philip B Ward, Jerome Sarris, Alison R Yung, Grip Strength Is Associated With Cognitive Performance in Schizophrenia and the General Population: A UK Biobank Study of 476559 Participants, Schizophrenia Bulletin, Volume 44, Issue 4, July 2018, Pages 728–736

3. Neri, S. G. R., Lima, R. M., Ribeiro, H. S., & Vainshelboim, B. (2021). Poor handgrip strength determined clinically is associated with falls in older women. Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls, 6(2), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.22540/JFSF-06-043