Get a Grip: Why Your Hand Strength Says More About You Than You Think

Does it feel like everyone is suddenly talking about grip strength? And not just for opening stubborn pickle jars, but also as a predictor of how long you’ll live.

Well, I wanted to know why too — so I got a handle (pun absolutely intended 😏) on Hand Grip Strength (HGS).

Grip Strength: A Tiny Test with Big Meaning

HGS is a simple, reliable, non-invasive and inexpensive way to measure muscle strength⁸ quality and function¹⁰, which means it’s also an indicator of your general health.⁹

Why? As Tomkinson et al (2024) puts it:

In fact, poor muscle strength is a better predictor of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) and cardiovascular mortality^{7, 8} than even high blood pressure — and this isn’t coming from a tiny study. This is based on data from over 2 million adults.⁹

In other words:

HGS is a reliable predictor of your risk for sarcopenia, osteoporosis, osteosarcopenia, osteoporotic fractures,^{7, 8, 10} frailty and disability.^{7, 9}

How Do We Measure HGS?

With a hand-held dynamometer¹⁰ —the accuracy and calibration of the dynamometer seems to be positively correlated to its cost.😉😂.

It measures the maximum isometric force your hand can produce in one squeeze … or in plain English: the strongest squeeze you can generate in a fixed position.

But What’s “Normal”?

Here’s the catch: norms aren’t one-size-fits-all.

They depend on:

• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Socio-economic status
• Education
• Sometimes body size is considered
• And even whether you’re tested seated or standing¹⁰

That’s why I’m not giving you a magic number here. It would be meaningless without context. Be wary of any source that tells you what your grip strength “should be.”

Who Has a Dynamometer?

Typically:

• Physios
• Occupational therapists
• Doctors (especially Geriatricians, Orthopaedic Specialists, Rheumatologists)
• Sports medicine & rehab clinics
• Some personal trainers

But let’s be honest — you probably don’t have one lying in your kitchen drawer.

No Gadget? No Problem!

Here are some functional grip checks you can try:

• Squeeze a tennis ball — hold your tightest grip and see how long you can maintain it.
• Everyday tasks — do you easily open jars, wring out a cloth or carry a full kettle? If not, that’s a clue².

Other At-Home Longevity Tests

Want to really test yourself? Try these:

1. The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT)
This one is getting a lot of publicity at the moment! It is simple and equipment-free, but a significant predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, because it is a non-aerobic measure of muscular strength/power, flexibility, balance and body composition.¹

It’s as simple as:

1. Wear comfy clothes.
2. Stand barefoot on a non-slip surface. Note: you are allowed to cross your legs to do this😉
3. Taking your time, from the standing, sit on the floor without using your hands, elbows, knees or sides of your feet.
4. Stand back up, without using your hands, elbows, knees or sides of your feet.¹ 

Starting with 10 points, you lose a point for every body part other than your flat feet and your bum that you touch the floor, or anything near you with.

Wobbles? Minus half a point.

Bracing with your hand on your knee to push you up? Also, minus one point!¹

You are aiming for a score of 5+⁵ because it puts you at a moderate risk of reduced mobility and strength going forwards. And remember, muscular strength is a powerful marker of current and future health. 

But obviously, the results of these tests can be influenced by lots of factors.
You might lose points if you have joint injuries affecting your flexibility, or you may just be stiff from yesterday’s workout!

And yes, you can also sneak some points by using clever compensations-like swinging your arms for momentum to get up.

So, while these tests are fantastic flags, they don’t tell you exactly why you scored the way you did. Instead, think of them as nudges — little reminders to pay closer attention to your muscular strength/power, flexibility, balance and body composition.⁵

2. Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5TSTS) also measures lower-body strength and balance. All it involves is you standing up from a chair 5 times, without using your arms. But it’s timed and you need to do it as quickly as possible, because a slow time is an indication of weaker lower limb muscles – which may indicate a risk of fragility later.

Insider note: Your score here can also be thrown off by joint limitations in the hips or knees or a wobbly chair so, don’t overthink a single bad score — it’s a trend tracker.

3. Gait Speed has consistently been shown to be a good predictor of mortality⁴ with a slower gait speed being correlated with higher risk of frailty and all-cause mortality. The test is easy to administer: walk 4 to 6 meters at your usual pace. How long did it take? Aim for a pace of somewhere between 0.89–1.79 meters per second.⁶

Pro tip: Little things can affect results, such as walking on a slippery surface or feeling off-balance on the day you decide to test. 

4. Balance Tests: Stand on one leg with your eyes open.  Shoot for at least 10 seconds. Less than this is not a happy prediction, unless of course you were distracted by your phone or the cat decided to rub up against you for some love.

For your hands:

• Tasks like cooking, gardening or carrying laundry all challenge grip in a natural and functional way.
• Tennis ball squeezes – 3-second holds, 10 per day.
• Farmer’s carries – walk while holding heavy weights² at your sides.
• Towel twists – start dry, progress to wet towels. Roll and twist for one or two minutes.
• Pinch grip holds – holding something heavy like an encyclopaedia (not the Google or ChatGPT type, the real book) between your fingers and thumb in a classic “pinch grip”. Keep your elbow bent and close to your body initially. Progress to straightening your elbow and move your arm away from your trunk.²

These grip strength exercises should be integrated with general resistance training:

• Chest press or wall push-ups
• Bent-over rows²
• Dead hangs from a bar.³  Change your hand position to challenge different muscles
• Shoulder presses

How long before you notice a difference? 

About 4 to 6 weeks.

How Often?              

The World Health Organization recommends 3 days per week of resistance training for older adults.^3,9

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