You likely know the importance of increasing overall strength in order to maintain health, independence, and prevent adverse fall-related events. But do you know that specifically strengthening your grip is necessary as well? This article will discuss the importance of grip strength and provide exercises that can help you improve your grip strength.
Why is Grip Strength Important?
While grip strength is typically associated with having a strong handshake (which we don’t seem to need following the introduction of the elbow bump during 2020), science has actually shown grip strength to be what’s called a biomarker.1
By definition, a biomarker is a broad term which indicates an “objective indication of (a) medical state, observed outside of the patient.”2 Basically, it’s an indicator of a health condition or state of one’s health that isn’t necessarily something the patient is aware of.
For example, when one goes to the doctor, they typically explain their symptoms. The symptoms are what a patient is feeling and aware of.
When the doctor does lab work, the doctor may discover some biomarkers, in the form of a high white blood cell count, for example, which indicates potential for certain illnesses. The biomarker is the indicator that something is going on or expected to occur.
According to research, grip strength has been found to be a biomarker for “overall strength, upper limb function, bone mineral density, fractures, falls, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep problems, diabetes, multi-morbidity, and quality of life”1
This means decreased grip strength has been linked to the following:
- Decreased overall strength
- Decreased upper limb function
- Decreased bone mineral density
- Fractures
- Increased incidence of falls
- Malnutrition
- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Diabetes
- Multi-morbidity (having multiple medical conditions)
- Decreased quality of life
Whoa! Right? Who knew grip strength was that important?
Don’t Panic!
After reading all the indicators of poor grip strength you may panic that you don’t have a strong grip and you may break a hip any second.
Take a deep breath. That is not the case.
Research has simply shown links between grip strength and the above health concerns, but that doesn’t mean decreased grip strength will cause a fall or fracture.
However, it is an important indicator to be aware of and to address.
How Do I Test My Grip Strength?
Many times when you go to your primary care doctor, they will do quick muscle tests, like have you squeeze their fingers as hard as you can.
This will give them a general idea of decreased grip strength, but it’s not the most objective way to measure it.
When you go to your physical therapist, they will use a device called a hand-held dynamometer (dine-uh-ma-meter).
You will be told to squeeze this device as hard as you can and hold that squeeze for about five seconds.
The dynamometer will show the therapist your grip strength in either kilograms or pounds. The therapist will then have you repeat the test two more times and will take the average value of the three trials.
Based on research, cutoff scores for older adults to be able to manage heavy tasks are 18.25 kg for females and 28.5 kg for males.
How Do I Know if I Need More Grip Strength?
Even if you haven’t had your grip strength formally tested, it’s never a bad idea to increase your strength!
If you’re grip is feeling strong, well done! However, as with anything in life- use it or lose it! It’s important to maintain and improve strength (including grip strength) consistently to counter the natural changes that come with aging.
But, in particular, if you fall below the normative values (as tested by your physical therapist), it’s really important to boost that strength to help increase strength, function, and possibly quality of life!
7 Exercises to Promote Grip Strength
Check out this video HERE to see Dr. Katie Landier, PT, DPT perform all the exercises
1. Wring the Towel Horizontal
- Roll a towel or fold a Flex Kord band (the thicker it is the more resistance)
- Hold the towel horizontally
- Place both hands towards each end of the roll, palms facing down
- Squeeze the towel roll with both hands
- Rotate one wrist forward, while the other rotates back, like you’re wringing out water in a towel, this is 1 rep
- Perform 10x
- Rest for 1-3 minutes
- Repeat for 3 sets
2. Wring the Towel Vertically
- Roll a towel or fold a Flex Kord band (the thicker it is the more resistance)
- Hold the towel vertically
- Place both hands towards each end of the roll, palms facing towards you
- Squeeze the towel roll with both hands
- Flex both wrists, then extend both wrists, this is 1 rep
- Perform 10x
- Rest for 1-3 minutes
- Repeat for 3 sets
3. Rubber Band Extensions
- Get a rubber band
- Place your elbow on the table
- With straight fingers, place your fingers together, resting on your thumb
- Place the rubber band around your fingers and thumb, at the joint closest to your finger nails
- Keeping your fingers straight, move your fingers and thumb away from each other, while trying to spread your fingers wide
- You should feel some resistance from the rubber band
- Return fingers and thumb to starting position
- Repeat 10-15 times
- Repeat on opposite hand
- Complete 3 sets on each side
4. Ball Squeeze
- Get a tennis ball or ball slightly more pliable (or ball of similar size)
- Place your elbow on the table
- Grab the ball with fingers and thumb spread wide
- Curl fingers and thumb to squeeze the ball
- Hold for 10 seconds
- Release squeeze
- Repeat 10-15 times
- Repeat on opposite hand
- Complete 3 sets on each side
5. Reverse Wrist curls
- Place a weight (from 1-5 pounds) on a table
- Sit in a chair with the table to your right side
- Place your forearm on the table, with wrist hanging off of the table, palm facing down
- Place the weight in your right hand
- Keeping your forearm on the table, curl the weight up by extending your right wrist
- Lower weight back down to starting position with control
- Repeat 8-15 times
- Repeat on opposite hand
- Complete 3 sets on each side
6. Farmer Carry
- Select a weight that is heavy for you, but not so heavy that you may drop it
- Grab the weight with your right hand and straighten your elbow so your arm is down by your side
- Holding the weight, walk forward for about 10-15 feet
- Turn around and walk back to your starting position
- Repeat 3 times
- Repeat with opposite hand holding weight (adjust amount of weight if there’s a significant difference in strength from right and left)
- Complete 3 sets on each side
7. Towel Rows
- Tie a knot at the end of a resistance band so it forms a large loop
- Place the knot around the door handle and shut the door (at about chest height)
- Take a towel roll at the end of the loop and firmly grab one side with each hand
- Bring your shoulder blades together in the back
- Bend your elbows towards your rib cage to pull the towel and band towards your chest
- Slowly return arms to staring position
- Repeat 8-15 times
- Rest for 1-3 minutes
- Complete 3 sets on each side
Have the Strength to Live Life to the Fullest!
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Sources:
- Bohannon R. W. (2019). Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clinical interventions in aging, 14, 1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543
- Strimbu, K., & Tavel, J. A. (2010). What are biomarkers?. Current opinion in HIV and AIDS, 5(6), 463–466. https://doi.org/10.1097/COH.0b013e32833ed177
Great ideas! Thanks so much!