A strong grip is for more than just twisting off the lid on a jar of pickles!
A weak grip can cost you your life!
The weaker your grip, the greater your risk of falling and not being able to grab onto something as you go down.
“If you fall and break your femur or hip after the age of 65, there’s a 15 – 30 % chance you’ll be dead within a year.”_Dr. Peter Attia
Grip Strength and Longevity
Like VO2 Max, there is adequate evidence to support the use of grip strength as a predictive biomarker of health state for older adults. Grip strength is also a predictor of overall functional strength, cognitive impairment, depression, and quality of life for older adults.
Put those tiny little weights down and pick up something HEAVY! Your pocketbook weighs more than that.
What’s A Good Grip Strength Number?
Grip strength can be used as a means of identifying older adults who are at risk of losing their independence. The cut-off for functional independence is 18kg for women and 28kg for men. We can use a grip dynamometer as a quick and easy tool for measuring baseline grip strength.
|
Age |
Average Force (MEN) |
Average Force (WOMEN) |
|
60-69 |
29.4 |
23 |
|
70-79 |
25.5 |
20.3 |
|
>80 |
21.1 |
17.1 |
Grip Strength & Falling
The weaker your grip, the more you are at risk of falling, and either dying as a result of that fall or losing your ability to take care of yourself—loss of independence.
A study published in The Lancet in 2015 found that GRIP STRENGTH predicted mortality better than blood pressure did. Think about that for a second.
We spend billions of dollars and countless hours of medical attention managing blood pressure, and a simple measure of how hard someone can squeeze a dynamometer turned out to be a better crystal ball.
How Can You Improve Your Grip Strength?
1. Lift Heavy Things
2. Carry Heavy Things
3. Pull Heavy Things
4. Squeeze Heavy Things
Brett’s Bottom Line:
Grip strength is a strong predictor of mortality, but unfortunately, a rarely thought of and undertrained aspect of most fitness programs for older adults.
A routine implementation of the measurement of grip strength and the programming of grip-strengthening exercises should be part of every older adult’s training program.
The author is certified as a Functional Aging Specialist as well as a Senior Fitness Specialist and has been working with older adults for more than 20 years.