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The hand grip exercise is a simple and easy exercise, which has a very positive impact on a person’s health.
A research review published in the Journal of Clinical Physiological Functional Imaging in 2022 found that hand grip exercise may improve memory and lower blood pressure.
As we age, our muscles naturally weaken. This affects your entire body, including your knees, hips, back, and more.
It is important to maintain a strength training regimen to counter these effects. But one part of your body you may not think about actually matters more than you think: your fist.
It turns out that grip strength—the amount of force you have when your hand squeezes something—is a great indicator of your overall health.
Your grip strength is important for more than just a strong handshake and the ability to open a pickle jar. Researchers describe grip strength as “an indispensable biomarker for older adults.”
In other words, the strength you have in your hands, wrists and forearms says a lot about how healthy you are. It's also an indicator of your risk for injury, mental health conditions and more, according to a report on the Cleveland Clinic's US website.
“Grip strength begins to decline naturally around age 50, and perhaps even earlier,” says Dr. Ardeshir Hashemi, a geriatrician at the Cleveland Clinic. “People who maintain their grip strength age more slowly. They stay healthier longer, and are stronger throughout their body.
How is grip strength related to your health?
Grip strength is measured by a device called a hand dynamometer. It's a portable device that you can squeeze as hard as you can.
It is generally understood that higher grip strength is associated with better health, while lower grip strength is associated with poorer health.
Specific time limits are still debated and vary based on age, body mass index and other factors. In at least one study, researchers defined poor grip strength as:
Less than 26 kilograms for men.
Less than 16 kilograms for women.
Until you start to lose strength in your hands, you probably never think about how important your grip strength is.
Our hands are crucial to many of our daily tasks. Whether you want to button your shirt, eat with a fork, or write with a pen, all of this requires a certain strength and dexterity in your hands and fingers.
But your grip strength is important for more than your daily activities, including:
1- Muscle strength
Grip strength is an easy-to-measure indicator of how strong the rest of your body is. Maintaining muscle strength throughout the body is important for mobility, balance, endurance and more.
A strong body means that you are able to get out of the house more, get more exercise into your life, and keep up with the world around you in general.
Dr. Hashemi says, “When you lose strength, your muscles are replaced by fatty tissue, and this is called sarcopenia. If you are losing strength in your hands and arms, and therefore your grip is weaker, this is an indication that this is happening throughout your body.”
In one study, researchers found a relationship between grip strength and walking or climbing stairs. The men had more mobility problems when their grip strength was less than about 37 kilograms. As for women, it reached 21 kilograms.
This is a vicious cycle. Decreased mobility makes you less likely to be able to move your body in ways that will build your muscle strength. Thus, your muscles continue to weaken. This makes you more at risk of falls and fractures.
2- Immune system health
As you age, your immune system declines, making you more susceptible to infections. The word used for this process is immunosenescence. That's a fancy way of saying that the aging process affects your ability to fight infections.
Low muscle mass means that your body loses some of its ability to respond to viruses and bacteria that make you sick.
Research shows that weak grip strength is an indicator of a weak immune system, which may make you more susceptible to illness.
“Good grip strength is linked to immune system benefits,” Dr. Hashemi points out. “Weaker grip strength could be a sign that you are more susceptible to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, or influenza.”
People with weaker grip strength are more likely to develop more serious symptoms and complications from these diseases. So, they are more at risk of being hospitalized as well.
3- The risk of chronic diseases
Dr. Hashemi says poor grip strength can also serve as a warning sign of a higher risk of chronic disease. This is partly because low muscle mass makes exercise more difficult, leading to a sedentary lifestyle and increased risk of weakness. This increases the risk of chronic diseases such as:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Diabetes
Heart disease
Congestive heart
Obesity
weight loss
4- Mental health
The repercussions of decreased grip strength can be seen all over your body. It affects your mental state as well.
Weak grip strength is an indicator of low muscle strength throughout the body. This leads to decreased mobility. Decreased mobility can lead to feelings of loneliness.
“We know that physical limitations can have a real negative impact on your mental health,” says Dr. Hashemi. “If you can’t get out and spend time with your friends and family, and you can’t get out and do the things that make you happy, you become more isolated. Isolation has an impact.” Negative impact on your cognitive (brain) and emotional health.”
Researchers have linked poor grip strength to conditions such as:
Cognitive impairment such as confusion and memory problems.
Depression.
Sleep problems.
longevity.
When you add it all up, your grip strength is basically an indicator of your overall health and longevity.
In a way, your grip strength can predict your future health.
Here, Dr. Hashemi says, “I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that grip strength can be an indicator of life expectancy.” “Low grip strength is a sign of weakness and is associated with a higher risk of serious complications. As these conditions worsen and hospitalization occurs, this has a negative impact.” .
In contrast, people with strong grip strength are better able to remain active well into their older years. There are some easy exercises that can help you maintain and even improve your grip strength.
Hand grip strength exercises
Dr. Hashemi calls exercise “the penicillin against premature aging.”
“The stronger you maintain your grip, the slower the cells age,” he says. “If you don’t maintain their strength, the cells start to metabolize and age faster. This shows what you are physically capable of doing, or not doing.”
So, how do you keep your grip strong?
Improving your grip strength is very simple: grab a racquetball or squash ball and start squeezing it. Dr. Hashemi says that the goal should be to squeeze the muscles of your hand and forearm as much as possible, twice a day for at least 10 minutes in each hand.
The size and material of the ball are important here:
Objects like tennis balls are so large, Dr. Hashemi says, that they may actually be harmful. Other types of stress balls may be too spongy to give your forearms the proper work. It doesn't give you the right resistance.
On the other hand, hollow squash balls and racquetballs will do the job right.
There are also other options on the market for grip strength, such as handles that you can grab and squeeze. These products come in different sizes and resistances.
Dr. Hashemi encourages first-time users to start with low resistance and work up to higher strengths to avoid injury.
As you approach the age of 50, these daily hand exercises become increasingly important, but Dr. Hashemi points out that any age is a good age to start.
Other ways to keep your body strong
Remember, your grip strength is an indicator of your strength throughout your body. So, although it's important to strengthen your hands and forearms, that doesn't mean you should ignore the rest of your body.
Dr. Hashemi adds, “Eating well, focusing on getting enough protein, and exercising your entire body are important for slowing the aging process.”
"Focusing on your grip is important in itself, but it's just one part of it. You want to keep your whole body strong, and take care of your muscles throughout your body," he explains.
Of course, we all have different opportunities and limitations when it comes to choosing the right exercises for us. Depending on your health condition, you may find that good exercises for full-body strength may be things like:
Walking.
Bike riding.
Swimming.
Yoga.
Weight lifting.
Stretching exercises.
Gardening.
If you're concerned about weak hand grip, or want advice on improving your muscle strength, talk to your doctor, who can help address any concerns and help you find ways to improve your muscle strength and improve your overall health.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies