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You probably don’t worry about how firm your handshake is or how easy it is for you to twist open a jar. But what if something as unassuming as how well you can squeeze a handle could provide you with valuable information about your general state of health?

Firm grip has been found to be an indicator of something far more complex than the hand strength. One clear sign of physical health is the ability to sit down and get up off the floor unaided. Your muscular strength and balance can also determine your independence as you age, it may even be a predictor of your long-term risk of illness or disease. Best of all, the test to measure it takes less than a minute to complete.

What is grip strength?
Grip strength is the torque you would be able to muster if you were squeezing something with your hand. The force can be measured using a device known as a dynamometer. You grab it and squeeze with all your might. That’s it. It’s simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive. But it’s surprisingly specific about your body.

Research has suggested that grip doesn’t just show how much muscle you have, it shows how well your body’s systems are connected. In older adults, it can indicate the likelihood of a fall and of disability well as how well someone might recover after surgery. In working-age and early-middle-aged people, lower grip strength has been associated with higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and even certain cancers.

Why grip strength matters
You may look the picture of health, but if your muscles, particularly those you don’t consciously control, are weakening faster than they should be, it could be a sign that your body is experiencing more strain than you realise.

What’s most interesting, though, is how consistent the data appears to be for separate populations. Even in big studies, where the researchers fully accounted for dozens of other health and socioeconomic differences between people with different grip strengths, self-reported weak grip was a broad predictor of all causes of death that could not be explained away by age or gender or weight. That last bit is key — because grip strength appears to predict health outcomes better than body mass index (BMI) or even muscle size.

An abnormally low grip strength measurement may be a sign of early muscle loss even before muscle loss can be identified. This is a potential red flag, one that calls for action rather than panic. That’s one of the most empowering elements of this measure — it provides an opportunity to catch problems early.

What does a grip strength test reveal?
For one thing, it can estimate your overall muscle quality. We lose strength faster than mass as we age. So, even if your arms still look strong, they might not be able to function all that impressively. A low score on grip strength, especially in someone over 50, could signal that sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle strength and function, is already underway.

Second, it offers clues to your situation in terms of mobility and independence. Hand grip strength is related to performing daily tasks, such as cooking, carrying groceries or climbing stairs. If you experience weak grip strength, there is a higher likelihood that you will have trouble doing these activities when you’re older.

Indeed, some researchers have described grip strength as a way to estimate how much longer a person could live independently.

Third, it serves as a rapid screening for the risk of chronic illness. Some studies have shown that people with lower grip strength are more likely to develop high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Not because they have a weak grip necessarily, but because of the slow decline in their durability.

Finally, it can be a map to recovery. Grip strength is frequently tested in hospitals and rehab facilities as a way to assess whether patients are at risk of experiencing bad outcomes or complications following surgery. While stronger vascular grip strength may allow people to be more resilient and bounce back, people who have weaker hand grips in previous surveys will likely need extra help, or physical therapy. 

So, who should worry about grip strength? In short — everyone. While it’s older adults who would benefit most from keeping an eye on it, even people in their 30s or 40s will see benefits from improving their grip strength. 
Why? You’re at your peak in your late teens or early 20s, then it’s a slow decline. The sooner you know what's happening, the sooner you can work to save or improve your strength.

How to increase your grip strength
You don’t have to become a bodybuilder. Easy exercises such as lifting weights, doing push-ups or even hoisting those heavy grocery bags all count. If it is the grip work itself, then incorporate exercises like gripping a tennis ball or hand gripper (ensure you grab one with adjustable resistance for progressive overload) and/or some farmer’s carries with dumbbells.

Weak grip strength doesn’t have to stay weak. With regular exercise, strength training and good eating, most people can preserve or even improve their muscle strength well into their 60s, 70s and beyond.