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This One Strength Trick Could Turn Back the Clock on Aging

Posted on April 14, 2025May 20, 2025

The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.

Fitness, Healthy Aging & Longevity Series

  • Bone Density & Blood Pressure (Improving with Movement)
  • Grip Strength (Turn Back the Clock on Aging)
  • Centenarian Decathlon (Living Strong and Healthy at 100)
  • Healthspan & Biological Age (Maximize Health, Minimize Disease)
  • Healthy Aging (Unlock Muscle Health with Strength Training)g)
  • Sleep Deprivation (The Shorter Your Sleep, The Shorter Your Life Span)
  • Mitochondria (The Secret to Physical Stamina)

Double Your Grip Strength, Cut Your Biological Age in Half!

Grip Strength has emerged as a robust biomarker of biological health, supported by extensive research linking it to physical, metabolic, and cognitive outcomes. Recent studies highlight its role in predicting mortality, chronic disease risk, and aging-related decline, with evidence spanning immune function, musculoskeletal integrity, and mental health.

What is Grip Strength?

Grip strength refers to the amount of force your hand can generate when gripping or holding something. It is a measure of muscular strength (using a hand dynamometer) in your hand, wrist, and forearm.

One squeezes the device as hard as possible, and the force (usually in pounds or kilograms) registered.

  • Norms vary by age and gender.
  • A grip strength test is non-invasive, easy, and quick making it a common screening tool in healthcare and fitness settings.

In Aging, extensive research has shown that lower grip strength shows:

  • Increased risk of frailty
  • Higher chances of falls
  • Decline in cognitive function
  • Greater hospitalization and mortality risk

Grip strength declines with age, and males tend to have higher grip strength than females across all age groups.

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Grip Strength as a Health Indicator

Predictive Value for Mortality & Chronic Disease

Low grip strength correlates with increased all-cause mortality and disease-specific risks, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. A 2024 study emphasized its predictive power for hospitalization, frailty, and malnutrition. For example, individuals with weaker grips face higher risks of heart attacks and strokes, surpassing traditional predictors like blood pressure in some cases.

Immune & Inflammatory Biomarkers

A 2025 study linked grip strength to aging-related laboratory parameters, showing inverse correlations with leukocyte counts (r=−0.237r=−0.237 to −0.239−0.239) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratios (r=−0.494r=−0.494), while lymphocyte counts positively correlated (r=0.268r=0.268–0.2860.286). These findings suggest grip strength reflects systemic inflammation and immune resilience.

TermWhat It IsFunction
LeukocyteWhite blood cellFights infection
LymphocyteType of leukocyteTargets viruses, produces antibodies
NeutrophilType of leukocyteFirst defense against bacteria
NLRNeutrophil to Lymphocyte RatioMarker of inflammation & immune stress

Bone Health & Functional Capacity

Identified in 2024, grip strength thresholds for maintaining quality of life in older adults were:

  • 77 pounds (~35 kg) for men and 51 pounds (~23 kg) for women for physical health.
  • Lower thresholds for older age group, for example, 50 pounds (~23 kg) for those over 80 years old.
  • Weak grip strength defined as:
    • Less than 57 pounds (~26 kg) for men
    • Less than 35 pounds (~16 kg) for women

Falling below these thresholds predicts rapid declines in mobility and increased fracture risk.

Mental Health & Cognitive Function

Weak grip strength is associated with depression, cognitive impairment, and social isolation due to reduced physical activity. A dose-effect relationship exists between grip strength and physical health-related quality of life (p<0.01p<0.01), though not mental health.

Sarcopenia & Aging

Handgrip dynamometry is now central to diagnosing sarcopenia (progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, function), with low strength indicating accelerated muscle loss. A 2025 Indonesian study validated its utility in assessing functional decline in aging populations.

“Exercise for grip strength is the penicillin against premature aging. The more you maintain your grip strength, the slower the cells age.”

Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi, Endowed Chair of Geriatric Innovation, Cleveland Clinic

Supporting Studies In A Nutshell

  • Established grip strength thresholds for quality of life in older adults.
  • Proposed grip strength is a vital sign due to its holistic health assessment capabilities.
  • Linked grip strength to leukocyte/lymphocyte ratios and inflammation.
  • Highlighted connections to immune resilience and chronic disease risks.

These studies collectively advocate for integrating grip strength into routine health assessments as a cost-effective, non-invasive biomarker. While thresholds vary by demographics, its predictive and diagnostic utility across diverse health domains is now well-established.

When you add it all up, your grip strength is essentially an indication of your overall health and longevity. In a way, your grip strength can almost predict your future health.


Exercises to Improve or Maintain Grip Strength

  1. Hand Grippers
    • Use adjustable hand grippers to do squeezes daily (3 sets of 10–15 reps).
    • Great for building crush strength.
  2. Farmer’s Carries
    • Hold a pair of heavy dumbbells or kettlebells at your sides and walk for 30–60 seconds.
    • Builds grip, core, and postural strength.
  3. Dead Hangs
    • Hang from a pull-up bar for 20–60 seconds.
    • Builds endurance and shoulder stability.
  4. Towel or Rope Wrapping
    • Wrap a towel around dumbbells or pull-up bars to increase grip demand.
    • Improves both crush and support grip.
  5. Therapy Putty or Grip Balls
    • Squeeze the therapy putty or a stress ball multiple times a day.
    • Useful for improving dexterity and finger strength.
  6. Wrist Curls & Reverse Wrist Curls
    • Strengthen forearm muscles with light dumbbells or resistance bands.
  7. Rice Bucket Training
    • Dig, twist, or grab in a bucket of dry rice.
    • Excellent for fine motor strength.

I’ve been using the Captain of Crush grippers since 2010. From 80 pounds (Sport) to 100 pounds (Trainer) to 140 pounds (No. 1), my set of 3 grippers keeps me at bay.

For the best results, incorporate these exercises into your daily routine, starting with lighter resistance and gradually increasing as your strength improves. Always perform exercises on both hands and consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise regimen, especially if you have any pre-existing conditions.

Remember, consistency is key. Even 10 minutes of daily exercise can make a significant difference in maintaining and improving grip strength as you age.


References

Clinical Interventions in Aging

Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults

Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition

Hand grip strength as a proposed new vital sign of health: a narrative review of evidences

Frontiers

Quantitative relationship between grip strength and quality of life in the older adult based on a restricted cubic spline model

Joan Pagano Fitness

Hand Grip Strength and Longevity

Frontiers

Handgrip strength as a potential indicator of aging: insights from its association with aging-related laboratory parameters

Cleveland Clinic

What Your Grip Strength Means for Your Overall Health — and Exercises To Improve It

Frontiers in Medicine

Handgrip strength as a potential indicator of aging: insights from its association with aging-related laboratory parameters

Nature

Comparison of grip strength measurements for predicting all-cause mortality among adults aged 20+ years from the NHANES 2011–2014

WebMD

How’s Your Handshake? Grip Strength Is a Good Gauge of Health

Ohio State University

Why a strong grip is important, and how to strengthen those muscles

Science Daily

Getting a grip on health norms: Handgrip strength

UCLA Health

Grip strength an important biomarker for assessing health

Wiley Online Library

Factors associated with handgrip strength across the life course: A systematic review

Frontiers in Medicine

Handgrip strength as a potential indicator of aging: insights from its association with aging-related laboratory parameters

MDPI

Handgrip Strength as an Indicator of Overall Strength and Functional Performance—Systematic Review

Oxford Academic

Grip strength and inflammatory biomarker profiles in very old adults

PubMed

Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults

Stanford Lifestyle Medicine

The Importance of Grip Strength: Exploring its Link to Longevity

Harvard Health

Grip strength may provide clues to heart health

Health Links

Grip Strength Can Indicate How Well You Are Aging: Get a Grip on Your Health

medRxiv

Machine Learning-Driven Correction of Handgrip Strength: A Novel Biomarker for Neurological and Health Outcomes in the UK Biobank

Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

Hand-Grip Strength: Normative Reference Values and Equations for Individuals 18 to 85 Years of Age Residing in the United States

Oxford Academic

Grip Strength Cutpoints for the Identification of Clinically Relevant Weakness 

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