A strong grip can tell a lot about your health. You don’t need high-tech tools to check it. A tennis ball and a few seconds are all it takes.
That’s the advice from Joshua Davidson. He studies strength and conditioning at the University of Derby. His work shows that grip strength is a simple but powerful sign of your body’s health.
How to Test Grip Strength at Home
Doctors use a tool called a dynamometer to measure grip strength. But most people don’t have one at home. Luckily, there’s an easy fix.
Use a tennis ball or a stress ball. Davidson says, “Squeeze it hard for as long as you can. Try to go for 15 to 30 seconds.” Do this often and write down your time. Over weeks, you’ll see if you’re getting stronger.
There are also tools you can buy online. Many now come with apps to track your strength over time.
Why Grip Strength Matters
A weak grip may not affect your daily life at first. But it’s often a sign of low muscle mass or poor fitness. Mark Peterson, a professor at the University of Michigan, says weak hands may show you sit too much or don’t move enough.
Doctors have found that grip strength can even tell more about your risk of early death than blood pressure. That’s because it reflects your full body health—your muscles, your activity, and your overall strength.
Grip Strength and Long Life
One long-term study tracked people who were 56 to 68 years old back in the 1960s. Those with strong grips were more likely to live past 100. In fact, they were 2.5 times more likely to reach old age than those with weak grips.
This shows that strong hands don’t just help you carry things—they might help you live longer.
Warning Signs from a Handshake
Doctors say a handshake can tell a lot. Dr. Guillaume Paré often feels weak grips in older patients. “If I can feel their hand muscles wasting away, it worries me,” he says.
A poor grip can be a sign of sarcopenia. That’s a muscle-wasting disease. It raises the risk of falls, broken bones, and trouble walking. It also connects to other issues like poor blood sugar control, low bone mass, and even memory loss.
A Squeeze That Talks to Your DNA
Peterson’s team studied grip strength and DNA in over 1,200 people. They found that weak grips link to faster aging. This aging shows up in DNA changes caused by diet, stress, and pollution. That means your hands might show how fast your body is aging inside.
Simple Ways to Build Grip Strength
You don’t need a gym. Try wrist curls. Sit down and rest your arm on your leg. Hold a can or small weight with your palm up. Curl your hand toward your body. Hold, then lower. Try 10 to 20 reps for each arm. Do two to three sets.
If you have a kettlebell, bicep curls can help too.
Davidson says even just squeezing a tennis ball helps. Do it while watching TV or on a break. It’s easy and free.
Why Strong Hands Help You Heal
Doctors see a clear link between grip strength and recovery. People with strong hands bounce back faster from illness. That’s because healthy muscles support the body during stress.
In cancer patients, weak grip strength often means worse survival odds. Peterson says muscle helps you fight off things like pneumonia too. “Strong muscles help clear out mucus from the lungs,” he explains.
Grip Strength by Country
Some studies show that countries with strong average grip strength also win more Olympic medals. That might be no surprise, but it shows how useful grip can be as a national health marker.
Weak grip in young people is also a concern. A study in Brazil found that teens who use screens a lot often have weaker grips. That can lead to poor health later in life.
Track It, Improve It, Stay Healthy
Davidson says that anyone can boost their grip. Track your squeeze time with a ball or use a dynamometer if you have one. Watch for progress over time.
Dr. Darryl Leong adds that full-body strength training helps too. He recommends a simple “get-up-and-go” test for older adults. Sit in a chair. Stand up, walk three meters, turn around, and sit again. Time yourself. It’s a good sign of leg strength and balance.
The bottom line? A strong grip means a strong body. It’s one of the easiest ways to check your health—and build it too.