Your grip strength says more about your health than you might think

While opening a stubborn jar, carrying every grocery bag into the house in one trip or holding onto a rail in a moving subway may not feel like much of a workout, each task depends on something quietly shaping your independence: your grip strength.

Your grip helps you cook, work, drive, exercise and catch yourself during a stumble. But it can also offer doctors a surprisingly insightful glimpse into your overall health, how well your body is aging and even how long you may live.

That doesn't mean being able to crush an apple with your bare hands will add years to your life, though. "Many people believe that strengthening their grip will make them live longer, but that is simply not true," says Nick Maroldi, a doctor of physical therapy at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Instead, grip strength is a window into your existing health and strength. Here’s what to know.

Grip strength is the amount of force your hand can produce when your fingers and thumb close around an object. While most of that force comes from muscles in the hand and forearm, a strong grip also depends on support from your wrist, elbow…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/