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These Muscles Are Key For Healthy, Comfortable Aging: 9 Ways To Flex Them Today

Author:

Emma Loewe

January 02, 2024

By Emma Loewe

mbg Contributor

Emma Loewe is the former Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen. She is the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care." Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,500 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes.

Woman working out with weights in gym under natural light

Image by Studio Firma x mbg creative / Stocksy

January 02, 2024

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"Strong" is our word for 2024. And building strength is about so much more than spending time at the weight rack (though that's important too!) Follow along with mindbodygreen this month as we explore how to cultivate strong nutrition, strong relationships, and a strong sense of self in the new year.

When we think about weightlifting, our minds often go to squats, lunges, crunches, and bicep curls. While excellent, these foundational moves leave out a muscle region that's essential for strong, healthy aging. Any guesses? Hold on tight—today, we're talking about grip strength.

Why to make this the year you strengthen your grip

To be clear, strengthening any muscles in your body will pay off for your health. People who do just 30-60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activities a week tend to live longer, as being under-muscled can make you more susceptible to cognitive decline 1, insulin resistance 2, and high inflammatory markers 3, as well as bone fractures 4 from falls that could prove deadly 5.

Your grip strength comes from a group of muscles in the hands, wrists, and forearms 6. (Every time you make a grasping motion with your hand, you actually recruit upward of 35 muscles 7!) This muscle network is often overlooked in the gym, maybe because we haven't deemed it as "aesthetic" as other parts of the body.

But make no mistake: Research shows that grip strength is an important indicator of longevity 8 that's worth paying more attention to. "I've seen 70-year-olds move better than 30-year-olds—and that has to do with their grip strength," Maricris Lapaix, a personal trainer with Centr, tells mindbodygreen.

Grip strength is sometimes used as a proxy measurement of overall muscle strength 9 in research studies, in part because it powers many other gym movements. Say you're trying to take on more weight while deadlifting. If your grip isn't strong enough, you won't be able to hold on to that weight for the duration of the move, leaving you at a plateau. You also may be tempted to loosen your grip on the weight and leave your wrist slack, which could be dangerous.

"If you don't work on your grip strength, your [fitness] is going to decrease in other areas, and that's where injury can come in," explains trainer Caroline Idiens of Caroline's Circuits.

Developing a strong grip will also help you outside of the gym. Here are just a few day-to-day activities when we recruit this muscle group:

Opening a jar
Twisting a doorknob
Preparing food
Holding grocery bags
Picking things up off the ground or shelf
Mowing and vacuuming

Idiens notes that as we age and lose muscle mass, the hands are one of the first places we notice our strength diminish. Maybe we have trouble opening a type of jar that used to come right off, or struggle to carry our groceries home without taking breaks.

Building your grip strength now can help ensure that these everyday movements remain strong and comfortable as you get older.

Exercises to strengthen grip strength (in and out of the gym)

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to build grip strength in and out of the gym. The key is to start with low (or no) weight and gradually work your way up so you don't overwhelm this muscle group—especially if you're new to training it. Here are a few of Idiens' and Lapaix's favorite movements to help you build grip strength in the year ahead:

Crush a tennis ball: You can start building grip strength from your desk or couch with the help of a tennis ball. Simply take the ball in your hand and squeeze it hard for five sections before letting it go. Repeat this—alternating hands every minute or so—while you're on calls, reading, or watching television.
Clothes: Another way to engage your wrist and forearm muscles at home is to wring out wet clothes before you place them out to dry. After a minute or so of doing this, your forearms are going to feel it.
Engage your grip while carrying groceries: Lapaix notes that since grocery bags tend to be uneven and unbalanced, holding them will also engage your core and improve your posture. See how many you can (safely!) carry in your hands at a time while maintaining a strong grip.
Kettlebell swings: Idiens loves this kettlebell move to both fire up the forearms and build endurance.
Farmers carry: This is a great move to help you track how your grip strength is progressing over time, notes Lapaix. Start by carrying two medium dumbbells or kettlebells by your side as you walk. You can either go for distance (say, a lap around your gym's track if it has one) or time. As you progress and get stronger, continue to build upon your weight and/or the duration of the carry.
Deadlift: Idiens says that deadlifts are an extremely functional move since they help us train to pick things up off the floor. You can make your deadlift more challenging for the legs and grip by taking on more weight, or trying a single-leg version.
Zottman curl: This curl is a quick burner for the forearms—and it's harder than it looks! Take a dumbbell in each hand and place them by your side, with your palms facing out. Pull up into a bicep curl and then rotate your wrist 180 degrees so your palms are facing outward again. Slowly lower the dumbbells with control, with your elbows locked in. (Follow along here.)
Pull-up or hang: Pull-ups are the ultimate test of grip and upper-body strength. Can't do an unassisted one just yet? No problem—Lapaix recommends working your way up by hanging from the bar or using a training strap for assistance. (Head here for a complete plan to master your first pull-up in seven weeks.)
Mindful weightlifting: You have the opportunity to flex your grip strength every time you lift a weight. No matter what kind of movement you're doing, be mindful of how you're gripping the weight in your hand—always aim for a tight (but not tense) grip. "When you're doing those curls, make sure your wrists are strong: no puppy paws or T Rex," says Lapaix.

Be sure to stretch your wrists and forearms after doing any of the moves above.

Your "Stronger Together" plan

Set a strong base:

New to grip strength? Do these exercises at home every week (or as often as you remember) to start to build a strong base in the new year:

Do 50 tennis ball squeezes
Carry your groceries mindfully, focusing on your grip
Wring out wet clothes before drying

1-2 times a week, use bands or light weights to:

Do 3 reps of 8-10 kettlebell swings
Do 3 reps of 8-10 deadlifts
Practice your progressive farmer's carry

The level-up:

Already have a pretty strong grip? Level up by introducing these moves into your gym routine:

Do 3 reps of 8-10 Zottman curls
Master the unassisted pullup

Once you start to build a stronger grip, ripple effects will follow. As Idiens says, "You'll notice the benefits of strength training quite quickly if you're consistent with it. Day-to-day movements are so much easier when you feel stronger."