One Surprising Aspect of Fitness That’s Directly Connected With a Long Health Span

It’s time we stop ignoring this and take it seriously!

If you go to the doctor’s office and ask what it takes to extend your lifespan, you’re probably expecting to hear a lecture related to nutrition, sleep, or cardio. While these are all important areas in their own right, there’s one key aspect of your health that you’re likely neglecting. As shocking as it may sound, good grip strength is as correlated with a long health span as it gets.

Health and wellness expert Dr. Attia describes longevity as a product of life span (how long you live) and health span (how well you live). If you want to improve the latter and avoid chronic disease, it’s in your best interest to develop and maintain your musculoskeletal fitness.

As your resident kinesiologist, I’m going to help you achieve this with just a handful of simple exercises. In the next few minutes, we’ll take a deep dive into how to improve grip strength to open the door to a new level of exercise possibilities and overall fitness. Your best is yet to come!

Let’s jump right in.

How To Master Grip Strength for Extended Health

Before getting into the fun stuff, it’s time to go over a few disclaimers. For one, please be aware that this is targeted towards apparently healthy individuals. If you have any injuries or chronic conditions that may put you at risk during physical activity, please talk to a trusted health provider before following the advice below.

Secondly, please be aware that this is just one domain within fitness that will support a long health span. To achieve optimal health and longevity, focus on building all aspects of your wellness holistically. My hope, however, is that this small adjustment in your training will lead to magnificent results that can help you feel healthier in no time.

grip strength = overall upper body fitness = joint + muscle health = functionality = independence = long life span

A huge thing for me as a health provider is to help people understand the rationale or ‘why’ behind health choices. With that being said, you’re likely curious as to why grip strength is so crucial in the first place. This is the case because it’s easy to test and can be translated to one's overall upper body strength quite accurately. This is linked to one’s fitness ability, which is connected to functionality, which is connected to independence, which is ultimately connected with a long health span.

Furthermore, a poor grip strength can be a huge limiter of weightlifting exercises such as bicep curls, deadlifts, rows, and more. The more you focus on your grip, the easier you’ll find it to progress exercises and maintain the optimal functional of all your key joints and muscles!

Developing grip strength can be achieved using a variety of methods, including weight training, calisthenics, aquafit, and more. Whatever modality you choose, the most important thing is to keep challenging your joints and muscles to support you throughout life’s physical challenges. If you keep up this habit, you’ll be miles ahead of those who are sedentary!

Now without further ado, here are a few practical examples of how you can develop your grip strength with minimal equipment and effort. For the best results, try these a few times per week!

1) Pronation + Supination

Application: 12–15 reps/side

Cues: For this movement, find a hammer and grab onto the end of it. From here, rotate your wrist up and down. Take things slow and ensure you keep the elbow from moving too much as you keep your focus on the action of the wrist. Don’t forget you can progress both of these hammer exercises by getting a heavier tool or one with a longer lever! Always remember…if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

2) Grip Work

Application: 12–15 reps/side

Cues: You’ve likely seen this grip strength trainer before (commonly called closing gripper), or perhaps you already have one collecting dust in the basement. While they may seem tacky, they’re incredibly effective at boosting the strength and functionality of the hand, wrist, and forearm. Simply squeeze as hard as you can and hold for 3 seconds before releasing in preparation for your next rep.

3) Farmer’s Carry

Application: 3 x 30 seconds — 1 minute

Cues: Grab weights in both hands and walk forward slowly. If you don’t have kettlebells or dumbells, just find a moderately heavy household object! As you go through each set, ensure the core stays tight and you keep breathing consistently. If you want an additional challenge, try a unilateral carry or add high knees into the mix!

Want more helpful movements like this? Check out my full library of rehab guides and exercise routines here. There’s something for everyone!

In Closing,

If you want a long health span, it’s time to start taking your grip strength seriously. While it may not be as ‘mainstream’ as cardio or nutrition, it plays a crucial role in your functionality and independence as you age. Furthermore, it’ll open the door to new exercises and loads that you didn’t think you could pull off. Invest in your future self and get proactive about your musculoskeletal health today! I guarantee you’ll never regret it.

You got this.

-DavidLiira.Kin