Mika Baumeister (left) and Giulia Squillace (right) via Unsplash +
Today’s story comes from the Good News Network.
This Rarely-Trained Muscle Is Recognized Worldwide as a Marker of Human Health–And the Test for Living to 100
If the man on the street had to guess the best metric for healthy aging, they might say blood pressure, cholesterol levels, lean muscle mass, blood triglycerides, or even telomere length if they follow aging science closely.
But it turns out that one of the best is grip strength. According to Joshua Davis at the University of Derby, UK, this relatively underdeveloped conditioning area is increasingly recognized as one of the most reliable markers of human health.
Grip strength is associated with positive health outcomes, whether measuring for diabetes risk or depression, and you don’t need any expensive equipment to measure it. Davis recommends you simply pop the top off a can of tennis balls.
“Being able to maintain a maximal squeeze on something like a tennis ball for 15-30 seconds would be a good standard to strive for,” Davis told the BBC.
It’s not necessarily the case that being the one in the house whose hands are the most capable of opening a stubborn pickle jar means you’ll live the longest. Instead, it’s the case that grip strength is an efficient proxy for total muscle conditioning, which is itself an excellent proxy for overall nutrition, physical activity, and disease profiles. In other words, it’s a proxy for a proxy.
For example, the BBC report cites one study that found grip strength to be an effective predictor of sarcopenia, the decline in muscle conditioning associated with aging, strongly correlated with mortality. Another study found that of those in middle age who had their grip strength measured in 1965, the ones who lived to be 100 were 2.5 times more likely to have had grip strength results in the highest third.
Yet another paper found that grip strength has a prognostic value for human longevity that exceeds blood pressure, one of the vital signs controlled for in every hospital patient.
It’s almost certainly not the case that developing grip strength alone will protect against disease and early mortality; as mentioned above, it’s a proxy for overall muscle conditioning.
There’s an old saying in medicine: “Break your hip, die of pneumonia.”
Muscle mass is one of the best defenses against the ravages of age. It cushions the joints and bones and provides protection from falls and the subsequent fractures that gave rise to this ghastly adage. It also soaks up excess glucose in the blood to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.
The BBC also spoke with Mark Peterson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation professor at the University of Michigan. Peterson conducted a 2022 study that found that deep down in our DNA, patterns of methylated molecules in those with weak grip strength indicated they were aging at an accelerated rate.
If you don’t have a grip dynamometer to measure precisely how much force your handshake can exert, you can always perform the tennis ball test.
The good news in this article is not the grip as an indicator of overall health, but the idea of the benefits of continuing exercises to maintain muscle mass. Is it worth it? Yes. Today’s JohnKu talks about health. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Our Future by John W. Howell © 2025
When it comes to health,
We are in charge of our own. . .
Don’t stop exercise.
Fiction Favorites 
Who knew?!
This comes off the heels of my knock down drag out fight with a jar of red cabbage the other day. That lid wouldn’t budge! But I got it done, eventually so it still counts right?
I agree with your haiku. Exercise, exercise, exercise. It helps in every kind of way.
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Yeah, it counts (Damn that cabbage). I’ve been exercising regularly for 64 years and believe it is key.
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Absolutely. I blew out BOTH knees (at different times) in high school. If you told me I would be running on a regular basis forty plus years later, I would’ve told you nope. But it’s doing the job.
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I have one titanium knee so I’m good for another twenty years.
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You’re a cyborg!
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True.
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we need to do all we can to prevent old age taking over, John…
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Since I’m older than you, I definitely agree. Satchel Page (American baseball legend) once said, “Don’t look back. Something may be gaining on you.” Old age is like that. 😊
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Don’t worry, John, I am keeping half an eye on it!
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😊
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I’ve always heard to keep your legs moving to age well. I’m doing my part to keep walking and moving, but this is the first time I’ve heard about grip strength. I’m going to go get a tennis ball and see how I do. Oddly enough I do have one in my pantry! 😂
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I think it is a good test. I’m sure you will do well. (Gotta wonder what a tennis ball is doing in the pantry) 😀
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A little over a year ago I need two tennis balls, they come in a 3 pack tube so I just tucked the extra one into the nearby pantry and there’s where it stayed.
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Hmm. Why only two? You are creating more questions and don’t have to answer that.
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😊
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I never knew, John. I have a squeeze ball, would that help, do you think?
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The idea is you can’t train for grip strength. The squeeze ball will let you know if you have it. 😊
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Oops, I dropped it!
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Ha ha ha. 😀
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Amazing discovery. Sounds like grip is the indicator but not the only thing to work on.
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Grip is the tip (of the iceberg)
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That’s an odd metric. I would think it would only be useful to in terms of arthritis. The hands get damaged and worn down far too quickly.
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So true.
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Wow, John! I’d never heard that. It’s information to keep in mind. I wrist-curl weights, and work my wrists and fingers on the rowing machine.
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I’m sure that is great exercise, Tim
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Thanks for this information, John. I have problems with stubborn jar lids, but no problems with anything else. I need to get a tennis ball!
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Jars don’t count. They are sealed so that they are almost impossible to open.
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I ordered some tennis balls!
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Ha ha ha. I’m loving your Daniel Boone story.
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Good to hear. Let me know if you find any typos or errors!
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Grip that bar, lift those weights. Two for the price of one. And never stop exercising!
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Thank you, Lois. I like your attitude.
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This puts new meaning to when my wife tells me, “Get a grip, will ya!”
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I usually hear that when I stub my toe.
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This is such an interesting correlation! Sounds similar to the rule of thumb that a ambulatory person in good health should be able to walk a mile in 20 minutes.
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That sounds good too.
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This is so interesting. No grip isn’t very good as I had an operation on my wrist, but I’m gradually building it back up.
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Try the other hand.
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The other is slightly stronger. I have some foam balls to squeeze which I’m using for both wrists to try and strengthen them. Thanks, John.
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Exercise is key! Grip strength another story… interesting… after working with my hands all of my life it’s the akindoling joints that I have to guard and protect which are vital to preserve. 🙌
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I don’t know what akindoling joints are.
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They look crooked and arthritic … Mine look pretty decent for all their use. TG! 👏
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That’s good.
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Yes, indeed!! 💓
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😊
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Your Friday posts are always inspiring, John. Thank you for helping us see the ingenious discoveries and inventions of others around us. Bravo! (Guess I better get back on the treadmill 😊)
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Yes, you should, young lady. 😀
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I’ve been active all my life, but I’ve never heard this about grip strength. Fascinating! Now I’ve got to raid the Domer’s closet for one of his leftover tennis balls and try this out. Thanks, John!
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I’ll bet you pass with flying colors.
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I haven’t heard this. Makes me glad I went to the gym today!
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I exercise every day, but I’ve never given a thought to my hands. I’ll have to try the tennis ball test.
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I exercise regularly. One of the many symptoms of aging I’ve noticed has been the loss of grip strength. Some of this is likely due to aching joints, perhaps the beginnings of arthritis. I remember my dad always asking me to open jars for him when I was a boy.
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I wish I had a kid around right now.
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Fascinating and encouraging… My doctor was complimenting me only yesterday on how much stronger I was getting because of my exercise routine, and it floored me. So, I shall continue to work on the grip and lowering the triglycerides!
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There you go. It does pay off. 😀
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Who knew it was such a simply thing? I have one of those grippy things somewhere around the house; gonna have to search for it! Till I find it, I’ll keep logging the miles walking the House Pony-my best exercise partner who manages to keep me on my exercise toes. 😉 Thanks for the good news, John. I just love these weekly posts.
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Yes, you and Pony are good for each other’s exercise routine. I’m glad you enjoy these posts, Monika.Thanks for letting me know.
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Wow that is quite interesting and important information. Thank you John.
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I thought so too, Thomas.
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JohnKu is true. We are in charge of our own health.
I do long walks(2-3 hours) looking for street art, at least once a week, and 3 short walks 1/2 – 1 hour 2 – 3 times a week.
I’ll have to try the tennis ball thing.
Thanks John!
🎾X ✊ X
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Let me know how you do with the tennis ball 🎾X ✊ X
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That’ interesting.
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Isn’t it?
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Yes!
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😊
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This was very interesting and makes a lot of sense. Muscle mass is so important. That’s why I go to the gym 3-4 days a week. Gotta fight off the old age. 🙂
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If you can’t fight it off, at least you can poke old age in the eye.
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Lol 🙂
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😀
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So true! Earlier we begin to look after the health, better we’re when the age strikes.
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I know all about age striking. My 84th birthday is this month. I do know about looking after health when young as well. 😀
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You will make it, dear John! 👍👍👍🥳The 22nd, isn’t it? This is just anothee year of wisdom.
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Ha ha ha. Yes, a year of statesmanship
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