So much attention is given to heart health and bodyweight. Yes, these are incredibly important.
But there are two muscles that get too little attention, that have been studied at length as a predictor of overall health and are even tied to longevity.
Are you having trouble opening that jar?
If so, don’t panic yet — but take notice.
A landmark study in The Lancet surveyed 40 studies found that a 5 kilogram (11 pound) drop in grip strength was tied to a 16% rise in mortality risk.
This drop was a stronger predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than systolic blood pressure. It is such a powerful factor that it was built into the Fried Frailty Index:
Weakness — measured by grip strength.
Weight loss — losing 10 lbs or 5% of your bodyweight in the past year unintentionally.
Slow walking speed — a slowed gait, measured against a specific index.
Exhaustion — general feelings of fatigue and low energy.
Low physical activity — reduced energy expenditure.
But why grip strength of all things? It’s especially bizarre given declining grip strength is also correlated with increased risks of dementia and cognitive decline.
The reason? Grip strength is seen as an indicator of overall body strength rather than something causal itself — though your grip is incredibly important for maintaining balance and daily functioning as you age.
The important thing to remember is that grip is a correlate to overall health. And though we shouldn’t confuse correlation with causation in this study, we should remember that correlation is the first ingredient to causation.
More plainly, just because we can’t prove weak grip strength is causing these early deaths itself, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strengthen it.
The good news is that many exercises we perform in weight training also strengthen our grip along the way. In my days as a personal trainer, I tried to get clients to work with dumbbells for this very reason. It not only helps build stabilizer muscles, but also requires constant force applied by your hands.
Dumbbell curls
(Pexels Images)
If you have a tennis ball, or any small squishy ball for that matter, try squeezing it for ten repetitions at different angles. Bend your wrist inward and outward with each opposing squeeze. Point your hand up and also down.
Lat pulldowns are also fantastic for building muscle and grip strength:
When you get strong enough, you can try hanging for a timed duration from the pull up bar.
The other muscle that helps you live longer
An elderly family member of mine was caught in a familiar story.
They were doing something routine, walking through their living room to the refrigerator.
Then, out of the blue, they lost their balance and fell, breaking their hip. This led to a series of hospital visits, and declining health. They passed away just over a year after the accident.
Balance involves many muscles but an overlooked one is in our toes. Research has shown that toe flexor strength is quite important for preventing falls in older adults. Older adults often see a third of their foot strength decline on average.
One study found that doing toe strengthening exercises resulted in a 36% reduction in falls.
Per Claremont Podiatry, one simple exercise to improve toe flexor strength is to place a towel under your foot and curl your toes to pull the towel inwards:
Do this for 10-20 repetitions. If it is too easy, consider using a thicker towel, or rolling the towel in a half.
One study found that doing the below movements with your toes can not only improve toe strength and flexibility, but also reduce overall foot pain:
“A toe-strengthening exercise program designed to enhance the medial longitudinal arch and improve lower extremity function: (A) (a) 30 degree dorsiflexion, (b) hold for 5 s after toe flexion, (c) return to original state, Toe-Spread Exercise; (B) (a) 30 degree dorsiflexion, (b) hold for 5 s after toe spread, (c) return to original state, Toe-Spread-Out Exercise; and (C) (a) relax, (b) lifting the toe, (c) flexing little toe toward lateral side, (d) hold for 5 s after flexing great toe toward medial side.” -Dr. Deok-Hwa Jeong
(Research Gate)The bigger picture to understand
The bigger picture to understand
Our feet and hands are packed with more nerves than any other part of our body.
They are the means by which we engage with the world. As you push towards a healthier lifestyle, include strength training and movements, and also make time to strengthen these smaller muscles.
They may not be the direct reason you live longer. But they play a role in the activities that do, and make those extra years worth having.