Grip Strength and Ageing: Why It Is Worth Training
Grip strength declines with age, along with muscle strength in general, and it is one of the simplest markers of overall strength that doctors and researchers measure. Large studies have found that people with a weaker grip in mid and later life tend to have poorer health outcomes. Grip is not magic: squeezing a gadget will not make you live longer. But it reflects how strong you are overall, it matters directly for independence, from opening jars to carrying shopping up the stairs, and it responds well to training at any age. Done properly, it costs you five to ten minutes a week.
Why researchers care about grip
Grip strength is measured with a handheld dynamometer: you squeeze as hard as you can for a few seconds and it records the force. It is quick, cheap and repeatable, which is why it appears in so many large health studies and in assessments of frailty in older adults.
The best known example is the PURE study, published in The Lancet in 2015, which measured grip in around 140,000 adults across 17 countries and followed them for several years. Lower grip strength was associated with higher risk of death from any cause and from cardiovascular disease, and it was a stronger predictor than blood pressure in that study. Many other studies have since found similar links.
It is worth being precise about what this means. It is an association. A weak grip is usually a sign of something broader: less overall muscle, less activity, sometimes illness. The hand is a window, not the cause. That is the useful message for anyone over 40: grip tells you something about the whole body, and the most effective way to improve it is a programme that builds strength throughout, with some specific work for the hands added on.
What happens to grip as you age
Muscle strength generally peaks in early adulthood and holds reasonably steady for a while before declining, with the decline gathering pace later in life. Several things contribute: a gradual loss of muscle mass and of the fast-twitch fibres responsible for quick, forceful contractions; changes in the nerves that drive muscle; and, often more importantly, doing less. Our post on muscle loss with age explains the wider process.
Hands also face specific problems. Arthritis in the finger joints and thumb base becomes more common, and anything that makes gripping painful tends to lead to gripping less, which leads to further weakness. That cycle is worth breaking early, and with medical advice where pain is involved.
Signs your grip is slipping
- Jars and bottle tops you used to open now need a tea towel or a second attempt.
- You switch hands repeatedly when carrying shopping home up the hill.
- Your hands give up before your back or legs on lifts like rows or deadlifts.
- Hanging from a bar, even briefly, feels impossible.
- You avoid carrying a suitcase or heavy bag and wheel or drag it instead.
How to test your grip at home
You do not need a dynamometer to track progress. These three simple checks, repeated every six to eight weeks, will show you whether things are moving in the right direction. Write the numbers down.
| Test | How to do it | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Timed carry | Pick up two heavy bags or dumbbells of a fixed, known weight and walk | Seconds before you need to put them down |
| Dead hang | Hang from a sturdy bar, feet off the floor or supported if needed | Seconds held, and whether feet were supported |
| Towel wring | Wring out a wet hand towel as hard as you can | Rough sense of how dry you can get it; useful for the very deconditioned |
If you train in a gym with a dynamometer or a coach who has one, use it. Absolute numbers depend on age, sex and body size, so compare yourself mainly against your own earlier readings.
A simple grip plan for the over-40s
Grip responds well to being loaded heavily for short periods, a couple of times a week. It does not need its own long session. The approach below sits at the end of two normal strength sessions.
- Farmer’s carry: two heavy dumbbells, walk 20 to 30 metres, 3 rounds. Start with a weight you can carry for about 30 seconds with good posture. Our post on the farmer’s walk covers technique.
- Supported dead hang: feet on a box or the floor, take as much weight through your hands as feels manageable, 3 holds of 15 to 30 seconds. Remove foot support gradually.
- Thick or towel grip on a cable row: wrap a small towel around the handle for one or two sets, making the grip harder without adding weight.
- Finger and thumb work: squeeze a soft ball or putty for 10 to 15 reps, twice a day, especially if your hands are stiff. This is maintenance rather than strength building.
Progress by adding time or distance first, then weight. Expect to see grip improve within a few weeks, which is faster than most other strength qualities because the nervous system adapts quickly. For a fuller menu of exercises, our grip strength exercises guide lists six with technique notes.
Do not skip the rest of the body
The research link between grip and health is mostly about overall strength. If you train only your hands, you miss the point. The UK guidelines recommend muscle strengthening on at least two days a week for all adults, with additional emphasis on balance and strength for older adults to reduce the risk of falls. The NHS guidance for adults aged 65 and over sets this out clearly. Squats or sit-to-stands, a hinge, a push, a pull and a carry will build grip as a by-product while doing far more for you.
Common mistakes
- Buying a grip trainer and nothing else. Spring grippers have a place, but they work a narrow range and miss the endurance and carrying strength you use in daily life.
- Always using lifting straps. Straps help on very heavy pulls. Used on every set, they take your grip out of the session entirely.
- Training through joint pain. Sore muscles in the forearm are normal. Sharp or lingering pain in the finger joints or thumb base is not.
- Daily maximum efforts. Grip needs recovery like any other muscle. Two or three hard sessions a week is plenty.
If you have arthritis in your hands, a previous wrist or hand injury, a heart condition, or have not exercised for a long time, check with your GP before starting heavy carries or hangs.
How we approach it in the studio
For clients over 40, grip is one of the things we check at the start and come back to every few weeks, alongside more familiar markers. The studio has the dumbbells, a cable station and a barbell for carries, holds and pulls, and sessions are private, so you can work at your own level without an audience. You can read more about private 1-1 personal training in Highgate on our service page, or find out about everything else at The Highgate House.
Questions we get asked
Can you improve grip strength in your 60s or 70s?
Yes. Muscle responds to training at any age. Start lighter, progress gradually and allow more recovery between hard sessions.
Is a weak grip a sign of something serious?
Usually it reflects low overall strength or activity. A sudden loss of grip, numbness or weakness on one side is different and needs prompt medical advice.
How often should I train grip?
Two or three times a week, at the end of your normal strength sessions, is enough for most people.
Does carrying shopping count?
It helps, especially if you carry bags in both hands rather than one. A structured carry with a known weight is easier to progress and track.
For a plan that builds strength from your hands to your hips, see our personal trainer page.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready to start training properly? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · Private personal training
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
