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Movement & Strength · Grip
Grip Strength
Most people assume blood pressure is the more serious number. The research says otherwise.
What it measures
Raw hand grip strength — simple to measure, and one of the clearest proxies researchers have found for overall muscular strength and function across your whole body.
How to do it
A hand dynamometer is the clinical gold standard if you have access to one. No dynamometer at home? A dead hang is the closest low-equipment substitute:
- 01Find a pull-up bar, sturdy beam, or doorframe bar you can hang your full bodyweight from.
- 02Grip it with both hands, feet off the ground, arms straight.
- 03Time how long you can hold on before your grip gives out.
- 04Track the number — the point isn't a pass/fail cutoff, it's knowing where you start.
The research
A study of nearly 140,000 people across 17 countries, published in The Lancet, found grip strength was a stronger predictor of cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality than systolic blood pressure. Blood pressure gets checked at every doctor’s visit. Grip strength almost never does.
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