Can a Firm Grip Signal a Healthy Future?

As we age, we lose muscle strength -- if we lose enough, it can
become difficult to do some of the simple, everyday activities
we're accustomed to doing, like getting dressed in the morning,
taking a bath, eating a meal, even walking from one place to the
next.

Maintaining as much muscle strength as possible may help avoid or
postpone these frustrating problems later in life. According to a
study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,
men with good hand grip strength in "midlife" (45+ years old when
the measurements were taken) reported much less disability related
to muscle strength 20 years later. Specifically, men with weak
original hand grip measurements had more trouble with household
work, slower walking speed, and more difficulty dressing, bathing,
eating, etc., than men with strong grip strength measurements.

In other words, more muscle strength now might mean more muscle
strength (and less frustration) later. This is especially important
because grip strength seems to be a good general indicator of
strength in other areas of the body.

Ask your chiropractor to measure your hand grip strength, and ask
about appropriate exercises that can help you improve and maintain
muscle strength throughout life.

Rantanen T, Guralnik JM, Foley D, et al. Midlife hand grip strength
as a predictor of old age disability. Journal of the American
Medical Association, February 10, 1999: Vol. 281, No. 6, pp558-560.