What Your Grip Strength Says About Your Health
Learn why a strong grip is a better indicator of heart health than blood pressure.
Do you associate a firm handshake with a strong character? It turns out a strong grip can also say a lot about your heart health.
In a recent study, researchers measured grip strength in almost 140,000 adults in 17 countries, and then followed these individuals’ health for about four years. When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that for each 11-pound decrease in grip strength, an individual had a 17% greater risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. Furthermore, the change in grip strength was a better predictor of death than blood pressure.
This association between grip strength and heart health isn’t new—previous studies have returned similar findings. But this new study is the largest ever done on the topic, and the fact that the results remained consistent across all income levels and nationalities is significant. Many physicians are now considering grip strength as an easy and inexpensive test to assess patients’ risk of cardiovascular disease.
How to Build Your Muscle Strength & Protect Your Heart
A weak grip is associated with poor muscle strength throughout the body. And of course, the heart is a muscle! Taking the following steps can not only support your grip strength, but also deliver more general heart-protective benefits.
Exercise: If you don’t use your muscles, you’ll lose them. Experts recommend doing resistance training two to three times per week, with days off in between for rest and recovery. Remember, lifting weights isn’t the only way to build muscle. You can also use resistance bands or exercises that use your own body weight as the resistance.
Eat Right: Nutrients are important for building and maintaining muscle mass. Be sure you get plenty of protein from healthy sources like lean meat, fish, beans, and nuts, as well as enough Vitamin D. Our injectable nutrients and supplements can also help with muscle building and maintenance.
Balance Your Hormones: Hormone decline makes it easier for your body to store fat, and harder to build muscle. Resetting your hormones to more youthful levels with hormone replacement therapy will make it much easier to maintain a healthy body composition. Having properly balanced hormones is also cardio-protective for both men and women.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Deep, restful sleep is essential for muscle recovery after a workout. Poor sleep is stressful to your entire system. If you aren’t sleeping enough, balancing your hormones can help.
If you’d like to learn more about better aging, please contact Renew Youth™ today. We have numerous treatments and programs that are designed around finding the new you.
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