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Exploring Grip Strength as a Biomarker of Longevity

Grip strength might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about long-term health, but emerging research suggests it should be. Once considered just a measure of athletic performance or physical ability, grip strength is now being recognized as a key biomarker of overall wellness and even longevity. 

This powerful indicator has been linked to everything from cardiovascular health to cognitive function and mobility as we age. The good news? Grip strength is something you can actively support. Today, we’ll break down what grip strength really is, why it matters for your health, and practical ways to improve it.  

What is grip strength?

Grip strength is exactly what it sounds like—your ability to grip, hold, and squeeze objects using the muscles in your hands, wrists, and forearms. It’s most commonly measured using a hand dynamometer, which tests the maximum force you can apply with your grip. 

While it might seem like a niche metric, grip strength plays a role in countless everyday tasks: opening jars, carrying groceries, holding onto handrails, or even typing on a keyboard. It’s also closely tied to overall upper body strength and function, making it an important marker for physical capability across all stages of life. 

There are three main types of grip strength: 

  • Crush grip: the force of your handshake or the ability to squeeze something like a tennis ball
  • Pinch grip: the ability to hold something between your fingers and thumb, like picking up a coin
  • Support grip: your endurance in holding onto something over time, like hanging from a pull-up bar or carrying a suitcase

Grip strength is gaining attention for its deeper connection to health outcomes, especially as we age. 

WHY IS GRIP STRENGTH IMPORTANT FOR OVERALL WELLNESS?

Grip strength isn’t just about muscle—it offers a window into your overall health. In fact, a study published in The Lancet followed over 140,000 people in 17 countries and found that decreased grip strength was more strongly associated with all-cause mortality than even systolic blood pressure. Specifically, the study demonstrated that every 5 kg decrease in grip strength is associated with a 16% increased risk of all-cause mortality.1 While this metric might be shocking, the good news is that grip strength is easy to measure and can be improved.  

IS GRIP STRENGTH A BIOMARKER FOR LONGEVITY?

Yes, more and more evidence has established grip strength as a reliable biomarker for biological age and longevity. A biomarker is a measurable indicator of a biological state and function, and in this case, grip strength serves as a proxy for overall muscle health. 

As we age, maintaining strength in the hands and forearms helps reduce the risk of falls, supports balance and coordination, and preserves the ability to carry out daily tasks. All of these contribute to better quality of life. 

Because grip strength declines naturally with age, proactively supporting it through lifestyle, movement, and recovery strategies—plus incorporating wellness products into your routine—becomes increasingly important. Fortunately, there are science-backed ways to do just that. 

How to Boost Your Grip Strength

Supporting grip strength doesn’t require a full gym setup or hours of training. Instead, it’s about integrating intentional movement, recovery tools, and everyday wellness practices.  

RESISTANCE TRAINING & FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

One of the most effective ways to build and maintain grip strength is through resistance training. Exercises that challenge your grip, such as farmer’s carries, dead hangs from a pull-up bar, and wrist curls, target the small muscles of the hands and forearms while also improving overall physical function. Even simple additions, like squeezing a stress ball or using handheld grip trainers, can make a difference when practiced consistently. Functional, full-body movements like push-ups and planks also help engage the wrist and forearm muscles as they work to stabilize your body. The key is to build grip strength progressively, combining endurance and short bursts of maximal effort to keep muscles challenged and adaptable. 

SUPPORTIVE HABITS FOR HAND HEALTH

In addition to strength training, your everyday habits can play a big role in supporting grip strength over time. Staying well-hydrated helps maintain muscle function and joint mobility, while regular hand and wrist stretching promotes flexibility and circulation. Prioritizing good sleep hygiene allows the body to repair and rebuild muscle tissue overnight, including the smaller muscles responsible for grip. In fact, research has demonstrated correlation between sleep duration and grip strength.  

It’s also important to be mindful of repetitive strain from activities like typing, texting, or gaming—taking short breaks throughout the day can help reduce fatigue and preserve long-term hand health. Together, these habits create a foundation for resilience and strength that lasts.

INCORPORATE INFRARED TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

Whether you’re training to build grip strength or simply looking to maintain it as part of your everyday wellness routine, infrared can be a powerful tool—and a way to enhance the effectiveness of everything else you’re already doing. That’s why, here at CELLIANT®, we call infrared fabrics biohacking’s best-kept secret. CELLIANT infrared-infused fabrics work by converting body heat into infrared energy, which is clinically demonstrated to increase local circulation and improve cellular oxygenation. This boost in blood flow can help muscles perform stronger during exercise and recover more efficiently afterward. 

In other words, infrared technology doesn’t replace your grip-strengthening efforts—it amplifies them. When infrared athletic apparel and gear are worn during resistance training, the IR energy can help support stamina and endurance, including in grip-intensive movements. 

The best part? CELLIANT fabrics are designed to integrate effortlessly into your daily life. Infrared wristbands, baselayers, and sleeves can be worn during workouts, throughout the day, or even while you sleep. Because the technology is embedded in the fibers, it doesn’t wash out, delivering consistent, passive infrared support that works as hard as you do to maintain grip strength. 

Innovate Infrared Solutions to Support Overall Wellbeing

CELLIANT offers ready-made, science-backed infrared technology that can elevate your brand’s products with IR wellness, helping your customers perform stronger, recover faster and sleep better. If you are interested in exploring CELLIANT’s IR solutions, please fill out the form below, and our team will be in touch.  

GET IN TOUCH

1Grip strength and mortality: a biomarker of ageing? Sayer, Avan Aihie et al. The Lancet, Volume 386, Issue 9990, 226 – 227 

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