Grip strength matters more than you think. Here’s how to improve it

Start with five kilogram kettlebells or dumbbells, or “pick a weight that’s heavy enough to make you want to walk faster,” says Rachel Lovitt, a personal trainer in Redmond, Washington. Water jugs with handles also work.

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Pete McCall, the education director for EOS Fitness gyms, also recommended a dead hang – the starting position of a pull-up. “It requires grip strength to control the body’s weight, and it’s good for the shoulders, upper back and core,” McCall says. Beginners should start with 10-second hangs and try to build up to one minute.

The bear walk – which involves walking along the ground on all fours – is another way to strengthen your grip alongside other muscles, says Jarlo Ilano, a physical therapist and co-founder of the online exercise program, GMB Fitness.

“You’re pushing against the ground – using your hands, fingers and wrists – to propel your whole body forward,” Ilano says. He recommended four rounds of two-minute stretches of bear walking, separated by two minutes of rest.

Adjust your existing exercises

The simplest way to strengthen your hands is by modifying exercises you already do. McCall recommended replacing the handle of a rowing machine with a towel or a rope. “You have to hold on tighter, so all the muscles in the hand are forced to work a lot harder,” he says.

Ilano suggested ditching weight lifting gloves – which make it easier to grip – while on machines like the lat pull-down. “You might need to reduce the weight, but it’ll help improve your grip.”

Free-weight exercises – using barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells – are another opportunity to sneak in a hand workout by intentionally increasing your grip. “When I do a bicep curl, I squeeze that dumbbell to work my forearms as well as my biceps,” Lovitt says.

Try an occasional grip-specific exercise

Experts say most people don’t need grip-specific exercises unless they are recovering from an injury or training for a sport like golf or tennis. They suggested limiting these to once a week unless otherwise recommended by a physiotherapy.

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Kristin Valdes, an occupational therapist at Touro University in Nevada, suggested squeezing a tennis ball for five seconds at a time, 10 times in a row, and repeating this for three sets. Isometric exercises like this, where the muscles contract but there’s no movement, “are safer for people with arthritis and other joint issues,” she says.

Another simple exercise that works the wrists and forearms is the towel wring. “Grab a hand towel, soak it, and wring it out until there’s no water left,” says Travis Haywood, the head trainer at F45 Training gym in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Repeat three to five times, switching the direction of wringing halfway through. Or, if you have access to weights, he suggested wrist curls: in a seated position, hold light dumbbells (no more than 1.5 kilograms to start) and rest your forearms on your thighs. Bring your wrists up and then back down with your palms facing the ceiling.

The New York Times

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