Is Grip Strength Related to Longevity?
uring a Zoom interview, Maury Purnell, 85, hangs in the air, firmly grasping a trapeze bar, answering questions and smiling, no less. He manages it all in a plaid button-up shirt instead of gym clothes.
“Several of my peers are having health issues,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate with all of that in recent years.” Purnell is enjoying unique health for his age, and research shows a clear relationship between what he’s exhibiting right now—impressive grip strength—and longevity. “It’s a strong marker of risk for future clinical outcomes, most notably premature death,” says Dr. Darryl Leong, a cardiologist at McMaster University in Canada.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should become obsessed with pumping a squeeze ball daily. Despite Purnell’s display of hand strength on the trapeze, he’s never focused specifically on improving his grip. It’s always been a byproduct.
Excerpted from Time
