If your paycheck depends on your body strength, here is one important measure of body fitness: Your grip .
Researchers now consider grip one of the best overall health indicators. Low grip strength is linked to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline.
Notice whether you struggle to open jars, or if your hand cramps after tool use.
For a real number, a hand dynamometer runs about $25 online.
Average healthy grip is roughly 72 pounds for men ages 20 to 40 and 44 pounds for women.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
