The handshake

A Handshake With a Memory

Grip, muscle, and what the bathroom scale misses

Remember when a handshake used to mean something? Not the bone-crusher at a sales lunch. The ordinary squeeze that said, I am here, I can still hold a jar, a grandchild, a railing.

That squeeze is muscle you can feel. In 2010, researchers gathered grip measurements from more than 50,000 people and followed what happened next. Stronger hands went with longer lives. The pattern showed up in people in their fifties, not only in the very old.

Here is what the bathroom scale will not tell you. Two people can weigh the same. One opens the pickle jar. One cannot. Weight with muscle still there is one story. Weight after the muscle has left is another.

Two people can weigh the same. One opens the pickle jar. One cannot.

You do not need a special tool to start. Notice the jars. Notice the gallon of milk. Notice whether you need the arms of the chair to stand up. If those have gotten harder than last year, that is information. Take it with you.

Protein at dinner matters. Using muscle matters more: walking up stairs, carrying grocery bags, a class at the fitness center. Grip strength is a longevity builder - you can start working on that right at the kitchen table.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose or treat anyone. Talk with your own clinician before changing how you exercise.

Further reading for the curious: Cooper R, Kuh D, Hardy R. Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality. BMJ. 2010. Benz E, et al. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity and mortality. JAMA Network Open. 2024.