A dynamometer is used to measure grip strength. It's an easy,
noninvasive… (Keith Brofsky / Getty Images ) Getting a good grip
on your health may mean … getting a good grip. The force you can
muster when squeezing an object or a weight doesn't only reveal
how strong your hand and arm are. It can be a measure of overall
muscle function and — according to one recent study — even
portend how long you're likely to live. That's not as nutty as
it seems, says Richard Bohannon, a professor of physical therapy
at the University of Connecticut. "Grip strength reflects your
overall muscle status and a general sense of how much muscle
mass you have" he says. "If you have more muscle in your upper
body, you probably have more in your lower body as well." And if
your muscles are wasting, you're further down the road to
frailty. The readings naturally change with time: A woman age 30
to 34 has an average grip strength of 70 pounds, Bohannon says,
whereas an 80- to 84-year-old woman has an average grip strength
of 37.6 poun