Apparently there's a 'grip test' that you can complete and if you fail it, it's not a good omen for your long-term wellbeing.
It sounds odd but the topic was recently brought up by nutrition expert Ed Jones, as he spoke about how you can conduct it in your own home, and that there is a trick behind how it can benefit your health.
Sharing what he learnt from Dr Peter Attia, who works in longevity medicine and owns a private clinic dedicated to extending the lifespan of patients, Jones said there is a test that 'doctors never ask about', which might mean that your time in the world is shorter than you think.
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On an episode of the Nutrition World Podcast, the expert spoke about the 'grip strength' test, adding: "If you can't hold a dumbbell that's 3/4ths of your weight for one minute, you will die earlier than you would if you were stronger. That beats cholesterol, it beats every blood test.
"How many health professionals have asked you that? None, none."
He added that the grip strength of a person can indicate 'every system of your body', as long as you do it with the right weights.
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"The stronger and resilient body ages slower and has less disease," Jones said.
Other medical professionals also seem to share the same views as nutritionist, Ardeshir Hashmi, MD, a geriatric medicine specialist with Cleveland Clinic, has also weighed in with his own thoughts.
“People with better grip strength age more slowly. Having a good grip strength can slow the process of immunosenescence, or the decline in your immune defense associated with aging.” he revealed.
“It can also improve your ability to bounce back from diseases, or homeostenosis. Finally, it can prevent frailty.”
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Dr Hashimi says that a weak grip strength can show faster ageing, or serve as a warning sign for being at higher risk of chronic diseases - the grip test really does tell all.
But don't worry, there is an age where it can start to decline naturally, according to the doc, and that's around age 50.
However, he has urged people to start exercises before then to maintain their grip strength, such as squeezing a squash ball for 10 minutes a day.
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“With any weight-bearing exercise, you have to be careful not to tax your spine or knees. You don’t have to exercise for two hours every day,” he explained.
Dr Hashmi added: “The research tells us 10 minutes of exercise per day can make a difference. Doing something every day is the most important thing.”
On top of this, he said that a healthy diet and getting enough sleep are important for your health, as long as you want to maintain it as you get older.
Joshua Nair