March 11, 2020

Not shaking hands? Maintain your grip strength

With the guidelines from the WHO of not shaking hands during the coronavirus pandemic, you still need to maintain your hand strength.

Grip strength can help reduce hand and wrist injuries, and researchers at the University of Vienna in Austria suggest that grip strength is a fairly accurate way to measure our overall health as we age.

Tips for maintaining/strengthen your grip.

1. Dead Hang

Hang from a pullup bar, body straight, elbows locked out. Squeeze the bar hard with a full grip, focusing on the ring and pinkie fingers, which tend to be weaker. There should be no space between palms and the bar, Ryan says. Keep tailbone tucked under, with the spine aligned from ears to ankles. Start with 10 seconds, and add time in 10-second increments until you’re hanging 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Farmer’s Walk

Hold a heavy kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand. Squeeze shoulder blades and pull them down to create a “proud chest.” Staring ahead and squeezing triceps, walk 15 to 60 seconds, reset, and repeat twice.

3. Dumbbell Head Hold

In each hand, hold the head of a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell with fingertips, arms at sides. Avoid wrapping thumbs around the head or using palms. Do 3 sets of 10 to 20 seconds.

4. Bricks

Hold a brick, facing down, in each hand for 30 seconds at a time. Increase time as you get stronger.

5. Hand wash

Do multiple sets of vigorous hand-washing throughout the day.