Get a Grip! (Seriously)
Why grip strength after 40 matters more than you think!
When you think about staying strong as you age, your hands probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind.
But think about how often you rely on your grip:
👋 carrying groceries,
👋 hauling a suitcase,
👋 gardening,
👋 lifting weights,
👋 or simply twisting off a stubborn pickle jar lid.
When grip strength starts to fade, these everyday tasks become harder.
And many women either avoid them or compensate by straining their wrists, elbows, shoulders, or neck.
That’s NOT the future we’re training for!
If the goal is a long healthspan—years filled with strength, capability, and independence—your grip deserves some attention.
Because surprisingly, the strength in your hands can tell us quite a bit about the strength and health of the rest of you.
Why This Matters
Grip strength is so closely associated with overall health that researchers consider it a valuable biomarker of aging. Lower grip strength has been associated with poorer overall strength and function, falls and fractures, lower bone density, cognitive health, and even a higher risk of mortality. Your grip may be small—but what it tells us about healthy aging is mighty.
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
The good news about grip strength? You don’t need to add another complicated routine to your workout.
Fitness Tip for a Stronger Future
Improve Your Grip Strength
Like any part of the body, the muscles in your hands and forearms get stronger when they’re regularly challenged.
But you don’t necessarily need to spend precious workout time doing endless grip-specific exercises.
A well-designed, full-body strength routine can train your grip naturally every time you hold and control challenging dumbbells or kettlebells.
Think deadlifts, rows, lunges, step-ups, and loaded carries💪
—your legs, back, and core are working while your hands and forearms have to hang on!
As you gradually increase the weight you can safely handle,
you’re building total-body strength AND a stronger, more capable grip at the same time.
Not sure where to begin?
Check out this video👇 for three moves to begin strengthening your grip today!
The Best Way to Improve Your Grip Strength
- Offloaded Marching (10 marches/hand): Use as heavy of a dumbbell as you safely can
- Squat to Overhead Press (6-10 reps/side): Keep your core stable and your grip relaxed through this movement
- Squat to Chopping Lift (6-10 reps/side): This trains a “wider” grip
Extra Tip: When holding the dumbbells, start with a relaxed grip—you do not need to squeeze the handle as hard as possible to build grip strength.
Did You Know...
- Your grip needs recovery, too. Alternating weighted exercises with bodyweight movements can give your hands and forearms a break while you continue training the rest of your body.
- Don’t let a heavy weight pull your shoulder up. Keep your shoulders level and relaxed when carrying weights; shrugging toward your ears can create unnecessary tension through your neck and shoulders.
- 🙌 My FREE Everyday Strength & Mobility Challenge starts this next Monday, 8/31—we’ll be working on more techniques and exercises to improve your grip strength and so much more. Click here to save your spot!
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Healthy eating gets much easier Healthy eating gets much easier when you stop trying to change everything at once.you make fewer food decisions—not more.
Nutrition Tip for a Stronger Future
Incorporate Habit Stacking
Instead of tackling your hardest nutrition habits first,
start with one easy win and build from there.
Begin by drinking more water.
Once that feels automatic, practice eating slowly and mindfully.
Then add PROtein to each meal, followed by PROduce, healthy fats, and leafy greens.
With each habit you master, “stack” another one on top.
Even treats can fit—choose a favorite splurge and truly slow down and enjoy it!
This gradual approach turns healthy eating into a series of manageable behaviors rather than an overwhelming list of rules.
✨ Master one, add another, and let those small habits build into lasting change.
Here’s a great recipe, filled with PRO’s (PROtein+PROduce) and best enjoyed one bite at a time.
Chicken Salad Wrap
More Ideas of Habits to Stack
- Drink a glass of water with each meal to help you eat more slowly
- Add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp hearts to your Greek yogurt berry bowl and notice the crunch of each unique element
- Munch on a handful of baby carrots and grapes with lunch to boost your PROduce
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Whether you’re building a stronger grip or healthier habits, lasting results rarely come from doing everything at once.
Think about grip strength: you wouldn’t grab the heaviest dumbbells on day one and expect your hands and forearms to instantly adapt.
Healthy habits work the same way.
👉 Focus on one manageable change, practice it until it becomes easier,
and then build on it.
This reduces overwhelm, gives you a simple habit to fall back on when life gets busy, and develops patience and perseverance along the way.
There’s wisdom in saying, “I don’t need instant results—I want lasting change.”
So…embrace your spot on Team Tortoise! 🐢
Keep showing up, keep building, and trust that small improvements repeated over time create remarkable results.
Mindset Tip for a Stronger Future
Slow & Steady = Lasting Results
THE TAKEAWAY
A stronger, healthier future isn’t built overnight—it’s built by challenging yourself in small, intentional ways and giving your body and habits time to adapt. What may seem like a small improvement today—whether in your physical strength or daily choices—can compound into greater capability and confidence over time. Keep building, one strong habit at a time.
- Improve Your Grip Strength
- Incorporate Habit Stacking
- Slow & Steady = Lasting Result
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 416 Are You Thinking About HABITS All Wrong? with Monica Packer
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 422 The Only 4 Nutrition Habits You Need to Feel Amazing
SELF CARE SIMPLIFIED PODCAST EP No. 360 THIS is Why Your Habits are Inconsistent!
SPECIAL RESOURCE
Are you ready for a full-body workout that uses a dumbbell so it will naturally help you improve your grip strength? Join me for this 20-minute routine. 👇
Strength Training Workout for MENOPAUSE (1/2)
Until next week... Be strong
