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The simple hand grip test is useful for more than establishing physical strength. It may also be an easy way to measure your health risk at home.
The hand grip test isn’t a health assessment activity that’s usually used in a doctor’s office. This little tool is often thought of as a game rather than a legitimate way to evaluate health. As a result, most people associate it with athletes who like to show off their strength. But you can learn a lot more than that from this simple test. To start with, adding it to your health assessment activities will allow you to gather information about certain diseases. And it’s also an easy way to gather more information about your overall health risk.
The hand grip test is a good way to evaluate hand strength. This is important because a number of daily tasks rely on your ability to hold and grip objects. Unfortunately, your hand grip can decline with age or with certain diseases. And when this occurs it can affect every aspect of your day to day life. Hand grip strength is measured using a hand dynamometer. This has a grip end with a curved hand that mimics the pattern of a hand making a fist. A monitor is attached to the other hand and shows the strength of the squeeze in kilograms.
To perform the test, stand up and hold the device in one hand. Your elbow should be bent at 90 degrees to the side of the body. Make sure when you hold the device that your hand is in a neutral position with your thumb facing upwards. Take a deep breath and squeeze as you exhale for 10-15 seconds. Perform a series of squeezes with thirty seconds recovery between each one. Record the highest result.
This test is extremely important if you have Parkinson’s Disease. It can easily and effectively measure the decline of your physical strength as the condition progresses. A recent study tested the effectiveness of tests designed to monitor the advancement of Parkinson’s. These tests included electromyography assessments of arm and leg muscles as well as physical tests such as balance, hand grip strength and gait speed. The researchers found that the results from the physical tests were as informative as the more technology driven tests. And they were also cheaper, easier and quick to perform.
This is an important finding because it would allow people with Parkinson’s to easily and effectively monitor their health at home. And it’s a far less expensive way to do so compared to more modern testing methods.
Hand grip tests may be useful beyond testing the advancement of Parkinson’s. It may also measure your risk of suffering or dying from a stroke, heart attack or cardiovascular disease. An extensive study called the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological study. This used hand dynamometers to measure grip strength. There were nearly 140, 000 adults across 17 countries in this study and it continued for 4 years.
The study found that an 11 pound decrease in grip strength over those four years was a strong indicator of serious health risk. It was linked to a 16 percent higher chance of dying from any cause. People who declined this amount had a 17 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 7 percent higher risk of heart attack and a 9 percent higher risk of stroke. These results held true even after researchers adjusted for other factors that increase health risk. And they also suggested that hand grip strength was a more reliable indicator of heart disease and death then hypertension.
This strong connection suggests that grip strength may measure biological age. This is quite different to your chronological age, or the number of years you have lived. Your biological age indicates how well your body is functioning compared to the expectations created by your chronological age. There are a lot of factors that can influence your biological age. This includes your physical fitness, health status and muscle strength.
Whether you have Parkinson’s or not, the grip strength test is an easy and effective way to measure health. It will help you monitor certain physical conditions as well as overall health risk. That’s why it should be added to your health assessments at home. Using this test, you can identify signs of dangerous conditions earlier than with most other health tests. And this will help you to get the right kind of help early enough to ensure the best possible outcome.
If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: Health risk, Parkinson’s
