Do you find that jars and bottles have become harder to open? Or maybe it’s a little more challenging to carry plates and cutlery to the table? If you have, it may be because you’re starting to lose some of your grip strength. Grip strength is precisely as it sounds: it’s a measure of how strong your grip is, and grip is a significant part of everyday life and the ability to look after your own senior care. From simple actions such as opening a door, to more complex tasks such as driving a car—grip strength makes all of these possible.

Why Does Grip Strength Reduce With Age?

Muscle strength naturally declines with age—including those in your hand. However, other factors can play a part, including medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, nerve damage, or tendinitis. In turn, lowered grip strength increases one’s risk of fatal heart problems—likely not from a direct impact on the heart but because it speaks to a general weakening of the body. Additionally, one’s ability to grip often corresponds to one’s cognitive function, though the reason for the link is still uncertain.

How Can You Improve Grip Strength?

To try and improve your grip and, as a consequence, your senior care, incorporate daily hand and finger muscle exercises. Simple actions such as squeezing a soft ball, making a fist and squeezing then releasing, or wringing a wet cloth can help keep your muscles supple. Making crushing or pinching motions can also be beneficial.

Getting older doesn’t have to mean slowing down. At Longhorn Village, a senior care community in Austin, TX, they fully appreciate and support seniors’ desire to live a full and active life. That’s why they offer a wide range of activities—ranging from yoga to swimming—to help you build strength and develop friendships at the same time. If you do have a developing health issue, they offer Life Care: a promise of continued senior care appropriate to your needs whatever they may be, and however often they may change. For more information, visit their website or give them a call at (512) 266-5600.