Living a long, fruitful life has much to do with genetics. But there are so many precautions you can take and ways you can maximize your daily lifestyle to better the odds and boost your health. That includes consuming a nutritious diet and having a solid workout regimen on deck. That said, there’s one specific weighted exercise that’s incredibly beneficial when it comes to training like a beast and adding years to your life. Spoiler alert: The exercise has to do with strength training and grip strength!
Grip Strength Is Linked to Longevity
A study in Finland learned that participants in the group who lived to 100+ were rated to have the best grip strength when compared to other individuals in the group. Grip strength is such an important yet oftentimes overlooked indication of one’s overall wellness. It can help determine one’s biological age, in addition to how the body is performing for its chronological age.
The Clinical Interventions in Aging journal refers to grip strength as “an indispensable biomarker for older adults,” as it measures how much force you use when squeezing an object with your hands. The results are indicative of your muscle strength, which is the result of your nutrition, physical activity, and overall wellness.
Performing strength training is incredibly beneficial throughout life—especially as you age, when sarcopenia is more prevalent. Training with weights helps you manage a healthy weight and chronic conditions, build and maintain muscle muscle mass, develop bone strength, and preserve a good quality of life. As you age, strength training is a must for balance, reducing falls, and preventing injury.
How To Do the Farmer’s Carry
Now, let’s get into an ultra-productive weighted exercise that will help you train like a beast, boost your functional fitness, and add more healthy years to your life. It’s actually quite simple to perform and a must to add to your regimen. Enter, the farmer’s carry.
- First, select your weights. Classic choices include a set of dumbbells or kettlebells. You’ll want to choose something that’s challenging but enables you to maintain solid form. Always start lighter and work your way up.
- Next, stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart, holding a weight in each hand with your arms at your sides.
- Keep your shoulders back and engage your core.
- Start walking for a predetermined distance. You can even set a timer for each set, say 30 to 60 seconds.
- When you’re done, place the weights on the floor at your sides.
- Rest for a bit before repeating.
A few tips for this exercise:
- Be sure the weights don’t bump into your legs as you walk.
- Don’t lean or curve your back; stand straight throughout.
- Take short, deliberate steps, focusing on form over speed.
If you’d like additional exercises to improve your grip strength, consider using hand grippers or doing the plate pinch, towel hangs, wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, grip ball squeezes, forearm planks, finger extensions, and tennis ball squeezes.
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Alexa Mellardo