A Hands On Approach

Want to increase your brain power? Get a grip! A recent study by researchers at U.K. Biobank found that people with significant grip strength tended to have “healthier” brains.

In the study, over 475,000 participants raging in age from 37 to 73 were tested by undergoing hydraulic dynamometer grip strength tests on both hands, followed by 15-minute computerized assessments in five essential brain function categories, including visual memory, number memory, prospective memory, reaction time and reasoning ability.

The results were significant, showing a definitive correlation between grip strength and brain function, including subjects with schizophrenia. What does this mean for the rest of us? Grab a dumbbell, barbell, or even a kettlebell at the gym, and grab it hard! Climb a rock, or a wall, or heck, a rock wall! Open that jelly jar yourself instead of handing it off to Smartypants McGripperson. Your brain will thank you for it!

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Photo Credit:  Marian Fil / Shutterstock.com