Keeping your grip strong past 50

Why grip starts to slip

Strength that is not asked for tends to fade, at any age, and the hands are no exception. Chores ask for grip all day, but mostly in short bursts on the same tools. Stiff knuckles in the morning and old injuries play a part too.

You cannot do much about the birthday. You can keep asking the hands to hold on hard, a few minutes at a time, a few days a week.

Five grip moves with what is in the barn

1. Farmer's carry

   Uses: two buckets, filled to a weight you can hold To the gate and back, 3 times

   Crush the handles, shoulders down. Set them down before your grip opens, not after.

2. Bucket hold

   Uses: one full bucket 3 holds of 20 to 30 seconds a hand

   Stand tall and just hold it. Stop when the handle starts to slide.

3. Sack pinch carry

   Uses: a feed sack 2 trips to the gate

   Pinch the top corners with fingertips and thumbs, no fist. Walk slow.

4. Rope pull

   Uses: a rope tied to a loaded sack or an old tire 3 pulls, the length of the rope

   Hand over hand, both hands working the same. Pull it to you; do not lean back on it.

5. Towel wring

   Uses: an old towel or rag 3 slow wrings each way

   Twist like you are wringing it dry, both directions. Good on stiff mornings.

Going easy on stiff, sore hands

• Warm the hands first. Open and close your fists twenty times, or wash up in warm water.
• Thicker handles are easier on stiff fingers. Wrap a bucket handle in an old rag or a split piece of hose.
• Grip work is small muscles. Two or three short sessions a week beat one long one.
• If a joint swells, or the ache lasts into the next day, back off the load and ask your doctor about it.

Grip works with the rest of the body

A strong grip on a tired back still leaves you stuck. Carries are a good grip move because they also work the shoulders, trunk, and legs at the same time. That is why carries show up in every tier.

Carry with both hands, or switch sides each trip. Farm work already loads one side more than the other.