The 8 Best Grip-Strength Exercises for Better Hand Health and Fitness

You might think grip strength only matters when opening a jar of pickles, lifting weights, or playing a sport like tennis. But it can actually provide a snapshot of your overall health and well-being. In fact, research suggests that grip strength may be a better indicator of heart health and longevity than blood pressure. 

That means that grip-strength exercises should be part of your fitness routine. Adults of all ages can build upper-body muscle power that makes it easier to do daily activities and workouts. 

You can practice grip-strengthening activities as part of your weekly strength-training workouts. You'll have a firm grip and possibly a longer, healthier life to show for it. 

What is grip strength?

Grip strength refers to how much force your hand, wrist, and forearm muscles can exert to grasp an object. There are several types of grip strength, including: 

• Crush grip: This measures how hard you can crush an object between your palms and fingers when doing things like squeezing a bottle of ketchup or swinging a baseball bat.

• Support grip: Your support grip is how long you can hold onto an object. It's important for activities like carrying groceries or doing pull-ups. 

• Pinch grip: Pinch grip is how hard you can pinch an object between your fingertips and your thumb. You use it when holding things like a pen or pencil. 

Healthcare professionals like physical therapists measure hand grip strength with a dynamometer. During a grip-strength test, you squeeze the handheld device as hard as you can several times with each hand. Your healthcare professional will average the scores to measure your grip strength. 

Many gyms have dynamometers. You can also buy one online or use a scale at home to test your grip strength and track improvements. Note that average grip strength varies by age, sex, and dominant hand. 

How to improve grip strength

You might not think about your hand muscles when planning strength-training workouts. But exercises that target your hand and forearm muscles can improve grip strength. And some of those moves might already be part of your fitness routine. For example, functional exercises –– such as deadlifts, woodchops, and lat pulldowns –– engage your hands and other muscle groups. 

Focus on proper form to get a hand grip workout during your strength-training sessions. For example, you want a light grip to hold the handle of a rowing machine. Your hand and forearm muscles will get a workout as you engage upper- and lower-body muscles. You should also practice maintaining proper grip during free-weight exercises like a bicep curl or kettlebell swing. 

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Grip-strength exercises to increase hand strength

Here are eight forearm- and hand-strengthening exercises you can try at home.

1. Tennis ball squeeze

Squeezing a tennis ball might not seem like exercise. But it's a great way to engage your wrist and finger flexors and improve your crush grip. You can also use a foam stress ball for this exercise. 

• Step 1: Hold the ball in your right hand with your palm face up and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle. 

• Step 2: Use your four fingers to clench the ball as hard as you can. Do not use your thumb for this exercise.

• Step 3: Hold the squeeze for 5 seconds and release it. 

• Step 4: Clench and release 10 times, then repeat steps 1 through 3 with your left hand. You can practice this exercise 5-10 times a day. 

2. Towel wringing

This exercise works your crush grip and strengthens the muscles needed for support grip. You can start this move with a small hand or face towel and then work your way up to a larger towel. 

• Step 1: Wet a towel and hold it horizontally in front of you, grasping each end. 

• Step 2: Twist each end of the towel in opposite directions to wring out the water. 

• Step 3: Repeat steps 1 through 3 up to 5 times. 

3. Reverse wrist curls

Reverse wrist curls work your forearm muscles to increase grip strength. 

• Step 1: Sit upright on a bench, and hold a barbell in both hands with your palms down in an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body). You can also hold a dumbbell in each hand.

• Step 2: Lean forward and rest your forearms on your knees.

• Step 3: Keep your forearms on your legs and lift the weight, bending your wrists back. 

• Step 4: Slowly lower it, letting your wrists curl down.

• Step 5: Complete 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

4. Farmer's carry

The farmer's carry or farmer's walk is an excellent way to work the muscles for a firm support grip. It targets several upper-body muscles, including the forearms, biceps, and triceps. You can use dumbbells or kettlebells.

• Step 1: Hold a dumbbell in each hand. These should be heavy, so pick the heaviest weights you can handle. 

• Step 2: Stand up straight with your shoulders, back, and core tight.

• Step 3: Walk the length of a room (30 to 40 yards) and back. If the exercise feels too easy, it may be a sign that you need to use heavier weights. 

• Step 4: Repeat 3-4 times.

5. Plate pinch

As the name suggests, the plate pinch helps strengthen the pinch grip muscles.

• Step 1: Stand with the side of a 5- to 10-pound weight plate resting against your calf. 

• Step 2: Squat down and grab the plate, using four fingers on the outside and your thumb on the inside to pinch it.

• Step 3: Stand up and hold the plate for 10 to 15 seconds before squatting down to rest.

• Step 4: Repeat 10-20 times on each side. You can increase the weight or walk while pinching the plate to up the intensity. 

6. Dead hang

This exercise engages the forearm and hand and wrist flexors to improve your support grip. 

• Step 1: Start under a pull-up bar with your back straight. Raise your arms to grab the pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your palms facing away from your body.

• Step 2: Hang with your arms straight and your core engaged for 20 seconds, or as long as you can.

• Step 3: Repeat 5-10 times.

7. Pull-ups

Pull-ups can strengthen your support and crush grip. They work muscles in your arms, shoulders, chest, and back. This exercise can be hard to master, so you might want to start with dead hangs before advancing to pull-ups. Then slowly work your way up to more reps. 

• Step 1: Stand under a pull-up bar with your back straight. Raise your arms to grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

• Step 2: Bend your elbows and lift your body until your chin is at or just above the bar. Hold for a moment and try to avoid swinging your body.

• Step 3: Lower yourself down to the starting position. 

• Step 4: Start with 3-5 pull-ups and work up to 10-12.

8. Exercise for hand grippers

You can also use a hand gripper to strengthen hand, wrist, and forearm muscles. A gripper is a handheld tool with two handles and springs that uses resistance to work your muscles. 

• Step 1: Hold a hand gripper in your right hand, with four fingers wrapped around one handle and your thumb around the other. 

• Step 2: Use your fingers to slowly squeeze the handles together and hold for a few seconds. 

• Step 3: Release the hold. The movement should be slow and controlled. 

• Step 4: Complete 10 reps on each hand. 

What causes poor grip strength?

Your dominant hand will often have a stronger grip because you use it more. But there are several reasons you can have reduced grip strength in one or both hands. These include: 

• Recent hand injuries like carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or a hand fracture 

• A pinched nerve in your neck that causes numbness, tingling, and weakness in one arm and hand

• Aging, as research suggests that grip strength peaks around age 40 and starts to decline with increasing age after that 

• Medical conditions such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease 

Why is grip strength important?

Grip strength is important for many reasons, including your ability to do daily activities with ease. Numerous everyday activities –– such as turning door handles, carrying groceries, writing, and getting dressed –– require grip strength. A firm grip is also essential for exercising and playing sports. 

Beyond that, grip strength can predict overall muscle strength and endurance as well as bone density and your risk of falls and fractures. But it can also tell you about other aspects of your health and how well you're aging. 

In a 2015 study, researchers examined the connection between grip strength and mortality in 140,000 adults. They found that poor hand grip strength was linked to a higher risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and death.

Your grip is also an indicator of cognitive and mental health. A 2022 study found that increased grip strength was associated with better cognitive function, less depression and anxiety, and higher life satisfaction.

Experts aren't sure why grip strength is a predictor of future health. According to some researchers, it has to do with a link between low muscle strength and increased biological aging. Though research is ongoing, it's clear that grip strength is critical for older and younger adults alike. 

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Written by:

Kim Grundy, PT

Kim Grundy, PT, is a licensed physical therapist and an experienced writer and editor. She worked at an outpatient orthopedic facility, where she treated patients with chronic conditions and post-surgical athletes working towards recovery.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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