Do you have pain and discomfort in your hands and wrists?
I have arthritis in my left hand and I know it affects my grip strength. So I make sure I do exercises to keep my hands strong.
Because…..
Grip strength is considered an indication of our overall health, fitness levels, and well-being.
This is because the strength of the muscles in our hands is associated with our overall muscle strength and endurance.
Strong hands= Strong Body and vice versa
They go hand in hand 
The exception to this would be hand injuries and arthritis in the hands.
Our grip strength influences our capacity to do all the things we need to do in our lives. Because we use our hands for almost everything do in life.
This is called our functional abilities. From opening jars to carrying the shopping to getting up and down off the loo to getting in and out of the car to picking up our grandkids.
Having good grip strength is especially important as we get older.
Because we lose progressively more muscle mass with each passing year.
So we need to be mindful of keeping our hands strong.
Studies have shown that low grip strength is also associated with chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Increased risk of falls, frailty, low bone density (osteoporosis), poor posture and balance.
Good grip strength is related to enhanced longevity and a better quality of life.
So, the stronger our grip strength the greater our lifespan and our health span.
The good news is that we can do a lot to build our grip strength. So we can keep up with all the things we do in our lives. So, we keep functionally active.
Grip strength is improved as part of a well-structured cardio and resistance training routine.
There are specific exercises you can do to build the muscle in your hands.
One of the types of equipment we use at Prime Active is a weighted soft ball. This is a squashy vinyl ball with sand in it. We use these a lot in class and I encourage people in class to squeeze the ball regularly.
I have explored a number of options to work the muscles in both of my hands. Apart from the weighted soft ball squeezing, I find the hand exercise putty really helpful.
This is like play dough and you squeeze it. The putty has made my hands so much stronger, even with arthritis.
The one I use is Theraputty.