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Lack of grip strength impairs everyday activities such as grooming, holding utensils, tying a shoe, or driving. Occupational therapy focuses on improving grip strength to a point of sufficient functionality.

Setting goals and incorporating regular, specific grip exercises can lead to successful rehabilitation. Depending on the severity of grip strength loss, these exercises may be done with simple hand stretches or incorporate equipment such as putty, weights, or kettle bells.

 

Strengthening one’s grip can improve everyday functionality for those who have weakened hand strength from arthritis, stroke, or injury. A stronger grip can also improve athletic performance for those involved in grip-related sports such as baseball, tennis, golf, arm wrestling, weightlifting, football, and more. Through regular, hand-specific exercises, grip strength can improve leading to better coordination, agility, and performance.

Donald Dinnie was a Scottish-born athlete known for his superior strength in various events often associated with the Highland Games. The Dinnie Stones are named after him and many athletes still try to match Dinnie’s challenge to lift and carry the 733 pound stones a distance of 17 feet (the width of the Potarch Bridge in Scotland). He was dubbed “The Nineteenth Century’s Greatest Athlete” and competed in thousands of athletic competitions from 1860 to 1912.