Grip strength is simple and gets overlooked

Grip strength is one of the simplest things we can measure, you squeeze a handheld device and get a number in about a minute. In large population studies, lower grip strength tracks with a higher risk of dying early and of losing independence later in life, and in one big international study it predicted outcomes better than blood pressure did. That's an association rather than proof that squeezing harder makes you live longer, but it's a pretty consistent finding. What I like about it is what it stands for. Grip is a quick read on overall strength, and strength is what lets people carry their own groceries and get up off the floor as they get older. It's cheap and easy to repeat, so people have something concrete to watch change over time. For something that simple, I think it gets overlooked.