Ep 151: How to Improve Your Grip Strength (and why it matters)

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and her occasional co-host, Dani Alexander (an occupational therapist), explore the importance of grip strength for people of all ages. They discuss therapeutic interventions, such as weighted pencils and play-dough, to improve hand strength and sensory input. They also touch on the impact of weak grip strength on daily tasks and emphasize the need to incorporate grip-strengthening activities into everyday routines. Join Katy and Dani as they delve into the connection between grip strength, overall well-being, and maximizing our physical abilities. Episode Overview: 0:00:01 Introduction and mention of previous New York Times features 0:03:31 Recap of a previous podcast episode on grip strength 0:06:18 Concerns about grip strength from a professional perspective 0:08:26 Therapeutic Interventions for Children 0:10:40 Play-Doh for Increasing Intrinsic Hand Strength 0:13:20 Thera Putty as a Therapy Tool for Adults 0:16:04 Importance of Hand Strength in Everyday Life 0:24:05 Creating Playgrounds with Obstacle Courses for Kids 0:27:04 Importance of diversity in hand use and overuse injuries. 0:29:30 The technicality of different hand grips and their importance. 0:30:39 Nourishing the Hands and Feet 0:32:08 Wondering about the absence of someone in the bathroom 0:34:30 Exploring the use of Therapuddy for hand strengthening 0:36:54 Multiple approaches to hand training and arm strength development 0:39:05 Assessing daily hand movements and seeking inspiration from others 0:41:09 Grip Translates to All Finger and Hand Movement 0:42:10 The Importance of Grip Strength in Daily Tasks 0:44:16 Decline in Strength and Its Impact on Therapy Norms 0:45:40 Lowering the Norms: A Frightening Shift in Fitness 0:48:51 The Transcendence of Movement: Beyond Individual Body Parts 0:49:41 A Salute to an Amazing Friendship