If you’re a climber, you’re no stranger to grip training. Crimps, slopers, lock-offs—your hands do the heavy lifting every session. But what if we told you your grip strength is doing more than helping you crush projects? According to a recent BBC Future article, it’s also one of the most accurate predictors of overall health and longevity.
Grip Strength as a Health Marker
It turns out that grip strength isn’t just about athletic performance—it’s a powerful biomarker for your long-term physical condition. Studies link it to outcomes ranging from type 2 diabetes and depression to fracture risk and even cognitive health.
One global study found grip strength to be a better predictor of early mortality than blood pressure. Another tracked participants for over four decades and found those with the strongest grips were significantly more likely to live past 100.
So, while grip strength won’t directly keep you from slipping off a chossy slab, it might just help you recover faster from illness—or stay healthier for longer.
The Bigger Picture: Muscle as a Metabolic Engine
Researchers suggest that grip strength reflects overall muscle health—something crucial not just for sending climbs, but for soaking up glucose, resisting insulin resistance, and keeping bones dense. It’s also correlated with DNA methylation patterns linked to aging.
Put simply: strong muscles = better metabolic control = slower biological aging.
What This Means for Climbers
You’ve likely already got elite grip strength—but what about the rest of your body? Climbing develops forearms and upper body explosiveness, but studies suggest a more holistic strength base—legs, core, mobility—can further extend your healthspan.
Even more intriguing, research on cancer patients and older adults shows that strong grips predict better recovery and resilience. So, the next time you’re rehabbing an injury or battling a flu, your climber’s grip might just be working in your favour.
Not Just for the Crag
Grip strength has even been tied to everyday abilities like standing up, walking, and avoiding falls in later life. For older climbers, combining climbing with general resistance training (like kettlebell work, squats, or even “get-up-and-go” mobility tests) could be a game-changer.
And if you’re a younger athlete, take note: screen time and sedentary habits are already chipping away at baseline strength in teens and young adults. Even in strong communities like ours, cross-training and staying active outside of climbing can make all the difference long-term.
Bottom Line
Climbers already know grip strength is essential. But it’s more than a performance metric—it’s a window into your future health. Keep climbing, keep training, but know that every dead hang and lock-off might also be adding years to your life.
Referenced from BBC Future, April 2025.
