Grip strength is measured with a handheld dynamometer in seconds. And in large cohort studies, it predicts all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and cognitive decline independently of almost every other marker — because the hand reflects the whole organism.
What matters most is the direction over time under the same conditions — is the number trending toward the Fit band, or drifting away from it? Your Radar scores every marker 0–100 on the same four-band continuum you see on your report: Fit (90+), Well (50–89), Short of well (26–49), Sick (25 and under). A score of 25 is the diagnosable line at any age. The values below are the age-40 reference — the bands shift with your age and sex, so use the calculator underneath for your own numbers.
There is nothing magic about the hand itself. Grip strength is a proxy. It correlates with total-body strength, lean mass, neural drive, nutritional status, and mitochondrial health — so it carries signal from every capacity that matters.
In the PURE study across 17 countries and 139,000 people, each 5 kg decrement in grip strength was associated with a 16% increase in all-cause mortality. It outperformed systolic blood pressure as a predictor. It is not the hand — it is what the hand reveals.
Because grip is trivially easy to measure, it is a useful retest every few months. It reflects whether your resistance training is translating into real, whole-body function — or whether you're lifting without strengthening.
Grip lives in Preserve Functionality because it is the clearest low-cost readout of strength as a life trait. And strength, more than almost any other marker, predicts whether you can keep living the way you want to live.
The education above is open to everyone. The specific levers — what to actually do to move this marker — are part of the coaching program. Enter your coach password to unlock, or get in touch about becoming a coach.
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