Have you ever tried to open a jar without success? You know what I’m talking about, that huge jar of pickles, you grab it, twist it, bang it on the counter, and still, the lid doesn’t budget. Of course, enter superman who takes the jar and twists the lid off with no effort at all (I always say I loosened it first). Funny or sad, it is what it is right?

Well, not to be a total downer, it isn’t funny at all! According to a recent study, hand grip strength in middle age was associated with dementia among men and women. Seriously? Remember when everyone had their silver tooth fillings removed because we were told that over time, they could cause dementia? The researchers also found that muscle strength in older age has been linked to other negative health outcomes!

Yes, I am beating the “get healthy” drum again! If researchers can spoon-feed us with information that may impact our quality of life in the future, why not jump on the chance to make measurable changes to our lifestyle? You don’t need to join a gym or run a marathon, think of simple, everyday things that you can do to improve overall muscle strength and get going! Stay the course, stay well and stay informed!