Millennials are weaker than their parents when it comes to hand grip

As parents, we want kids to have it better than we did.

And so many people work hard to set their children up for success.

But a surprising study finds millennials are lagging behind in a key metric.

As much as they scoff at being called softies, it turns out millennials may be just that.

When it comes to hand strength, research finds men are 22% weaker than their parents were at the same age. Nick Gentleman, 24, is part of that pack and isn’t surprised his generation doesn’t have a grip.

“It’s probably true. They are gripping, like, you know, game controllers and mice more so than, you know, like the shovels that my dad says he was always gripping growing up,” said Gentleman, a millennial.

Fort Myers primary care Dr. Julia Belanger is concerned.

“Twenty to 30 -ish year olds now is getting weaker and weaker, because they’re not moving enough. And part of the not moving enough is the jobs are getting more and more sedentary,” Belinger said.

Grip strength is the amount of force you exert when you clench something and is much more important than a strong handshake. The grip is a big indicator of overall health.

The Cleveland Clinic considers it a biomarker of how you’ll age. From muscle strength to bone density and heart health.

Studies also link a weak grip with weakened brain function.

The key to shifting the momentum is to get moving.

“I’m an advocate of anything that’s gonna make you want to work out more, get the exercise that you need, eat, right? Anything that’s going to challenge people these days to do that is a good thing,” Belanger said.

Gentleman believes sports served him well and he hopes his future children will break the cycle as well.

“I would make sure they were active just like my parents made sure I was active,” he said.

A weak grip is considered under 57 pounds in men and 35 in women.

Experts warn, at this rate kids in the Gen-Z age group will fare even worse than the millennials.