Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon, 26, recently revealed that a hand gripper is one essential item he routinely carries in his bag.
Appearing on the YouTube channel 'Esquire Korea' to share his everyday favorites, Park Ji-hoon held up the device and noted, "It’s something I carry around these days. When I’m bored, I fiddle with it like a stress ball, and it feels good because it counts as exercise." He highly recommended it to "people whose wrists aren’t in great shape or who need exercise."
Park Ji-hoon first rose to prominence after placing second on Mnet’s idol survival program Produce 101 Season 2, later debuting with the popular boy band Wanna One. More recently, he has drawn widespread acclaim for his portrayal of King Danjong in the cinematic blockbuster The Man Who Lives With the King, which has surpassed 16 million theatergoers.
Grip Strength as a Barometer for Overall Muscle Mass and Health
The hand gripper favored by Park Ji-hoon is a straightforward tool designed to build forearm strength and hand endurance. Grip strength—the physical force used to grasp and hold objects—does more than just make it easier to lift heavy weights or hang from a pull-up bar for extended periods.
Conversely, individuals with weak grip strength are statistically more likely to lose their balance, making them highly susceptible to falls. A low grip measurement often signals a broader decline in systemic physical strength. This raises the likelihood of severe, impact-related injuries like bone fractures, as the body lacks the muscular buffering needed to sufficiently absorb the shock of a fall. Ultimately, grip strength serves as an accessible clinical indicator for tracking overall muscle mass and systemic vitality.
The Links to Diabetes, Cancer, and Dementia
Maintaining robust grip strength provides critical defensive benefits against chronic disease. A research team at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom analyzed health data from more than 3 million participants, discovering that individuals with low grip strength faced a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and various cancers compared to those with average grip strength.
Stronger hand grip metrics are also tightly coupled with a lower incidence of metabolic disorders like diabetes. A research team led by Professor Choi Eun-young of the Department of Family Medicine at Dankook University Hospital evaluated data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey encompassing 9,190 adults aged 20 and older. The study revealed that participants in the impaired fasting glucose group—a primary prediabetic state—had markedly lower grip strength than those with normal blood sugar profiles. The findings suggest that individuals with diminishing grip strength require more rigorous screening and management for prediabetes.
Furthermore, cognitive decline is closely correlated with upper-body muscular weakness. According to a joint study by Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia, individuals with low grip strength exhibited a dementia-related mortality rate more than four times higher than their stronger peers. Among 1,000 tracked women with an average age of 75, those landing in the lowest tier of grip strength were more than twice as likely to manifest end-stage dementia symptoms compared to those in the highest strength tier.
Simple Strategies to Enhance Hand and Forearm Strength
Fortunately, improving grip strength is highly achievable using portable devices like the one carried by Park Ji-hoon. A hand gripper can be used virtually anywhere by repeatedly squeezing and releasing the mechanism with one hand. When executing this movement, it is important to keep the neck and shoulders relaxed to avoid transferring unnecessary tension.
Beyond specialized grippers, regular resistance training—such as lifting dumbbells and performing pushups—effectively builds hand and forearm power. Utilizing a pliable rubber ball is another practical method: holding the ball with both hands and twisting it in opposite directions, as if wringing out laundry, targets key stabilizing muscles. However, for individuals whose grip strength falls substantially below the population average, fitness professionals recommend starting with foundational compound movements like planks or squats to build core and total-body musculature first.
