In a recent study published in the Journal of Hand Therapy (who knew?), researchers from the Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina found that people under the age of 30 have weaker hand strength than people back in 1985.
The researchers were looking for ways to improve treatments for sever hand injuries and stumbled upon the findings about millennials and their hand power.
The researchers asked almost 240 men and women under 30—most 20 to 24 years old—to exert as much force as they could on a hand dynamometer, which measures grip force in pounds. On average, men’s hand strength decreased by 20 pounds, and women’s hand strength decreased by 10 pounds.
The culprit? Probably a combination of increased technology use at home and at work, and less manual labor. “As a society, we’re no longer agricultural or manufacturing,” Elizabeth Fain, an occupational therapist and lead author of the study, told NPR. “What we’re doing more now is technology-related, especially for millennials.”
There are less farmers and more programmers. Also, technology makes your hands weak as hell. Years of typing on a keyboard have turned my fingers into wet noodles.
Here are some exercises to help improve your grip. Or you can just get a farm gig.
[via Quartz]