Her go-to exercise for doing exactly that? The kettlebell suitcase carry. Indeed, one landmark study published in The Lancet found that lower grip strength was consistently associated with a higher risk of early death—even after accounting for age, physical activity, smoking, body size, and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Notably, the researchers reported that grip strength predicted somebody’s risk of dying better than systolic blood pressure. The single-arm kettlebell suitcase carry, adds Jordan, “also translates directly into everyday activities such as carrying shopping, lifting luggage, or playing with grandchildren, making it a highly functional exercise.” Below, Jordan explains how to do the exercise effectively and safely. It’s particularly effective when performed after your main strength exercises or as part of your core training,” adds Jordan.
As for how heavy a weight you should use for this exercise, Jordan recommends “choosing a kettlebell that feels challenging while still allowing you to maintain perfect posture throughout the walk.” “You should be able to resist leaning to one side, keep your shoulders level and your core engaged from start to finish,” she adds. Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.
She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.
A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
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