It’s one of those things that’s so important, yet so underrated: grip strength. Always in the background of all your healthy endeavors, yet rarely ever thought about, right? But in 2018, researchers conducted a study of more than 2 million healthy Americans to determine what, if anything, could signal your risk for early, unexpected death—from any cause, too (what they call all-cause mortality). Surprisingly, they found that the stronger your grip was, the less at-risk you were.

For those that have recently struggled to open a pickle jar, this could be cause for alarm. And for good reason. Health-focused publications, local news outlets, and even late night TV shows alike have long touted the  pickle jar test” as an effective means of measuring your overall well-being. Hell, in 2016, when she was running for president, Jimmy Kimmel jokingly made Hillary Clinton twist the top off a jar of Vlasic pickles to prove she was fit for the job.

“Can you open this jar of pickles?” he asks. “This has not been tampered with.” He watches nervously as she grunts and bends, but she eventually gets it off. As a nod to her “passing” the test, he lifts the lid, shows it off to the audience, and they cut to commercial.

That may have been a bit for TV, but for many, failing the test is a warning sign: “grip strength is a functional indicator that represents the intrinsic capacity of the older population,” a paper published in science journal Frontiers reads.

It's no secret that we lose muscle mass as we age, but this isn't a far-off occurrence that kickstarts once you retire. Muscle loss actually begins in your 30s, and if you plan to live a long, healthy life, your grip strength should be a primary focus—not just so that you can toss a baseball with your grandkids, but so that you can catch yourself if you fall, carry in your own groceries, and prepare a guest bed when family visits. These are all small, mundane tasks of life, but with a weakened grip, they become significantly more difficult—and all the more risky. Think of it this way: If your grip strength is compromised, you're more likely to drop that heavy grocery bag, trip, and fail to catch yourself, landing in the 25% of older adults that report falling each year. For context, that's more than 15 million falls, which are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older.

For those in their 20s, 30s, or 40s, now's the time to start improving your grip strength. The added bonus is that it's also key for bigger lifts and more impressive training gains. Because if you can't hang onto the pull-up bar, or squeeze that dumbbell tightly, you're not going to keep crushing your personal records. Thankfully, there are countless grip strength tools to try, but there are also several in-gym modalities you can return to during your visits. They'll not only ensure you build a vice-like grip, but they'll tone your forearms and all but guarantee you'll give a seriously impressive handshake.