Every so often a gadget lands in the middle aisle that makes me sit up a little straighter, and this week it's Lidl's turn. According to the Mirror's report, the budget supermarket will release a Hand Grip Exerciser priced at £3.99, with a two-for-£6 offer if you want one for each hand (or one for you and one for the spouse who keeps borrowing your stuff, and we all have one of those). The Mirror's headline says the gadget arrives Thursday and claims it "helps lower high blood pressure."

A supermarket gadget carrying a health claim, I know. But there is actually some research in this general area. Isometric grip training, where you squeeze and hold, has been studied for years as a way to nudge blood pressure down, and the results are more interesting than you'd expect for what is essentially a squeeze toy. I'd encourage you to look into the studies yourself rather than take my word for it, or the Mirror's. That's my standing advice for any health claim attached to a product, no matter how sensible it sounds.

Lidl hasn't shared much in the way of specifications, so I can't tell you yet whether this one has adjustable resistance or any bells and whistles. Let me tell you, though: I'm hoping it doesn't. After years of reviewing smart gadgets that demand a Wi-Fi password before they'll boil an egg, my suspicion is that a £3.99 grip trainer will be gloriously simple. But that's my expectation, not a confirmed fact, and I'll update you once I've seen one in person.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: technology, even the low-tech kind, should work for you and solve an actual problem. A £3.99 grip trainer that might help your blood pressure and definitely helps your grip strength does exactly that. No setup wizard, no firmware update at 2 a.m., nothing to forget to charge. I remember when gadgets used to just... work, right out of the box.

A word of gentle caution, though, and this is the motherly part. If you actually have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise routine, even one that looks this harmless. That's a conversation worth having regardless of what the research says, because your doctor knows your numbers and I don't. This is a supplement to good medical care, not a replacement.

One more thing: in my experience, middle aisle deals like this tend to move fast, and I wouldn't be surprised if these are gone within days of arriving. If Thursday's date holds and you want one, go early. I've watched my sister-in-law lose a heated air fryer over less. And if you miss it, basic grip trainers are easy to find elsewhere for not much more money, though the two-for-£6 deal is a nice touch. My physiotherapist sister insists you should train both hands evenly, so according to her professional opinion that second unit counts as equipment, not a spare.