Your hands are susceptible to a little wear and tear over the years. Think about it. The amount you spend doing work on the computer and household chores without maintaining the right posture can seriously damage your personal powerful tools. Besides this, there are other reasons why you could experiencing discomfort, pain, or a tingling sensation in your hands.
Hand or finger problems can be a result of repetitive hand movements, osteoarthritis, trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, or even your hand and wrist position. That’s why it’s crucial to build the strength of your fingers. It helps to reduce pain and discomfort.
Having strong fingers will make everyday tasks easier. This can include anything from holding a pen to write to chopping veggies for your meals. Even opening jars will come with ease. You’ll also be able to relieve tension from your hand, wrist, and arm. Here are 6 exercises to work out and strengthen your fingers.
1. Fist Flexes
Make a fist so that your thumb wraps around your fingers. Do not squeeze your hand into a tight fist. Keep it relaxed and comfortable. Hold it for 30 seconds then extend all of your fingers. This completes 1 rep.
Reps: 10
2. Stress Ball Squeeze
Tightly hold a stress ball. Squeeze it as hard as you can! This type of grip will be a workout for the muscles in your fingers. But, be sure to avoid using hard ones like tennis balls. Hold for 5 seconds. To complete 1 rep, release.
Reps: 5 each hand
3. Finger Lift
Place the palm of your hand on a flat surface. Lift your fingers one by one, holding each for 5 seconds. Focus on keeping the rest of your hand perfectly flat. Once you’ve lifted all your fingers, you’ve completed 1 rep. Another variation is to lift all your fingers at once.
Reps: 5 each hand
4. Thumb Touch
Relax your hand. Bend your thumb and pointer finger so that the tips meet. It should create an “O” shape, similar to the “OK” hand symbol. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to the original position to finish one rep.
Reps: 5 each hand
5. Thumb Curve
Turn your hand so that your palm is facing you. Extend and separate all of your fingers. Bend your thumb so that it meets the base of your pinky. It will look like you have counted to 4. Bring it back to the starting position to complete 1 rep.
Reps: 20 each hand
6. Wrist Extension
Let your forearm rest on a rolled-up piece of cloth on a table. Your hand should be hanging off the edge of the table. Now, raise your hand up slowly and bring it back down. Feel a good stretch? This is 1 rep.
Reps: 10 each hand
For best results, do these exercises 3 times a week. You can do them on the bus, at work, or while you’re watching television. It’s a great way to decrease muscle tension and relieve pain!
