Many of the actions we perform are carried out by our hands and fingers, yet few are aware of the importance of performing exercises to strengthen them. Among the many benefits of introducing this type of exercise into your everyday routine are improving the duration of grip when carrying heavy loads, increasing the range of finger movements, avoiding arthritis and tendonitis, and even maintaining the strength and vital function of the hands, which tend to weaken as we age.
Don’t wait until the last minute and put these next 8 short, effective exercises on your agenda right now to make sure your hands stay strong for years to come.
Although it is a basic and fairly simple exercise, stretching the fingers has many health benefits that result from the fact that we don’t regularly stretch our hands. With a short and effective exercise, you can help increase your range of finger movements, improve the flexibility of your wrist joint and ease the pain that results, among other, from prolonged office work.
While a grip training exercise should be carried out with a flexible silicone ball, there is nothing preventing objects around the house from being used, such as a tennis ball, a soft toy or a cushion. The fruits of perseverance in this exercise can be harvested in a short period of time, such as when carrying shopping bags, squeezing fruit, using a peeler, and more.
Over the years, the palm loses its flexibility, which is reflected, among other things, in reducing the range of movement of the fingers and weakening them. With the simple application of the finger-lift exercise, you will soon experience a significant improvement in movement, an easier ability to stretch the fingers of your hand and an increase in the strength of your hand's overall grip.
When focusing on improving the range of finger movements, it is important to focus also on the thumb, which gains relative independence in the range of its movements from the other fingers and takes a significant part in performing a wide range of tasks. With the following exercise, you can flex the base of the thumb and reduce the time in which it tires during exertion.
Due to injuries, infections, advanced age, and various other reasons, the knuckles may be stiff and short in the range of muscle movement. The advantage of the finger-closing exercise lies in the movement of all the joints, together with the auxiliary muscles of the palm, in a way that helps reduce the pain and make the area more flexible.
When performing exercises to strengthen the hand, it is important not to forget the wrist. This area, especially for those who spend most of their day in front of a computer, tends to ache because of the massive pressure placed on it and mouse usage. The following exercise provides a simple and wonderful way to reduce the risk of muscle and tendon inflammation, relieve local pain and improve joint flexibility.
In addition to exercises meant for grip strengthening, it is also necessary to work on opening the fingers of the hand. All you have to do is wear a rubber band, preferably one that is thick to avoid snapping. By regularly performing this exercise, you can reduce knuckle pain and improve your finger’s range of motion.
You can feel the results of the exercise when lifting heavy objects, especially since in this action the thumb is required to provide great support to the other fingers in order to achieve a strong and long grip.