Are your fingers weak? Do you need to use them to carry out some activity that requires flexibility? Do you want to have a better grip when grabbing jars, lids and slippery objects? Do you need a good grip on rocks when climbing or dumbbells when lifting weights? Performing the right exercises improves the flexibility, elasticity and strength of the joints to be able to carry out all types of activities: from the basic ones of daily life to those that require a higher level physical commitment.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Warming the Fingers
Step 1. Do some warm up
It is an important step in any physical activity routine and fingers are no exception.
Step 2. Massage the back and palm of your hand
Massage your hand with slow, circular movements with your thumb, exerting medium-deep pressure, but without pain.
Proceed for a minute or two to loosen and warm the hand muscles; this allows you to get the most benefit from the physical routine
Step 3. Bend each individual finger
Bring it back until you feel a slight stretch and then fold it back individually again, without getting to the point of pain.
Step 4. Dip your hands in warm water
Soaking them for about ten minutes before starting the exercises helps to warm them up and increases their flexibility.
Putting them in a warm paraffin bath can also be very helpful
Method 2 of 3: Perform Finger Stretching Exercises
Step 1. Keep your fist closed
Make the fist, but keep the outer thumb over the other fingers, without hiding it; hold this position for thirty seconds or a minute and then release, stretching and extending your fingers. If possible, start by doing four repetitions of this movement.
- If at first you can't do four repetitions, don't worry, you have to get as far as you can, without straining your muscles; with time you will naturally be able to increase the number of movements.
- Talk to your doctor or physical therapist before increasing the recommended number of repetitions to avoid the risk of forcing your hands.
Step 2. Press your hands on a flat surface
Place the palm of your hand on a table and try to flatten it as much as possible; hold the position for 30-60 seconds and then release. Start with four repetitions if possible.
Step 3. Crush a soft ball
One exercise to improve grip strength is to hold a soft ball in the palm and squeeze it hard for five seconds before releasing the pressure. Continue for 10-15 repetitions and perform the exercise two or three times a week; It is important to rest a couple of days between sessions.
Don't do this exercise if you have any thumb injuries
Step 4. Do the "claw" stretch
During the exercise you have to put your hands in front of you so that you can see their palms; bend your fingers to rest the tips on their respective bases; in this position, the hands look a bit like the paws of cats. Hold the position for thirty seconds to a minute before releasing the tension. If you can, do four repetitions.
Step 5. Touch your thumb with each other finger
Moving one at a time, bring the tip of the finger towards the tip of the thumb, making sure that each time the fingers join together forms an "O"; you should repeat four times.
You can also perform the exercise by bringing the tip of the thumb towards the tips of the other fingers; in this case, the shape of the fingers looks more like an oval or an egg
Step 6. Do exercises to strengthen the grip between the fingers
Pinch some plasticine or a soft ball between the fingertips and the thumb. hold the pressure for 30-60 seconds and do 10-15 reps if possible. You can do the exercise two or three times a week, respecting a couple of days of rest between the different sessions.
Do not proceed with this practice if you have any thumb injuries
Step 7. Do the finger lift
Place your hand on a flat surface with the palm facing down, lift your fingers, one at a time, and lower them; at the end, lift them all together and then lower them again. Repeat four times.
Step 8. Insert the use of a rubber band
Wrap a rubber band around the hand, at the base of the fingers; Extend your thumb and hold tension before returning it to the starting position. If possible, do 10-15 repetitions; you can safely do the exercise two or three times a week, but let your hand rest for two days between sessions.
Step 9. Touch the thumb to the little finger
Bring your hand out in front of you, stretch your thumb outward, as far away from your hand as possible, but don't feel uncomfortable. Then, fold it inwards, stretching it along the bottom of the palm until it touches the base of the little finger; hold the position for 30-60 seconds. In the beginning, do four repetitions.
Step 10. Do the abduction and adduction exercises
This means squeezing your fingers and then moving them apart by spacing them as much as possible from each other. Interlace them and try to push one hand away as you squeeze the fingers of the other hand in an attempt to maintain the intertwining.
To strengthen the grip between the thumb and the tips of the other fingers, you can put a piece of paper between the thumb and the fingertip, press it and with the opposite hand pull the paper in an attempt to remove it
Method 3 of 3: Training Your Fingers and Grip for More Strenuous Activities
Step 1. Do both isometric and dynamic strength exercises
Climbers, bodybuilders and other people who use their hands and fingers for strenuous physical activities should train them to increase their strength. The key aspect of this type of exercise is finding the right balance between isometric and dynamic activity.
- By isometric activity we mean maintaining a static position for a certain period of time. The climber who hangs from a rock while choosing the next movement is an example of an individual who performs an isometric activity.
- Dynamic activity consists of moving a certain part of the body while supporting a weight. Pushups are the most striking example; you can observe how the arms move as they lift and support the body.
- Alternating bar suspensions (isometric) and push-ups (dynamic) is an exercise that offers both opportunities. You can also choose to do custom pull-ups on the bar that involve the fingers, keeping the grip more with the fingertips than with the palms.
- When doing exercises where the hands / palms have to bear the weight of the body (push-ups, plank, etc.) you need to make sure that you take the pressure off your knuckles and fingertips and not your wrists, otherwise you could injure them.
Step 2. Focus on the tendons
These are the tissues that connect muscles with bones and allow movement to be transferred. The strength of the fingers is a characteristic more related to that of the tendons that connect them to the muscles of the forearm, rather than to other factors. Tendons need more time to strengthen and wear out quite easily, so it's important to stick to a regular training regimen.
You can do further research to learn how to reinforce these structures
Step 3. Practice focusing on the grip
One of the simplest ways to train your fingers is to pay attention to the grip rather than just the forearms or biceps muscles; when you transfer most of the load to your arm muscles, your fingers don't work much, even if you're using your hands to lift the weight.
Step 4. Maintain a hammer grip when lifting weights
The palms of the hands should be facing each other during the lifting movement. This grip is used very often with dumbbells, because it forces the fingers to support the weight instead of letting it unload on the palms; this technique forces you to tighten your grip as you perform several repetitions, working the tendons of the fingers and the muscles of the forearm associated with them.
Step 5. Increase the width of the grip
This is another way to maintain focus on the tendons of the fingers and the muscles of the forearm. Maintaining a wider grip means having to squeeze your fingers more so as not to drop the tool. You can buy special grips, such as Fat Gripz, to increase the circumference of the handle of the bar, dumbbells or barbell, or you can simply wrap it with some household item, such as a towel.
Step 6. Use spring clamps for training
It's probably not as challenging an exercise as lifting heavy weights, but a pair of old spring forceps can be a great support for exercising your fingers. If you can't get them, you can also hit a tennis ball, squash ball, or other piece of equipment you have at home that can do the same thing.
Step 7. Train progressively
Don't start by doing chin ups with just a few fingers on each hand or other exercises that are beyond your fitness level right away. If you injure your tendons, a long period of rehabilitation is required and you are often unable to return to your previous physical condition; the best thing to do is to train gradually. Strengthening your fingers is a slow process, so you have to start calmly and gradually develop an increasingly demanding routine over several months and not weeks.
Advice
- Try rolling a dime in your knuckles to increase strength and agility.
- People with arthritis or other chronic hand joint disease can benefit from this type of exercise.
- Those who have particularly weak hands - for example, patients who have suffered a stroke - may find it very useful to follow a regular routine of these exercises, in order to regain use of the hand (or hands) affected by the disorder.
- Put your fingers on the keyboard of a piano and, without moving the others, press one key at a time four times; this is very useful for increasing its elasticity.
- Consider playing a stringed instrument, such as a violin, cello, guitar, viola, bass, or double bass.
Warnings
- People who have experienced hand or thumb injuries or suffer from osteoporosis should consult a doctor or physical therapist before starting this or any other exercise routine.
- The American organization Kaiser Permanente recommends that you consult your doctor or physiotherapist before starting any type of home rehabilitation program; a professional helps you choose the best exercises for your specific needs.
- The US National Institute on Aging, which studies aging and related diseases, says it's okay to try to push your limits to get better. However, if any of the exercises cause severe pain, it is a sign that you are overdoing it and that you may be injured; in this case, it is advisable to follow a slow and constant procedure.
- The same institute also states that improvement varies widely from one patient to another. However, when you can, for example, easily perform 10-15 repetitions of an exercise without pain, you can add another set.
