You can’t imagine living without your hands, can you? However, many of us are guilty of neglecting these important tools until we start to experience problems with them.
Don’t make the same mistake. Below, we’ve listed five tips from our orthopedic specialists here at Total Orthopaedic Care for exercising the hand so as to improve its strength, dexterity, and overall function as well as to keep injuries at bay.
Tip #1 Warm Up Your Hands.
As with exercising other areas of your body, it’s best to give your hand a good warmup. A light stretching exercise prior to your main routine helps prepare your muscles and other soft tissues and combat repetitive stress, thereby reducing your risk for hand strains or sprains.
Tip #2 Be Consistent.
It’s better to do gentle hand exercises consistently than to do intense ones irregularly. Regular exercise allows your hands to acclimatize to a specific level of activity, helping prevent muscle tightness and fatigue. Once your hands have adapted, that’s when you gradually increase the intensity of the exercise.
Tip #3 Develop a Bone-Crushing Grip.
Did you know that your grip can be an important indicator of not only your strength but your overall health? A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research established that grip strength is a predictor of muscular endurance and overall strength. There are other studies that have shown that a stronger grip correlates with a lower risk for serious health problems like heart attack and stroke.
To build a powerful grip, our experts recommend the following:
- Consolidating your workouts – Train your grip at the same time you train your entire body by incorporating heavy deadlifts, bodyweight rows, and pull-ups.
- Training your grip often – All the lifting you do in the gym is an opportunity for you to train your grip. Incorporating pulling and lifting in your routine not only strengthens your grip but also your forearm.
- Using a towel – Simply using a towel is a challenging yet fun and noncommittal way to potentially strengthen your grip.
Tip #4 Grab that Squeeze Ball.
Dexterity refers to your ability to carry out precisely coordinated movements of your fingers of one or both of your hands to grasp, manipulate, or putting up very small objects.
Using a squeeze ball allows you to target the muscles in your fingers, wrist, and thumb flexors. The rhythm from repetitive squeezing can help increase both your finger dexterity and grip strength.
Tip #5 Don’t Neglect Pain.
If you experience discomfort or pain when exercising your hand, stop. Pain is essentially your hand’s way of telling you you’ve pushed it too hard.
Pain due to overuse should go away once you’ve rested your hand. Otherwise, get it checked by an orthopedic doctor, especially if it is accompanied by difficulty gripping, numbness, swelling, pins and needles sensation, stiffness, or weakness.
Outstanding Orthopedic Care in Pembroke Pines and Lauderdale Lakes, FL
If you experience persistent hand pain, visit us here at Total Orthopaedic Care. Our highly qualified and skilled orthopedic doctors deliver the best possible treatment outcomes for the full range of musculoskeletal problems, including those that affect the hand. We also offer on-site physical therapy services and many other ancillary services because we believe orthopedic care should be convenient, comprehensive, and efficient.
Arrange a visit with one of our orthopedic experts today Contact us today at (954) 735-3535 or use our online appointment request form. We look forward to lending you a “helping hand!”
