Hand Muscle Exercise

Healthy Stretches

• As is true with all exercise, you should stretch before you begin. One common stretches requires you to put your hand in front of you, with the back of the hand facing you. Use your other hand to pull back on the index finger, then pull back on all fingers. Again, repeat this on the other hand. By pulling back gently on the fingers, the palm is stretched and the likelihood of cramps is reduced.

  Another good stretch involves you simply opening and closing your hands to make fists. As you close your hand, place your four fingers on top of your thumb. When you open this fist, open quickly and stretch your fingers wide.

Strength-building Exercises

• Because hand exercises do not need to be intense, one of the best involves simply opening and closing your hand. Even though there is not any resistance, the hand muscles still go through the proper movements that promote healthy use. This is a good exercise for a person who has very limited use of the hands.

  To make this exercise more efficient at building strength, hold a tennis ball and open and close your hand to squeeze it. A tennis ball is optimal to use because it fits into the hand easily and its flexibility allows you to feel the resistance as you squeeze.

  If you want to increase the resistance, buy a hand grip at a sporting goods store. Hand grips are designed to fit the hand. To use, simply squeeze them repetitively. Because the grips are hard to squeeze, they efficiently provide resistance and help build strength.