3 tips to improve hand and wrist strength

Exercise and stretching are important parts of living a healthy life. The two truly balance each other out – exercise strengthens muscles and has outstanding benefits for your heart, while stretching improves mobility and flexibility, particularly after a workout. Both stretching and exercise are beneficial for your mental health as well – even a 15 minute walk outside or taking a break from your desk for some quad stretches and forward bends can alleviate stress and promote mental clarity.

Even the most dedicated exercisers might be missing an important and hardworking part of their body in their regular routine: their hands. Your hands do a lot for you on a daily basis – from opening jars to playing blocks with your young kids or grandkids to typing thousands of words on your computer or smartphone. All this exertion means your hands deserve some special attention in the form of gentle strength training and stretching. Not only will this help you perform the tasks of daily living you rely on your hands to support you with, but it will ensure your fingers, wrists, and arms stay healthy and agile for decades to come.

Here at Kennedy Chiropractic, I help individuals of all ages in Wauwatosa, Elm Grove, Brookfield, and surrounding communities maintain a healthy lifestyle through expert chiropractic services. I’m Dr. Corinne Kennedy, and I’m here to help you feel strong, flexible, and balanced for life – from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers.

Read on for my top three tips for improving hand strength and flexibility.

1. Schedule a chiropractic adjustment. Most people think chiropractors can only help with neck and back pain, but chiropractic adjustments are actually good for the whole body! Adjustments are also referred to as “spinal manipulation,” meaning a chiropractor uses movement and pressure to realign the spinal column which relieves pressure on the nervous system that can cause pain and inflammation throughout the body. Issues that impact the hands and wrists like carpal tunnel and loss of grip strength can be significantly improved by seeing a chiropractor. We can also perform gentle manipulation of the fingers, wrists, elbows, and arms to work out kinks and help improve mobility and flexibility in this area. Try it today – give Kennedy Chiropractic a call to schedule an appointment.
2. Try these stretches. Incorporate the hand and wrist stretches outlined below into your daily routine to improve flexibility and prevent pain and injury. NOTE: consult your doctor before starting a new stretching or exercise routine. People with joint damage or inflammatory conditions that impact the joints should not perform these or other hand and wrist exercises.
   1. Sit in a chair and lay your forearms on your legs with palms facing up. Slowly close your hands into a fist (don’t squeeze too hard). Keeping your forearms on your legs, raise just the fist upward toward your body and hold for a count of 10. Lower fists back down, opening fingers into a nice wide stretch. Repeat the fist raising, lowering, and opening movement 10 times.
   2. From a sitting or standing position, extend one arm out in front of you, palms open and facing up. Using your other hand, gently clasp the fingers of the outstretched arm and stretch the hand down and back toward the body, being careful not to overextend or cause pain. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm.
   3. From a standing position, bring your hands together into a prayer position. Next, bring your arms and elbows together to touch, making a straight line from fingers to elbows. Then, open elbows and rotate still-touching hands in toward your body until they are pointing toward your waist. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat.
3. Build hand strength with these exercises. Try incorporating these exercises at the end of your normal exercise routine – 2-3 times per week. Once again, always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine.
   1. Squeeze a tennis ball in one hand, holding tightly (without causing pain) for 10 seconds, repeat 3-5 times.
   2. Make the thumbs-up sign with one hand. Using the other hand, gently pull the extended thumb backwards as you use your thumb strength to try and keep it pointing straight up. Then, use your free hand to try and push the thumb forward while using your thumb strength to keep it pointing straight up. Repeat with the other hand.

Here at Kennedy Chiropractic, I help people feel their best through expert chiropractic adjustment and holistic health services. I specialize in providing services to alleviate back and neck pain, whiplash treatment, and chiropractic care for pregnancy. Give our offices a call to schedule your appointment today.