Wrist and hand stretching exercises : Importance, How to do?

Wrist and hand stretching exercises is the best and easy to perform home exercise you can try in the early morning to improve mobility of wrist and hand.

Wrist pain is annoying and inconvenient, which makes work or daily chores, such as working on a computer or cooking, more difficult. Regular exercises can increase mobility and lower the chance of injury or re-injury. Wrist stretches are easy to do anywhere. If you do it properly, it can be an advantage for a person’s whole wrist and hand health.

Importance of wrist and hand stretching

• Wrist exercises improve flexibility and help decrease the risk of injury. Stretches are suggested as a preventive measure or to relieve mild pain. However, it isn’t used in people who have inflammation or serious joint damage unless suggested by a healthcare professional in those cases, exercise causes more damage to your wrist or hands.
• Stretching increases the blood flow into your hands, which gives comfort to the muscles and ligaments and supplies them with the oxygen and nutrients they require to keep working.
• It also helps lower the possibility of damage by gradually lengthening muscles.
• Hand exercises can help to relieve the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis, increase joint mobility and range of motion (ROM).

What are the stretching exercise for wrist and hand

There are some stretching exercises for the wrist and hand are below:

• Raised fist stretch
• Wrist rotations
• Prayer position
• Finger stretch
• Fist opener
• Sponge squeeze
• Windshield wiper wrist movement
• Thumb pull
• Alternate finger stretch
• Clenched fist

Raised fist stretch

To do this stretching:
Begin with your arm up and side to your head, while your hand is open.
Make a fist without involving your thumb (thumb is outside to fist).
Glide your fingers toward your wrist. When you feel a stretch stop there and hold for 3-5 seconds. And repeat 2-3 times.

Wrist rotations stretch

To do this stretching:
Stretch your one arm around 90-degrees flexion in front of you. The elbow is extended and palm facing towards the ceiling.
Slowly, move your fingers downward until you notice a stretch. Then use the other hand to slowly pull the raised hand downward and inward toward the body and hold that position for 3-5 seconds.
Then move your fingers toward the roof until you notice a stretch. Now use other hands to slowly pull the raised hand toward the body and hold that position for 3-5 seconds.
Repeat this exercise 3 times.

Prayer position

To do this stretching:
Take a standing position, place your both palms together in a praying position and your elbows touch each other. Your palms should be in front of your face. Your arms should be touching each other from your fingers to your elbows.
Now pressing your palms together, slowly move your elbows apart. Perform this while slowly lowering your hands at the height of your waist. Then stop the motion when your hands are in front of your umbilicus or you sense the stretch. Now hold that position for 10-30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Finger stretch

To do this stretching:
Take a position either sitting or standing. Bring your ring and pinky finger together.
Now start the separation of middle and index fingers from your ring finger. If you feel stretched then hold that position for 2-3 seconds and repeat this movement 10 times.
Now do on other hand.

Fist opener

To do this stretching:
Take a standing or sitting position. extend your arm in front of you in a flexion position.
Then make a fist and hold that in front of you.
Now open your fist and stretch every finger together until your hand is open and flat.
Repeat this motion 10 times.

Sponge-squeeze

To do this stretching:
To do this movement you need a sponge or stress ball.
Squeeze that ball by making a fist.
Hold that position for 10 seconds until you feel stretched and relaxed.
Do that again and repeat this exercise 10 times.

Windshield wiper wrist movement

To do this stretching:
Take a standing position facing towards the wall. Hold a resistance band in both hands ( one end in one hand and the other is in another hand).
Put both arms on a wall. One hand is stable on a wall while another one is moving away from the body. Stretch the wrist as much as you do without moving the elbow.
Hold that position for 3-5 seconds. Do the same on the other hand. Repeat the motion 3 times on each hand.

Thumb pull

To do this stretching:
Grasp your left thumb with your right hand. Then slowly pull the thumb back, away from your left hand.
When you feel stretched then stop there and hold that position for 25 seconds.
Repeat this on the right thumb.

Alternate finger stretch

To do this stretching:
To perform this movement, bring the ring and middle finger together.
While separating the index and pinky fingers from the ring and middle fingers.
Repeat this stretching 10 times.

Clenched fists

To do this stretching:
Take a sitting position and place your forearms on your thighs with palms facing upward.
Close your hands to make a fist. avoid tight clenching.
Now raise your fists towards your body, bending your wrists while your forearms touching to your legs.
Hold that position for 10 seconds and lower the fists, open your fingers. Repeat this 10 times.

Takeaway

Doing daily labor, writing, working in a computer put extra force on hand and wrists which causes strain and other problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis.
During work, taking a frequent break and doing stretching before and during movement can help to prevent strain. Increasing flexibility and strength can avoid chances of injuries.
After movement takes relaxation and then repeats again.