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Flexibility and Strengthening Exercises

These exercises are useful to get you in shape for more vigorous aerobic exercise or as part of your warm-up and cool-down routines.

Hand And Wrist Exercises

Do these exercises at a table that supports your forearms.

1. One Two Three Finger Exercises

For the best hand function, you should be able to touch the tips of your fingers to the palm and straighten the fingers completely. Use the one-two- three approach to stretch and strengthen fingers. 

To bend fingers: 
(1) Begin bending the joint closest to the tip of the finger 
(2) Bend the middle joint 
(3) When your fingertips are touching the palm, or are as close as possible, bend the knuckle joint.

To straighten your fingers, just do the movements in reverse: 
(3) First straighten the knuckles 
(2) Then the middle joint , and 
(1) Straighten the fingertips.

You can exercise your fingers individually or together, using your other hand to help if necessary.

2. Thumb Walk

Holding your wrist straight, form the letter "O" by lightly touching your thumb to each fingertip. After each "O" straighten and spread your fingers. Use the other hand to help if needed. 

3. Hi and Bye

a. To strengthen and limber your wrist, rest your forearm on a table with your hand over the edge. Keep fingers relaxed and bend your wrist up and down.

b. To strengthen the small muscles of the hand, slide your arm back until your fingers hang over with your knuckles at the table edge. Keeping your fingers straight and together and your palm flat, move your fingers up and down. 

4. Door Opener

This exercise stretches the muscles and ligaments that rotate the forearm, letting you turn doorknobs, use a screwdriver, of put your hand in your back pocket. 

Start with your forearm resting on a table, palm down.

Keeping your little finger on the table, turn your hand so the palm faces up.

If you use your other hand to help, grip your forearm, not the wrist or hand.