Hand dexterity is critical to the normal range of motion needed in our hands to perform various daily activities. Hand muscles should be subject to strengthening via exercise like any other muscle in your body, as HandExercises.org suggests. By completing a few simple exercises on your own, however. Here are five hand and finger exercises that can help you increase flexibility, dexterity and strength. Grab a squeeze ball. Grab a soft ball and hold it in your palm, squeezing it as hard as you can without causing your hands pain. Hold this position for three to five seconds, and then release.
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Manual dexterity is the ability of the hands and fingers to make coordinated movements. Strong fine motor skills, such as used with writing, knitting, sewing, and other activities that involve the hands and fingers, rely on this dexterity. In young children, it is developed normally through routine activities that also require hand-eye coordination.
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Some children’s manual dexterity develops faster and stronger than that of others. A child with weak final motor skills may struggle some when learning to form letters and beginning to write. Because there are many reasons why fine motor skills may be affected and weaknesses in these areas may cause problems for children in school, pediatric occupational therapists often work with a variety of children to improve these abilities.
There are several ways to help a child improve his or her manual dexterity through simple hands-on activities. For a child, exercising the fingers and hands can dramatically lead to dramatic improvement. Parents may want to try some of the following activities:
The wrist flexors include six individual heads in the forearm that are used for flexion, abduction and adduction of the wrist. The wrist extensors refer to eight individual heads that extend, abduct and adduct the wrist. These muscles also play an important role in flexion and extension of the elbow and fingers. Exercise these muscles often to improve strength in the forearms and prevent injury to the wrist and elbow.
Barbell Wrist CurlManual Dexterity Exercises For Children
This exercise targets the wrist flexors. Perform this exercise with a standard barbell and light-to-medium weight. Sit on the edge of a weight bench and grasp the barbell with an underhand grip. Rest your forearms on your thighs and allow your wrists to extend toward your knees. Raise the barbell back up by curling your wrists. Repeat this motion for multiple sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Cable Wrist Rollers
Perform this wrist flexor exercise with a plate attached to a rope or heavy string, about 2- to 3-feet long. Tie the rope securely around the hole of the plate. On the other end, tie a wooden dowel. From a standing position, roll the string over the dowel until there is no more string left. Reverse direction and lower the weight to the floor. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can.
Radial DeviationsHow To Improve Finger Dexterity
Perform this wrist extensor exercise with a half-loaded dumbbell. Assume a standing position and grasp the dumbbell directly beneath the plate. Place your arm down to your side. With your wrist facing your hip, bend your wrist upward to raise the weight. Lower the weight by extending your wrist. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions and repeat with the other arm.
Kneeling Stretch
Stretch the wrist flexors and extensors after lifting weights to prevent tightness in the forearms. One exercise that targets all of these muscles is the kneeling stretch. Perform this stretch by kneeling on a mat and placing your palms on the floor with your fingers pointed toward your knees. Microsoft team foundation server. Shift your body backward and keep your elbows straight. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat.
ReferencesExercises For Manual Dexterity
About the Author
Graham Ulmer began writing professionally in 2006 and has been published in the 'Military Medicine' journal. He is a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Ulmer holds a Master of Science in exercise science from the University of Idaho and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Washington State University.
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