Yoga Exercises For Your Hands, Wrists & Fingers
Whether spending hours on the computer, hours on your cell phone, cooking, cleaning, writing or driving, our hands, wrists and fingers never stop. Some of us actually develop chronic conditions, like osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear-arthritis), and carpel tunnel syndromes (CTS), to name a few. Are there really yoga exercises for your hands, wrists and fingers, specifically?
Our hands and wrists carry much of the burden in our everyday lives. Oftentimes, we don’t even think about it. Like other parts of the body, they need care as well.
What can we do?
Are there movements or exercises that may be well suited to relieve pain, help stretch, simply help relax these areas of the body.
The answer may be just, yes.
We, being very supportive and intertwined within the practice of yoga, believe this practice can help. Yoga, “combines physical exercise, mental meditation, and breathing techniques to strengthen the muscles and relieve stress”.
Surely, if this is the case for other areas of the body, what’s to say, it can’t help relieve discomfort from your hands, wrists and fingers as well.
Practicing yoga for hands, wrists, and fingers can help build strength and may even help, avoid injuries or chronic conditions.
Research & Yoga
Although relatively preliminary in nature, there has actually been a few research studies evaluating yoga as it relates to this area of the body.
One such study aimed at collecting controlled observations of the effect of yoga on the hands of patients with osteoarthritis. The patients participated in an 8-week study. Furthermore, an instructor supervised the yoga techniques. In conclusion, the yoga group vs. the control group improved significantly in terms of pain during activity, tenderness, and finger range of motion (ROM).
A randomized, single blind, controlled trial on yoga and it’s effectiveness on relieving symptoms of CPS, proved that yoga was more effective then interventions such as wrist splinting or no treatment at all. Some of the outcome measures included grip strength, pain intensity, and sleep disturbance.
Related Article: Yoga For Better Sleep: Learn Why Bedtime Yoga, Works!
A Quick Hands, Wrist & Fingers, Yoga Sequence!
Best Yoga Exercises For Your Hands, Wrists & Fingers:
Yoga can be truly amazing in it’s versatility. Additionally, it’s a practice in which you need very little space to perform. Besides it’s effectiveness, this is another reason we love the practice.
However, patience is the key to a good outcome. It’s not always about going zero to one hundred the quickest. Alternatively to vigorous muscular movements, starting with slow, steady exercises may prove more fruitful for your body and help you relieve unwarranted additional stress.
Keep this in mind within the practice. Let your body tell your mind what it’s ready for.
Related Article: What Are Some Of The Best Times To Do Yoga?
Clenched Fist
Starting with a simple stretch is more desirable to avoid pain. Therefore, clenching your fist is a good warm-up for your hands.
While sitting comfortably, extend your hands outward. Then, clench your fist gently for 30 seconds. Now, flick your fingers out and spread them wide. Likewise, hold this position for 30 seconds.
Yoga is a practice where everything should stay connected. For example, both your mind and body. Above all may just be the focus of breath (Pranayama). Even with these simple stretches, be mindful of the breath. The breath is to help us stay grounded and present in the moment. Furthermore, as you’re breathing, allowing tension to exit from the body.
Repeat the process, 5 times.
Finger Stretch
Another straightforward exercises, is the finger stretch. Firstly, extend your arms straight, with your palms facing inward. Then, bend your fingers in such a way that the fingertips touch the base of your finger joints.
Hold this posture for thirty seconds and release. This motion kind of resembles a claw.
Repeat the process four times on each hand.
Finger Lift
This finger yoga pose focuses more on flexibility.
On a flat surface, straighten your hands with your palm touching the surface. Lift one finger at a time above the surface, and lower it back down, afterwards.
You can lift all the fingers and thumb simultaneously as well. Repeat for both hands, ten to twelve times.
Bending The Wrists
Building strength in your wrists is essential to prevent injuries. Similarly, to other joints, proper range of motion is important.
Stretch your forearms to the front while your palms face the floor. Then, bend your hands at the wrist end towards the top. Your fingers facing the ceiling, and then the ground. Feel the stretch in your wrists and forearms.
Repeat 10 times.
Rotating Your Wrists
Raise your arms parallel to the ground. Then, loosely make a fist with the thumb wrapped into the fingers. Rotate your wrist joints and move your hands in circular planes.
Rotate your hands both clockwise and counterclockwise for 30 seconds. Additionally, rotate both hands together, simultaneously.
Final Thoughts!
Some may find these exercises somewhat simple. However, neglecting this body part like any other, can be a mistake.
Surely, adding these yoga exercises for your hand, wrists and finger, will take just minutes, daily. In just a few minutes a day, they may indeed help with pain and discomfort in these joints.
As always, we would love to here some of your favorite yoga exercises as well, whether at work, the gym or at home.
Have a great day and be sure to like us, and share our posts on social media!
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7699639/
- https://www.southshoreorthopedics.com/5-common-hand-disorders-their-treatments/
- https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/yoga-practices-for-arthritic-hands
- https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/ss/slideshow-hand-finger-exercises
- https://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/complete-guide-to-yoga-for-hands-and-wrists-500898.html
- https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain/wrist-and-hand-stretches#takeaway
- https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-for-your-hands-and-wrists/
