5 exercises to improve hand mobility

If stiffness, swelling, or pain in your hands makes daily tasks hard, the right exercises can help get you moving again.

Therapists usually recommend specific hand exercises based on the condition. Some increase a joint's range of motion or loosen tight muscles and tendons through stretching; others strengthen the muscles around a joint to build power or endurance.

Below are five commonly recommended exercises for hand and wrist problems. If your hand condition is painful or debilitating, get exercise advice from a physical therapist first.

Range-of-motion hand exercises

Your muscles and tendons move the joints through arcs of motion, as when you bend and straighten your fingers. If your normal range of motion is impaired - if you cannot bend your thumb without pain, for example - ordinary tasks like opening a jar become difficult.

These exercises move your wrist and fingers through their normal ranges and make every tendon in the hand do its specific job. Hold each position for 5 to 10 seconds. Do one set of 10 repetitions, three times a day. Perform all exercises slowly and deliberately to avoid pain and injury. If you feel numbness or pain during or after exercising, stop and call your doctor.

Wrist extension and flexion

Rest your forearm on a table with a rolled-up towel for padding, hand hanging off the edge, palm down. Move the hand upward until you feel a gentle stretch, then return to the starting position. Repeat the same motion with the elbow bent at your side, palm facing up.

Wrist supination/pronation

Stand or sit with your arm at your side, elbow bent to 90 degrees, palm facing down. Rotate your forearm so your palm faces up and then down.

Wrist ulnar/radial deviation

Support your forearm on a table with a rolled-up towel or on your knee, thumb pointing upward. Move the wrist up and down through its full range of motion.

Thumb flexion/extension

Start with your thumb pointing outward. Move the thumb across the palm and back to the starting position.

Hand/finger tendon glide

Start with the fingers extended straight out. Make a hook fist, then return to a straight hand. Make a full fist, then return to a straight hand. Make a straight fist, then return to a straight hand.