Fun Ways to Improve Your Finger and Hand Dexterity
Are you noticing a decline in your finger or hand dexterity?
Whether it’s due to age, injury, or health issues, it is not uncommon to lose agility and strength in your hands. If you are over 50, suffer from arthritis, osteoporosis, or carpal tunnel, you’ll likely start to notice a decline in your hand dexterity.
But did you know that increasing or maintaining dexterity is possible by doing some simple activities at home? You may not need to take medication or a therapist to see some improvement– there are many fun activities you can do at home that can improve your hand and finger dexterity.
All it takes is dedication and willingness, so let’s get started! This article will look into ways to improve the dexterity in our hands while having fun along the way.
Best ways to improve your hand dexterity
The cool thing about our hands is that they are used for almost every hobby. Whether it is knitting, cooking, or playing an instrument, we must use our hands. Therefore, the absolute best way to improve your hand dexterity is to do something you enjoy!
While squeezing playdough or clay might be more effective, the best exercise is always the one you enjoy the most. To improve strength, we need to create resistance but to improve dexterity, all we have to do is use our hands in ways that engage our minds. That means no practiced repetitive motion that you are already skilled at. It can be a repetitive motion, but let’s make it a new one you are not an expert in. Not only will it be more beneficial for maintaining your hand and finger dexterity, but it will also significantly decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
At the time of writing this article, the cause and cure for Alzheimer’s disease are largely unknown. However, there is evidence that learning new things, going from beginner to proficient is the only known way to stave off the disease. It is likely because learning new things, especially ones involving dexterity in your hands, involves creating new neural pathways.
That being said, is there anything you’ve always wanted to learn? Any skill you’ve thought was cool? Do you want to play the guitar? Learn sleight of hand? Or Orgami?
With the magic of youtube and a little determination, most skills are at your disposal. So here are some of the best ways to improve your dexterity from the comfort of your home.
1. Play with or build things with playdough or clay
Clay and play dough are always my number one in this category because they provide resistance, and resistance builds strength. Squeezing playdough is a great way to rebuild strength in your forearms and fingers, which will help you open that pesky pickle jar.
2. Play piano
Unfortunately, most musical instruments at the beginner stage really only challenge one hand, that is, except for the piano. Learning an instrument challenges your hands and mind in so many different ways. If you aren’t an experienced musician, you must learn to read music. You must learn rhythm and timing, which are skills unto their own. Learning to play the piano has never been easier, especially with electronic keyboards that sync with teaching apps.
3. Do hand and finger exercises
When it comes to strengthening your fingers and hands, there is a wide range of activities available to you. The hardest being rock climbing, hanging from a pull-up bar, or carrying heavy dumbbells. The easiest is finger raises (with your hand on a table, lift one finger at a time), making a fist, or squeezing a stress ball. Whatever level you are at, the activity that feels the best and that you enjoy the most is always the best pick.
4. Learn to walk a coin down your knuckles
Have you ever wanted to feel like a pirate or a card shark? Walking a quarter or poker chip (the bigger the coin, the easier it is) down your knuckles is a great way to learn a new skill while practicing your dexterity. It is great because it isolates each individual finger and mesmerizes babies. It is also great because you don’t need to set aside time to do this activity. You can do it in one hand while changing the channel with the other.
5. Learn flourishing card shuffles, aka cardistry
Playing cards are an underrated toy. They can be used to play games with friends, perform magic, or simply improve your dexterity. There is something in the card world known as flourishes, which are essentially ways to shuffle or move the cards in a visually pleasing way. They have little practical uses in that it is easier to classically shuffle the cards, and you accomplish the same result. However, they are fantastic to look at, fun, and great for building up your hand and finger dexterity.
6. Origami
The art of paper folding is a great way to practice your fine motor skills; the paper offers little to no resistance but makes you move your fingers in new ways. Learning a fold by heart is a great way to exercise your mind, as they aren’t as intuitive as you’d think. This hobby takes a lot of practice as each new design may require a new fold or skill.
7. Pottery or spinning clay
This may seem similar to number one, and it is undoubtedly related, but they are different in the expertise and equipment required. Learning to operate a pottery wheel and creating something useful is a lifetime hobby. Playdough is a great way to strengthen your hands while you watch tv. Sculpting and shaping while simultaneously operating the wheel are quite the skill and great ways to improve your dexterity and coordination.
8. Kneading dough and some forms of cooking
Making cookies, meatballs, bread, or almost any baked good gets your hands working and shaping. Kneading dough, in particular, is quite the challenge on the hands. This one is probably my favorite because after you knead the dough, eventually, you get to eat something delicious.
9. Knit, crochet, or sew
Only if these are new activities for you! If you are a practiced hand at these and spend hours a day knitting away, this can aggravate conditions like arthritis. For the uninitiated, though, who will perform far fewer stitches per hour, these activities can help maintain fine motor skills and express creativity.
10. Finger extention or rubber band exercises
Up until this point, almost everything on this list requires flexion. We’ve discussed squeezing, grabbing, pulling, or pressing, but it is essential that we also use our hands in the opposite way. Spreading apart our fingers against resistance or any form of extension. It can be as simple as sticking your fingers in a rubber band and trying to spread the band as far as possible. Or you can grab some exercise bands specifically for this purpose.
11. Spin a pen
I only recently learned that there is an art to spinning a pen, and there are levels. They even make specialized pen-spinning pens for the pros. However, the best thing about pen spinning is that you can start right now with something everyone has near them or can quickly borrow. It is a great way to improve both your dexterity and coordination. In addition, you can always increase the difficulty, so i never gets old.
No matter how you choose to use or strengthen your hands, remember your hands are the most important tool you own. You only get one set, so treat them well. Repetitive motions can aggravate things like carpal tunnel, but the old adage is true, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
So if this is a problem for you, find the repetitive task that bothers you the most. For most people, it is typing, and try to limit the activity or take breaks. Nowadays, the speak-to-type feature is available in almost every word processor. In fact, just to prove that point, I spoke this paragraph to google docs. Or did I? No one would ever know.
Keep learning and using your hands and keep them dexterous as long as possible!
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
Do I Need to See A Doctor For My Back Pain?
Eight Ways to Prevent Toe Cramps