You put your hands and wrists to work just about every day of your life. But how often do you think about exercising these important parts of your body?
Some of the first tools you ever use in life are your hands and wrists. Grabbing, holding, and pulling all number of things with ease soon became second nature. It’s easy to take these important tools for granted.
If you think about how often you use your hands, you can imagine the wear and tear they endure over the years. Keeping them strong and healthy helps ensure they will continue to serve you well.
Why strong hands and wrists are important
As you get older, your hands and wrists may not be as strong or flexible as they once were. This can make it harder to do some of the tasks you never put much thought into before. These may be things like tying your shoes, carrying groceries, driving a car, or opening a new jar of pickles (which can be tough at any age).
In fact, studies have shown that grip strength may be one indicator of your overall health. In these studies, a decreased grip strength has been linked to a number of health concerns. It may also just be a sign that you’re not active enough in general. So, if strengthening your grip encourages you to get more active, terrific!
Learn why keeping your feet and ankles strong and mobile is important, too.
If you’ve noticed your grip isn’t quite what it used to be or it’s harder to carry heavy bags, now’s the time to act. Simple exercises and other self-care tools may help keep your hands and wrists strong, mobile, and less painful for the years ahead. 
Exercises you can do at home
The 9 exercise videos below can help you create a simple workout routine to strengthen your hands and wrists. If you have an existing hand, wrist, or finger injury or condition, it’s crucial that you speak with your doctor before starting these or any other sort of exercise routine.
- FDS (flexor digitorum superficialis) Straight Fist Strengthening. You’ll need a squeeze ball or hand putty for this exercise. Hold each squeeze for 20 to 30 seconds. Relax and repeat for a total of 3 sets.
- Isotonic Strengthening, Elbow Flexion. You’ll need a dumbbell for this exercise. Use a weight that challenges you but allows you to keep good form for all the reps. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps each with the right arm. Then repeat with the left arm.
- Bent Over Triceps Extension. You’ll need a dumbbell for this exercise. Use a weight that challenges you but allows you to keep good form for all reps. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps each with the right arm. Then repeat with the left arm.
- Wrist Isotonic Strengthening—Extension. You’ll need a table, chair, and dumbbell for this exercise. Use a weight that challenges you but allows you to keep good form for all reps. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps each with the right wrist. Then repeat with the left wrist.
- Wrist Isotonic Strengthening—Flexion. You’ll need a table, chair, and light dumbbell for this exercise. Use a weight that challenges you but allows you to keep good form for all reps. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps each with the right wrist. Then repeat with the left wrist.
- Wrist Isotonic Strengthening—Eccentric Extension with Dumbbell. You’ll need a table, chair, and light dumbbell for this exercise. Use a weight that is heavier than you used for the other exercises, and that challenges you, but allows you to keep good form for all reps. Repeat the exercise for 3 sets of 10 reps each with the right wrist. Then repeat on the left.
- Gripping in 3 Planes. You’ll need a squeeze ball or putty for this exercise. Perform all 3 variations of the exercise for 3 reps of 20 seconds each with your right hand. Then repeat with your left hand.
- Forearm Flexor Stretch on Table. Perform each of the 3 stretches, 3 times, for 30 seconds each.
- Elbow Extension with Wrist Pronation. Perform 3 reps and hold for 30 seconds each.
Health conditions that may affect your hands and wrists
While your doctor may encourage you to incorporate these types of hand and wrist exercises into your treatment plan, every situation is different.
If you’ve been diagnosed with one of the following conditions, carefully follow any treatment plan your doctor, physical therapist (PT), or occupational therapist (OT) recommends.
- Hand osteoarthritis and wrist osteoarthritis (OA) : The cartilage that protects joint surfaces can wear down over time. This can lead to pain and inflammation. Hands, especially the thumb, are often affected by OA due to overuse over the years. OA is a common condition in older adults.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome : The nerve that runs from the neck to the thumb and some fingers can get compressed at the wrist. This can cause pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling.
- Osteoporosis : This is a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle. Even minor falls can lead to bone fractures. This can involve the bones of the wrist and forearm. Here are some steps you can take to boost your bone density.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) : RA is not a result of wear-and-tear on the body. Rather, it is an autoimmune disorder. The immune system mistakes healthy tissue lining the joints as a foreign object and attacks it. Often the smaller joints of the hands and wrists are affected first.
What can be done about general hand pain
If you’re experiencing more general hand pain, you can take advantage of a number of resources to help manage it.
- Exercise and physical/occupational therapy. Exercises like the ones in this article can help strengthen hand and wrist muscles and increase your flexibility and range of motion. Your doctor may want you to work directly with a physical (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) at first.
- Cold and heat therapy. Putting a cold pack on sore joints can reduce pain and swelling. A heating pad can help reduce stiffness in your joints. Limit use of ice or heat for no longer than 20 minutes at a time.
- Massage. Regular massage therapy of joints and fingers not only feels good, but it also may reduce arthritis pain in the hands and wrists. You may want to seek out a licensed massage therapist who specializes in hand massage.
- Pain medication. Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen) can help with pain and swelling. But even though you don’t need a prescription, ask your doctor about how often and how long you should take these types of meds, as they do have side effects.
Please refer to your health care provider’s recommendation before taking part in any self-care. You may also want to avoid certain activities that aggravate any pain you have. If such an activity is part of your daily routine, or if it’s job-related, ask your doctor, PT, or OT about what sort of alternative options may be available.
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This information is not intended to take the place of regular medical care or advice. Please check with your doctor before using this information or beginning any self-care program. Images used for this article do not depict any members of the Silver&Fit Program.
References
Arthritis Foundation. (2023, April 26). Benefits of hand massage for arthritis. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/natural-therapies/hand-massage-benefits-for-arthritis
Bohannon R. W. (2019). Grip strength: An indispensable biomarker for older adults. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 14, 1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, June 12). Anatomy of the hand and wrist. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/25060-anatomy-of-the-hand-and-wrist
Cleveland Clinic. (2021, July 6). Arthritis of the hand. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7082-arthritis-of-the-wrist-and-hand
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, January 12). Carpal tunnel syndrome. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4005-carpal-tunnel-syndrome
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, October 2). Osteoarthritis. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5599-osteoarthritis
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, July 20). Osteoporosis. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4443-osteoporosis
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, February 18). Rheumatoid arthritis. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4924-rheumatoid-arthritis
Field, T., Diego, M., Delgado, J., Garcia, D., & Funk, C. G. (2011). Hand pain is reduced by massage therapy. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 17(4), 226–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2011.02.006
Harvard Health Publishing. (2019, November 1). Getting a grip on hand osteoarthritis. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/getting-a-grip-on-hand-osteoarthritis
Sternäng, O., Reynolds, C. A., Finkel, D., Ernsth-Bravell, M., Pedersen, N. L., & Dahl Aslan, A. K. (2015). Factors associated with grip strength decline in older adults. Age and Ageing, 44(2), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afu170
This article was written by Jason Nielsen, edited by Gail Olson, and clinically reviewed by Jaynie Bjornaraa on April 11, 2024.
