Losing grip strength can have various reasons and the prime amongst these is age. Age-related health problems tend to alter the daily lifestyle of people. But it cannot deter the inner will and strength of an individual. With the help of finger stretching and grip strengthening exercises, you can manage to get back the strength in your hands, palms, and fingers.
Apart from aging, other reasons accountable for grip loss are injury, muscle and nerve disorder that leads to serious issues. Research in the related topic has proved that simple grip exercises can help to restore physical health, cognitive health and overall wellness.
Here is a list of 7 exercises that can enhance your grip strength:
Squeeze as much as you can
By squeezing here, it means to squeeze your fingers inwards towards the palm to form a fist. You can use a ball for this exercise or perform it without the aid of any tool. When you squeeze a ball or any other object, you are strengthening your inner intrinsic muscles. You can use a ball, towel, face cloth, or any soft object that is easy to squeeze. The idea here is to squeeze your fingers to give them the required strength. Repetitions of the exercise during the day (as and when you feel comfortable) will help to get good results.
If you have a MySquegg smart ball, then you can easily perform the exercise. You have to hold the ball in your palm squeeze it with your fingers and then release the pressure. Keep repeating the exercise with both hands 10-15 times. You can easily perform this exercise 2-3 times daily.
Hand Grip exercise
Hand grippers have been specifically designed to increase grip strength and the benefits of handgrip exercises have varying benefits ranging from fine motor skills to gross motor. Your current status of grip strength will allow you to adjust the strength/pressure that you can apply to the equipment. It is an excellent exercise to treat wrist and finger mobility.
The exercise will focus on enhancing your grip strength for the fingers. It also helps to stretch your hands. When you open your hand wide, you have to stretch each finger to as back as possible. Keep the fingers stretched in the position for a few seconds and then release. This will help to get strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your hands.
Dead Hangs
You can easily spot a horizontal overhead bar in the gyms. You have to hang on the bar with your hands. Ensure that the feet do not touch the ground so that the weight is on the hands. This will help to improve the grip strength. The exercise gives strength to the forearms so that they are trained to hold weights.
Boarding Balls
Are you looking for a fun way to exercise and make your hand grip stronger? Then this exercise is meant for you. Boarding balls, not only helps to improve hand grip but also improves hand dexterity. The tool aid to reduce stress in the hands and provide an overall hand health improvement. You can use it in each hand simultaneously or focus on one hand.
Towel Pull-Ups
There is a twist in the Dead Hang exercise because, in Towel Pull-Ups, you have to wrap a towel around the bar and then hold the towel instead of the bar. So the weight is shifted on the hand holding the towel. Please do not think that it is easier than the Dead Hangs because it is just the opposite. It requires a good grip to perform the exercise for a scheduled period. So, if you can manage to perform the exercise for a couple of seconds, then pat your back. It is an achievement and you are working your way up to improve your grip strength.
Plate Pinches
This is an exercise that is specifically good to strengthen your fingers and allow you to have a stronger grip. The equipment required for this exercise is Weight Plate and not the Dining Plate. The trick here is to hold the plate with your thumb and fingers as long as you can. Stand and then hold the plate with your hands down (towards the knee). Initially, you may experience sliding of the plate due to a weak finger grip. But with practice, your timing will improve and allow you to strengthen the grip of your fingers.
Brick Drop and Catch
You may have noticed football players doing this exercise a lot to strengthen their hold on the ball. For this exercise, you can use a weight plate and if you want to restrict your investment in the plate, then consider a brick. The exercise requires you to drop the weight plate/brick on the ground and then reach out to catch it with alternate hands. Repeat this exercise till you feel comfortable. Do not go overboard with it. Wear your shoes while doing this hand grip exercise.
Final Thoughts
Chances are that you may have not realised that you have a weak grip unless you start doing these exercises. In any case, you will notice a vast difference in your grip strength after undertaking the exercise regime as your daily schedule