6 Best Finger Exercises to have Stronger Fingers

Finger exercises can help strengthen your fingers and enhance your range of motion.

Our hands, especially our fingers, do so much for us from the time we wake up in the morning till night. However, it isn’t until we experience pain or suffer from injuries that we start to incorporate hand exercises into our routine. Since our hands help us undertake many activities, it’s crucial to keep them strong and in good shape so they can withstand any type of strain and stress.

In fact, just holding extra loads help improve your overall grip strength and give you stronger fingers. However, if you still find your fingers feeling weak or muscles cramping, try these six hand-strengthening finger exercises to help improve your finger strength, build your grip, and reduce the risk of hand injuries.

If you are already involved in any type of workout routine, be it weight or strength training, the exercise assists in strengthening your hands and fingers, as they require you to hold the workout equipment (kettlebell, barbell, etc).

Some effective finger exercises

Here is a list of some of the most effective finger exercises to strengthen your fingers:

1) Fists

Fists are the most basic hand exercises you can do to improve your hand strength. Making a strong fist and slowly releasing it is an effective exercise for your fingers. You can perform it anytime and anywhere to ease hand stiffness or a trigger finger.

Here’s how you can do hand fists.

Start by making a gentle fist. Wrap your thumb across your fingers, and make a tight fist.
Hold the position for about 30 seconds, and slowly release and spread your fingers.
Repeat the same movement with both hands.

2) Finger stretch

If you experience pain or soreness in your fingers, try this hand exercise stretch to ease the pain and improve the motion in your hands.

Here’s how you can do a finger stretch:

Place your hand on a flat surface, such as a table. Your palms should be down.
Straighten your fingers, and stretch them as hard as you can against the table without pressuring your joints.
Hold the position for about 30 seconds, and release your fingers.
Repeat the movement at least five times on each hand.

3) Grip strengthener

Finger stretches with softball. (Image via Freepik)

The grip strengthener exercise will help improve your grip strength and make it easier for you to hold things without the fear of dropping them. There are several other grip strengtheners available in the market.

Here’s how you can do the grip strengthener exercise:

For this exercise, you’ll need a softball.
Hold the ball in your palm with a firm grip.
Squeeze it with full pressure as hard as you can.
Hold the position for a few seconds, and release the ball.
Repeat the movement eight to ten times on each hand.
Do not do this exercise if you’ve damaged your thumb joint.

4) Finger lift

Fingerlifting exercise is good for increasing flexibility as well as the range of motion in your fingers.

Here’s how you can do finger lifts:

Place your hand on a flat surface with your palms facing downwards.
Lift one finger gently at a time, and lower in a controlled manner.
You may also lift all your fingers at once, and lower them together.
Repeat the movement about ten times on each hand.

5) Thumb extension

Strengthening your thumb muscles is also important to help improve your grabbing and lifting ability.

Here’s how you can do a thumb extension.

Put your hand on a flat surface.
Take a rubber band, and wrap it around the base of your finger joints, excluding your thumb.
Slowly move your thumb from your fingers, and stretch it as far as you can.
Hold for 40 seconds, and release.
Repeat the movement at least ten times with both hands.

6) Claw stretch

Claw stretching is an effective exercise to help enhance the range of motion in your fingers.

Here’s how you can do a claw stretch.

Put your hand out straight in front of you, with your palms facing towards you.
Vend your fingertips gently so that they touch the base of each finger joint, just like a claw.
Hold your fingertips in the claw position for at least 30 seconds, and slowly release.
Repeat the movement four to five times on each hand.

You can perform all these finger exercises three or four times a week, but remember to rest your hands in between the sessions.

The finger exercises discussed above should not be painful at all; however, you might notice a little soreness or tiredness in your fingers.

If your fingers feel stiff, warm them up before starting these finger exercises, as that will make it easier for you to stretch and move. However, if you experience any kind of sharp pain or strain in your finger joints and muscles, slow down the finger exercises or immediately stop.