Wrists and hands · Seated or Standing
Make a fist, spread the fingers
Closing the hands gently and then spreading the fingers wide. A movement for hands that have held a mouse or a phone for a long time.
- 10 slow repeats with both hands
- Movement
How to do it
- Hold both hands up in front of you, relaxed.
- Close them slowly into a loose fist with the thumbs on the outside.
- Open them and spread the fingers as wide as is comfortable. Hold each position for a count of three.
- Repeat slowly.
How long
Ten slow repeats with both hands at once, about 30 seconds.
What you should feel
Gentle movement through the fingers and palms. No strain.
Stop if…
- Pain, numbness, tingling or pins and needles, or dizziness: stop and do not push through it.
- Swollen or painful finger joints: keep the movement small.
Variations
- Shake out. Afterwards, drop the arms by your sides and shake the hands loosely, as Oregon OSHA suggests.
- Finger bends. Straighten the fingers for 10 seconds, then bend them at the knuckles for 10 seconds.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing the fist hard.
- Forcing the fingers back.
Use it in a routine
The stretch routine builder can play this with other wrists and hands stretches, with a countdown for each side and a chime at every change. The stretch break timer adds stretches like it to a break after each work interval.
Sources
Written from published guidance by health services, physiotherapy and ergonomics bodies. Last reviewed .
- Evaluating your computer workstation (PDF), Oregon OSHA, via Oregon State University EHS
- Office ergonomics best practices (PDF), Northwest Missouri State University EHS
- Standing stretches for the workplace (video), Mayo Clinic (general stretching guidance)
- Desk-based exercises, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK) (general stretching guidance)
- Stretching at the workstation (PDF), New Mexico State University Environmental Health and Safety (general stretching guidance)