Sitting still is surprisingly bad for us. Humans evolved in active hunter-gatherer lifestyles, and as we’ve transitioned to a sedentary lifestyle, involving eight or more hours working at a desk each day, it’s taken an unexpected toll on our bodies. From lower back pain to a repetitive strain injury, workers must take preventative measures to enable a long, flourishing career in the office.
The economic cost of these injuries is also severe – every year, over half a million workers are off work due to RSI and other injuries to the hands and arms. Corporations and individuals have a strong incentive to examine ways to minimize these injuries in the office.
Why You Need These Desk Stretches
Before looking at the best hand and wrist stretches, it’s worth emphasizing how minor, repetitive movements can cause us significant damage. The innocuous actions of simply typing and using a mouse can lead to more significant problems over time.
Repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome are well known, but “mouse” shoulder and desk-related lower back issues are also consequences of desk work. Studies into carpal tunnel have demonstrated that hand exercises such as tendon glides and using exercise balls have profound effects on suffers, with over a third of patients showing improvements. Complacency is a killer when it comes to office habits. Incorporate these stretches into your working day.
The Best Exercises For Wrists And Hands
1) Wrist Extensions
If you feel a tightness in the muscles of your forearms or niggling pain in your wrists, then these wrist stretches are fantastic at instantly alleviating that pain. Hold one arm out in front of you with the back of the hand facing the ground and the inner elbow facing up.
Flex your wrist, so your palm faces away from you, and you’ll begin to feel a stretch in the wrist and forearm. You can use your other hand to deepen the stretch and then switch sides, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds.
2) Thumb Touches
Thumb touches encourage blood flow through your hands and fingers, improving agility and alleviating stiffness. With your hand out, palm facing the ceiling, bring each of your fingers in turn to touch your thumb. Repeating this five times on each hand will strengthen the pulleys and tendons of your fingers.
3) Tendon Glides
A popular rehab after hand injuries, these tendon glides are also great stretches for anyone working on a keyboard, and you can easily take a minute out of your day to do them at the desk.
To do it, turn your palm face-up, close your hand into a loose fist, with your fingers reaching for the base of your palm. Now slowly draw your fingertips up and across the palm until they open out again.
This can sometimes introduce an unusual sensation in the forearm as the tendons are worked. Three “glides” on each hand can work wonders for stiff hands and fingers.
4) Thumb Extensions
Targeting the thumbs one at a time is an excellent way to deal with stiffness at the end of the working day. Perform thumb extensions by opening your hand out and then pulling your thumb to the opposite side of your palm. The stretch this induces in the muscle under your thumb, known as the thenar, is beneficial for an often neglected part of your anatomy.
5) Grip Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening your grip can have many positive implications, reducing fatigue at your desk and helping out in daily life. You might even find a new hobby, applying your hand strength to rock climbing or martial arts!
There are various grip training tools, which come in multiple degrees of stiffness depending on your level of strength.
Start with a light exercise, but you can quickly build up to more challenging grips. Squeeze the plastic handles together against the resistance of the metal spring. Hold in the closed position for five to ten seconds, and try to do seven to ten reps on each hand before taking a well-earned rest!
Signing Off
Hand and wrist injuries damage your quality of life and reduce your ability to earn an income. Recognizing the impact of office work lets us take steps to prevent these injuries, and often just a few minutes of stretching and exercise a day can counteract the worst effects of office life. Prioritize your health today for a long, successful career.
Lauren Groff is a health writer at Essay Writer service. She writes about ways to incorporate healthy changes into traditional lifestyles and believes that incremental changes, not dramatic shifts, are the best way to work towards a healthier life.
