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If you have arthritis in your hands and you cannot bend your thumb without pain, you may have difficulty doing a simple thing like opening a jar. And climbing stairs is difficult with hip or knee pain. Exercises can help.

These 5 exercises help improve hand mobility.

  • Do each exercise slowly and deliberately
  • Hold each position for about 8 seconds
  • Do each exercise 10 times
  • Repeat twice a day
  • Stop if you feel numbness or pain during or after exercising

EXERCISE 1

  1. Place your forearm on a table or a sweater as padding with your hand hanging off the edge of the table, with your palm down.
  2. Move the hand upward until you feel a gentle stretch.
  3. Return to the starting position.
  4. Bend your elbow and repeat the same motion but now with your palm facing up.

EXERCISE 2

  1. Support your forearm on a table or a sweater as padding, thumb upward.
  2. Move the wrist up and down through its full range of motion, as if you were hitching a lift.

EXERCISE 3

  1. Sit with your arm at your side with your elbow bent to 90 degrees, palm facing down.
  2. Twist your forearm so that your palm first faces up and then down.

EXERCISE 4

  1. Support your hand face up on the table.
  2. Spread your thumb outwards.to the side.
  3. Move your thumb backwards and forwards across your palm.

EXERCISE 5

  1. Hold your hand up with your fingers straight up – facing away.
  2. Clench your fist.
  3. Straighten up your fingers to the starting position.