The good news? With some care and attention to your hands, you can potentially improve their health and reduce any discomfort they feel. Let's explore the challenges seniors face and how you can use simple, practical strategies to make a difference in your hand health.
Involving the small movements hands make, fine motor skills let you perform tasks requiring precision, such as buttoning shirts, tying shoestrings or maneuvering pens. These skills naturally decline as you age, making everyday tasks more difficult and frustrating and impacting your independence. Conditions that affect the joints, such as arthritis, can also worsen the situation, causing pain and stiffness and reducing range of motion.
The decline of fine motor skills isn't inevitable, however. A combination of some easy exercises, regular hand care and use of pain management techniques can help you preserve your dexterity so you can continue doing all the things you love well into your golden years at LifeStream at North Phoenix.
Physical exercise helps keep the body strong and makes life easier, and hand and finger exercises do the same for strengthening fine motor skills. Designed to improve flexibility and range of motion, these exercises bolster the muscles and joints in your hands and fingers. These gentle, effective exercises go a long way toward protecting your fine motor skills and boosting your hand health.
For a simple way to relieve stiffness and increase flexibility, consider finger stretches. First, hold your hand out in front of you face down, then slowly straighten your fingers as much as you can. Once straight, hold them flat for several seconds, and then gently curl them back into a fist for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times to boost the range of motion in your fingers and hands.
Your fine motor control relies strongly on your thumb, so keeping it strong ensures easier pinching, gripping and holding. To do these exercises, begin by holding your hand in a relaxed position, then touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of each finger, one at a time, forming an O shape. Hold each touch a few seconds before you move on to the next finger, and repeat the exercise 10 times to improve coordination and maintain manual dexterity.
For this exercise, which helps with daily tasks like opening jars and holding utensils, you need a soft stress ball. Hold the ball in one hand, squeezing it gently but firmly for a few seconds. Release your grip, and then repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times with each hand. Doing this exercise assists with grip strength and reduces hand fatigue.
Your wrists play a strong role in how your hands and fingers function, so stretching and strengthening them helps improve flexibility while reducing discomfort. Start by holding your arm out straight in front of you, with your palm facing downward. Use your other hand to gently press your hand down to stretch your wrist, and then hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds before repeating the exercise on the other wrist.
Unfortunately, pain in the hands is common as you age because your hands are constantly in use and motion. This goes double (or more!) if you have arthritis, and the pain may make it difficult for you to perform daily activities like cooking and buttoning your clothing — not to mention robbing you of your favorite hobbies. Fortunately, managing hand pain can make daily life more comfortable and enjoyable at your independent living community in North Phoenix. Let's look at how to find relief for hand pain.
Taking care of your hands as you age helps protect your fine motor skills, reduce discomfort and enjoy a more active lifestyle at LifeStream at North Phoenix. Use these techniques and tools to make the most of your golden years in your independent living community.
