Stay Strong, Prevent Injury, and Keep Playing All Season
Whether you’re swinging a golf club, gripping a tennis racquet, or throwing fastballs at a weekend tournament, your hands and wrists are working overtime during the summer. At Hand & Microsurgery Associates, we see a sharp rise in hand, wrist, and elbow injuries this time of year—many of which are preventable.
The good news? Adding just a few simple strengthening exercises to your weekly routine can help reduce your risk of injury and improve performance—whether you’re an adult athlete or a weekend warrior coaching your kid’s baseball team.
Why Hand Strength Matters
Your hands are full of small muscles, tendons, and joints that need just as much attention as your arms and legs. Strengthening your grip and forearm muscles improves endurance, supports your joints, and helps prevent conditions like:
- Tendinitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tennis or golfer’s elbow
- Ligament sprains
Here Are Our Top 5 Hand-Strengthening Exercises
- Tennis Ball Squeeze
How to do it: Hold a tennis ball or stress ball and squeeze for 3-5 seconds, then release.
Reps: 3 sets of 10 per hand
Why it helps: Builds overall grip strength and endurance—essential for racquet sports, golf, and pitching.
- Wrist Curls with Light Weights
How to do it: Hold a light dumbbell (1–5 lbs) with your forearm resting on a table, palm up. Curl your wrist upward, then slowly lower.
Reps: 3 sets of 15 per wrist
Why it helps: Strengthens the flexor muscles that stabilize the wrist during repeated motion.
- Rubber Band Finger Extensions
How to do it: Wrap a rubber band around your fingers and slowly open your hand against the resistance.
Reps: 3 sets of 15
Why it helps: Balances grip strength by building the extensor muscles—great for preventing overuse injuries.
- Prayer Stretch to Strengthen and Stretch
How to do it: Place your palms together in front of your chest and slowly lower your hands while keeping your palms touching. Hold for 30 seconds.
Why it helps: Stretches the flexor tendons and improves flexibility and range of motion—key for baseball and tennis players.
- Wrist Rotations with Resistance
How to do it: Using a light resistance band or small weight, rotate your wrist clockwise and counterclockwise in slow, controlled movements.
Reps: 3 sets of 10 in each direction
Why it helps: Improves rotational strength for sports like golf and throwing sports where torque is involved.
Don’t Wait for Pain to Start
Strengthening and stretching now can help you stay on the field—and out of the exam room. And if you’re already feeling wrist soreness, tightness, or tingling in your fingers, don’t ignore it. Early evaluation and treatment can prevent long-term issues.
Stay in the Game with Confidence
At Hand & Microsurgery Associates, we specialize in treating and preventing hand and upper extremity injuries for athletes of all ages.
👉 Schedule a consult to keep your grip strong and your summer active.
https://www.handandmicro.com/request-appointment/