Strengthening my hands
December 10, 2021 8:58 AM Subscribe
Have you made your hand stronger? If so, how? I am in my 60s, not my 80s, and yet I was just barely able to open the snack-size potato chip bag I bought 5 minutes ago on a train. Grrrrrr. I am not asking about my core, or cardio, or legs, just about how I can become strong enough to open a fucking bag of chips and take the top off a soda bottle. Thank you!
get a small rubber ball to squeeze. something like a squash ball.
posted by TDIpod at 9:18 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by TDIpod at 9:18 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
There are also squeezy spring-resistance gadgets to target working on grip strength that can be helpful. Like any strength training, all about getting one that requires the right amount of exertion for where you are and building up. That's also a good fit for your hands, of course. Plus if you find that you're comfortably moved up to one requiring more strength to use (GAINS! weight-clank grunt etc) and original lighter one no longer challenges, they can be good fidget toys!
posted by Drastic at 9:21 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Drastic at 9:21 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
Power Putty or a similar therapy putty.
A nurse recommended it to me as part of rehabilitation after an arm injury (when you can't use your arm for months, you lose strength in your hand). You just absent-mindedly squeeze and stretch and roll it in one hand until your hand gets tired or you're ready to stop.
I've been using it ever since, mostly to keep carpal tunnel at bay, but it has the side effect of giving me very strong hands and forearms.
posted by toxic at 9:27 AM on December 10, 2021 [13 favorites]
A nurse recommended it to me as part of rehabilitation after an arm injury (when you can't use your arm for months, you lose strength in your hand). You just absent-mindedly squeeze and stretch and roll it in one hand until your hand gets tired or you're ready to stop.
I've been using it ever since, mostly to keep carpal tunnel at bay, but it has the side effect of giving me very strong hands and forearms.
posted by toxic at 9:27 AM on December 10, 2021 [13 favorites]
Were your hands cold? I know sometimes my hands feel incredibly weak when they are cold.
But perhaps you might find it helpful to work on grip strength. The way I know to do that is to carry heavy things a bit (sometimes called a farmer's carry). If you have something heavy, like a dumbbell or jug filled with water, carry it around the house (in each hand if you have two, or one at a time if not) for a few minutes a few times a week. Or, if you want to incorporate this into daily life: carry your groceries in reusable bags, by your hands, hanging at your sides.
Here's some more ideas on improving grip strength (relevant even for more than weightlifting).
posted by bluedaisy at 9:41 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
But perhaps you might find it helpful to work on grip strength. The way I know to do that is to carry heavy things a bit (sometimes called a farmer's carry). If you have something heavy, like a dumbbell or jug filled with water, carry it around the house (in each hand if you have two, or one at a time if not) for a few minutes a few times a week. Or, if you want to incorporate this into daily life: carry your groceries in reusable bags, by your hands, hanging at your sides.
Here's some more ideas on improving grip strength (relevant even for more than weightlifting).
posted by bluedaisy at 9:41 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Same age, and with recent experience rehabbing my grip strength after minor hand surgery + bad joint stiffness. If your finances/insurance make it possible, an intake appointment with a certified hand therapist might be useful. You'd get a lot of baseline measurements and a program to follow. I agree with the above suggestions for Theraputty or similar, and Gripmaster ProHands devices (in graduated resistances--another reason to see a CHT as they can determine the best starting point). Grip strength and forearm strength are connected, so things like wrist curls with graduated dumbbells and working with weight machines that require gripping (lat pulldown, rowing) are also useful.
Caveat that you need to progress slowly and not overdo things--I've had a couple experiences where pure overuse injury to fingers or wrist took weeks or months to fully heal. Back off if you experience pain that is not the "good tiredness" of muscular exertion but the lingering fatigue of soft tissue strain. Again, a CHT is a good guide to all this.
posted by Creosote at 9:53 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Caveat that you need to progress slowly and not overdo things--I've had a couple experiences where pure overuse injury to fingers or wrist took weeks or months to fully heal. Back off if you experience pain that is not the "good tiredness" of muscular exertion but the lingering fatigue of soft tissue strain. Again, a CHT is a good guide to all this.
posted by Creosote at 9:53 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
I think the new more recyclable plastic stuff they are using for bags is harder to open than the thin plastic most used to be held in. So we all probably need to strengthen our hands, and it's not just you getting older or having weaker hands.
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:03 AM on December 10, 2021 [11 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:03 AM on December 10, 2021 [11 favorites]
Guitar stores sell these little spring-loaded thingies that are awesome.
posted by Melismata at 10:05 AM on December 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Melismata at 10:05 AM on December 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
I will just chime in that it is entirely possible to hurt yourself trying to open a beverage or food package so although it’s good to get stronger it is also good to get assistive devices and be mindful of not pushing yourself too far. One weird trick: I use the rubber handles of my can opener to grip soda bottle lids.
(I remember laughing at someone (here? I forget) saying that when they left their husband their mom was like but who will open a jar for you and they thought it was hilarious that that was the only use their mom could think of for a man. It is increasingly less funny though!)
posted by HotToddy at 10:09 AM on December 10, 2021 [7 favorites]
(I remember laughing at someone (here? I forget) saying that when they left their husband their mom was like but who will open a jar for you and they thought it was hilarious that that was the only use their mom could think of for a man. It is increasingly less funny though!)
posted by HotToddy at 10:09 AM on December 10, 2021 [7 favorites]
Seconding the carrying heavy things: I had a session with my trainer yesterday and one of the things she had me do was to pick up a kettlebell and carry it, held down at my side, as I walked around a circuit, partly to train my grip strength.
I've also been to physical therapy for wrist RSI, and there were a number of things they had me do to improve strength and dexterity, which I am listing below. HOWEVER. You really need someone to coach you and show you what to do, or you could accidentally injure yourself.
1. work on hand, arm and shoulder strength (because your hands don't exist in isolation: they're part of a system, and there's only so much your hands can do by themselves)
2. use those spring-loaded grip exercisers (Amazon link to similar one) -- not just squeezing all fingers at once, but one at a time from the little finger to the big, then the other direction. In sets of 30, far more than you'd expect.
3. had me pick at Theraputty (Amazon) for five minutes at a time.
4. take 3-lb weights, hold them in my hand, and lift them using my wrist (not elbows, like bicep curls, although they had me do those occasionally), in short, staccato movements.
5. and very importantly, warm up before doing any of this. They had various toys and devices for people to use to get their hands and arms warm and loose before heading into the more intense exercises.
posted by telophase at 10:30 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
I've also been to physical therapy for wrist RSI, and there were a number of things they had me do to improve strength and dexterity, which I am listing below. HOWEVER. You really need someone to coach you and show you what to do, or you could accidentally injure yourself.
1. work on hand, arm and shoulder strength (because your hands don't exist in isolation: they're part of a system, and there's only so much your hands can do by themselves)
2. use those spring-loaded grip exercisers (Amazon link to similar one) -- not just squeezing all fingers at once, but one at a time from the little finger to the big, then the other direction. In sets of 30, far more than you'd expect.
3. had me pick at Theraputty (Amazon) for five minutes at a time.
4. take 3-lb weights, hold them in my hand, and lift them using my wrist (not elbows, like bicep curls, although they had me do those occasionally), in short, staccato movements.
5. and very importantly, warm up before doing any of this. They had various toys and devices for people to use to get their hands and arms warm and loose before heading into the more intense exercises.
posted by telophase at 10:30 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
Little ms flabdablet showed me a brilliant trick for opening jars like the ones jam and tomato paste come packaged in, with tight screwtop metal lids: just give the side of the lid a bit of a thwack on the edge of the benchtop. This deforms the seal for just long enough to destroy the vacuum under the lid and makes unscrewing it way easier.
posted by flabdablet at 10:30 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 10:30 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
I have a graduated set of silicone rings for squeezing. They’re cleaner than the putty. I have to deliberately avoid overusing them because they’re so satisfying.
posted by Comet Bug at 10:31 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Comet Bug at 10:31 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Strength is good, but just wanted to second that not all bags are equal and I have definitely come across some lately that no amount of (normal human) strength seems to rip.
posted by trig at 10:36 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by trig at 10:36 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
How strong do you want your hands to get?
Like, guitar player strong (mostly the grip trainers with springs for individual fingers?
Motocross rider strong (these might be the rings Comet Bug mentions)?
Or, like, sideshow strong (Iron Mind makes the most popular grip trainer for powerlifter types, but for people who don't aspire to being a 'Captain of Crush,' they also have lots of hand-health-focused offerings)?
posted by box at 10:41 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Like, guitar player strong (mostly the grip trainers with springs for individual fingers?
Motocross rider strong (these might be the rings Comet Bug mentions)?
Or, like, sideshow strong (Iron Mind makes the most popular grip trainer for powerlifter types, but for people who don't aspire to being a 'Captain of Crush,' they also have lots of hand-health-focused offerings)?
posted by box at 10:41 AM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
One low cost option is the rice bucket method. It's used in different PT settings and is dead simple: put a bunch of rice (~15-25lbs) in a bucket and then immerse your hand/arm. When your hand is deep in the rice, open and close it until you're tired.
There are certainly other and more fancy methods that may work better, but it's a great starting point at the very least, especially if you're untrained or worried about form-dependent exercises.
posted by matrixclown at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
There are certainly other and more fancy methods that may work better, but it's a great starting point at the very least, especially if you're untrained or worried about form-dependent exercises.
posted by matrixclown at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
I simply carry a Swiss army knife around these days. Companies don't care at all about ease of use... they just want to sell you their crap.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 10:50 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Sheydem-tants at 10:50 AM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
One exercise I'd do when I went to the gym was to hold a dumbbell in each hand and hold it for a minute, me standing up with my arms straight down. If I could do it at one weight then next time I'd increase the weight. It did a pretty good job of increasing my grip strength but it did require a bunch of dumbbells.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:33 AM on December 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:33 AM on December 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
Try washing your dishes by hand a few times a week, and if you wear rubber gloves for general household tasks, try one size smaller than you would normally prefer.
posted by jamjam at 11:45 AM on December 10, 2021
posted by jamjam at 11:45 AM on December 10, 2021
Buy some play dough and mush it around. Leave it out a few hours to let it slightly harden and stiffen for more firmness.
But I will say I don’t think of opening a bag or jar as a hand thing- it’s more about the arm muscles pulling the sides of the bag apart, or the wrist muscles twisting the lid... so increasing hand strength alone may not make opening things much easier.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:06 PM on December 10, 2021
But I will say I don’t think of opening a bag or jar as a hand thing- it’s more about the arm muscles pulling the sides of the bag apart, or the wrist muscles twisting the lid... so increasing hand strength alone may not make opening things much easier.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:06 PM on December 10, 2021
Potato chip bags are now made from a metalized polymer film or polypropylene sandwiched between two layers, according to Google. It preserves freshness better than whatever they used before. If I'm at home, I use kitchen scissors to cut off the top (neatness counts) but if I'm out, I just grab both sides in the middle and pull apart. Trying to tear it off from the end never works. (For jar lids, a thin flat-head screwdriver inserted between lid and jar and slight twist pops the vacuum.)
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:07 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:07 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Climbers talk a lot about 'finger strength' – the ability to put quite a lot of force through the tips of your fingers, in the form of gripping tightly or holding a big weight. A lot of the exercises mentioned above come up – squeezing a tennis ball or (to work the opposite way, antagonistically, which still strengthens the tendons involved) putting an elastic band around the (closed) fingers and pushing outwards to open the hand.
There are a lot of training techniques involving just hanging off your fingers, using your body weight (or more, or less) to provide the force that your tendons are acting against. It's called 'hangboarding', you can use the wooden frame around a doorway rather than a specialised training aid like a 'Beastmaker' (which have further purposes in strengthening shoulders etc). Here's a pleasant video with someone talking about the 'no hang' method – anecdotally, I've did it for ten minutes a day for a couple of weeks and noticed a marked improvement in finger strength.
posted by Joeruckus at 12:27 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
There are a lot of training techniques involving just hanging off your fingers, using your body weight (or more, or less) to provide the force that your tendons are acting against. It's called 'hangboarding', you can use the wooden frame around a doorway rather than a specialised training aid like a 'Beastmaker' (which have further purposes in strengthening shoulders etc). Here's a pleasant video with someone talking about the 'no hang' method – anecdotally, I've did it for ten minutes a day for a couple of weeks and noticed a marked improvement in finger strength.
posted by Joeruckus at 12:27 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Seconding (and thirding and fourthing) people who've said that some crisp packets can only be opened by The Hulk, so this may not have been you.
Lots of good advice on improving your grip strength, but you asked about opening packets, for which you need strong fingers, I'd suggest improving your pinch grip. That's one article, there are thousands of others, especially for climbers where finger strength is essential.
posted by underclocked at 12:41 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Lots of good advice on improving your grip strength, but you asked about opening packets, for which you need strong fingers, I'd suggest improving your pinch grip. That's one article, there are thousands of others, especially for climbers where finger strength is essential.
posted by underclocked at 12:41 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
> I have a graduated set of silicone rings for squeezing. They’re cleaner than the putty.
Do you have a link to them? I'm intrigued.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:14 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Do you have a link to them? I'm intrigued.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:14 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
I am an occupational therapist. Both of those actions involve the median nerve. I would be curious to know if you have some kind of nerve impingement (yes, this can happen bilaterally; it can even originate in the neck sometimes which would explain why it affects both sides) that's affecting your hand strength.
Try hand strengthening, sure, but if this continues I would have it checked out sooner rather than later.
posted by Amy93 at 6:20 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Try hand strengthening, sure, but if this continues I would have it checked out sooner rather than later.
posted by Amy93 at 6:20 PM on December 10, 2021 [3 favorites]
Matrixclown, how much rice? 25lbs is a Costco-sized bag. Wondering if you maybe typed it wrong?
posted by matildaben at 7:00 PM on December 10, 2021
posted by matildaben at 7:00 PM on December 10, 2021
The silicone rings are this style. The ones I have are Vive brand from Amazon. I have no need of the strongest couple, as they are well beyond my level.
posted by Comet Bug at 8:36 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Comet Bug at 8:36 PM on December 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Baoding balls are good for strength and dexterity.
posted by goblinbox at 3:19 AM on December 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by goblinbox at 3:19 AM on December 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
When I was in high school, I had strong hands. Years later, no so much. I think the difference was bicycle riding, only for ordinary getting around, not racing or doing mountains. So, exercise. It might be worth get the advice of a physical therapist for the most effective way to go.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:23 AM on December 11, 2021
posted by SemiSalt at 6:23 AM on December 11, 2021
Have you made your hand stronger? If so, how?I deadlift heavy. This may not fit your needs since you said "I am not asking about my core, or cardio, or legs", but that's how I got a strong grip without doing a hand-specific exercise. A double overhand grip works your hands more than a mixed grip so I use double overhand as much as possible and then switch to mixed grip when it gets too heavy. Probably not worth buying a barbell just for this but if you already have access to one you might try it out.
posted by Tehhund at 8:33 AM on December 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
A free method I haven't heard mentioned which was given to me by my Dad who was a very strong individual when he was alive: you can do this sitting or when walking or just about any time.
1. Throw your hand open
2. Close it into a fist
3. Repeat 100 times for each hand. You can do this in 10 repetition increments, rotating hands, or any other combination that works for you. If it seems too much, start with 50 and then work up by 10 when each level seems easier
This really worked for me. My brother, who has a really strong grip, saw me doing it, and said it looked like it mimicked working a socket wrench - which he did dozens if not hundreds of times a day. I am now in my late 60s and continue to try to remember to do this at least once a week, if not every day.
posted by TimHare at 8:47 AM on December 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
1. Throw your hand open
2. Close it into a fist
3. Repeat 100 times for each hand. You can do this in 10 repetition increments, rotating hands, or any other combination that works for you. If it seems too much, start with 50 and then work up by 10 when each level seems easier
This really worked for me. My brother, who has a really strong grip, saw me doing it, and said it looked like it mimicked working a socket wrench - which he did dozens if not hundreds of times a day. I am now in my late 60s and continue to try to remember to do this at least once a week, if not every day.
posted by TimHare at 8:47 AM on December 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
This is likely way more involved than you're willing to go, but a chin-up bar... with tubing.
Normal chin up bar, but you attach a loop of exercise tubing so you can stand with both feet on it. It'll help lift you as you pull up.
This will be good for your hands, shoulders, back, chest, and a little bit of core. Depending on configuration, is also good for triceps/ biceps.
But, yeah, some crisps bags are harder to open then others. With the top seam perpendicular to your chest, you're gripping the pull-out seam close to the top seam between thumb and forefinger of one hand, and pinch the other un-seamed side and pull apart (the glued top seam)?
If you DGAF, look into a "coin knife" or "pendant knife" or a trusty old Swiss Army Knife with scissors (the "classic" is pretty small, and has scissors).
There are all kinds of keychain knives, but "Swiss Tech" has an "utili key" that's decent and can be had for <$10. Looks like a key, it splits down the middle into a knife (and when you split it, it comes off the keychain loop).
posted by porpoise at 11:22 AM on December 11, 2021
Normal chin up bar, but you attach a loop of exercise tubing so you can stand with both feet on it. It'll help lift you as you pull up.
This will be good for your hands, shoulders, back, chest, and a little bit of core. Depending on configuration, is also good for triceps/ biceps.
But, yeah, some crisps bags are harder to open then others. With the top seam perpendicular to your chest, you're gripping the pull-out seam close to the top seam between thumb and forefinger of one hand, and pinch the other un-seamed side and pull apart (the glued top seam)?
If you DGAF, look into a "coin knife" or "pendant knife" or a trusty old Swiss Army Knife with scissors (the "classic" is pretty small, and has scissors).
There are all kinds of keychain knives, but "Swiss Tech" has an "utili key" that's decent and can be had for <$10. Looks like a key, it splits down the middle into a knife (and when you split it, it comes off the keychain loop).
posted by porpoise at 11:22 AM on December 11, 2021
Oh, or folding scissors from a sewing/ fabrics store. They range from dime-store quality to high carbon steel with precision machining.
posted by porpoise at 12:36 PM on December 11, 2021
posted by porpoise at 12:36 PM on December 11, 2021
(If you want to go the tiny knife route, this is one of my favorites.)
posted by box at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2021
posted by box at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2021
Seems obvious but is there any reason you're ruling out bouldering or a hang board?
posted by turkeyphant at 5:57 PM on December 11, 2021
posted by turkeyphant at 5:57 PM on December 11, 2021
Response by poster: I'm not ruling out anything except buying a Swiss Army knife because I already own one. I am looking for suggestions. I don't know anything about bouldering; I'm not even sure what it is. Plus I have never heard of a hang board. Please tell me more!
posted by Bella Donna at 9:04 AM on December 12, 2021
posted by Bella Donna at 9:04 AM on December 12, 2021
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