Finger Exercises

Do you scroll, tap, click? Your fingers do a surprising amount of work in everyday life – on the keyboard, phone, and mouse. This short finger workout is aimed especially at knowledge workers, students, and anyone who uses a phone or keyboard a lot. It helps prevent stiffness, improve circulation, and keep your hands functional. These exercises are perfect for a break during a work or study day.

Warm-up: Relax your arms all the way to your fingertips and gently shake them out for a moment. Sit down on a chair close to a table.

  1. FIST–OPEN: Clench both hands into as tight a fist as you can, then open them as wide as possible, spreading the fingers apart. Repeat 10–15 times, take a short break, and repeat again.
     
  2. FAN: Straighten your wrist and fingers, with your thumb pointing upward. Curl your fingers toward your palm, starting with the little finger, and gently close into a fist. Do both hands at the same time, repeat 5 times, then reverse the movement—start from a fist and open your fingers, again leading with the little finger.
     
  3. STRAIGHT FINGER LIFT: Place your hands on the table, palms down and fingers straight. Lift one finger at a time off the surface. Do the exercise with both hands simultaneously, repeating a few times for each finger.
     
  4. NAILS: Keep your hands on the table, palms down and fingers straight. Press your palms slightly more firmly against the surface and bend all your fingers while keeping the fingertips in contact with the table, then straighten them again. Repeat 10 times.
     
  5. PINCH GRIP: Keep your elbows gently bent close to your sides, with your fingers slightly curved. Do the exercise with both hands at the same time, letting your gaze move away from your hands. Bring each fingertip to meet the thumb one at a time (index, middle, ring, little finger), then back again. Start slowly and try increasing the speed while keeping both hands in sync.
     
  6. THUMB ROTATION: Interlace your other fingers together, leaving the thumbs free and slightly straighter, apart from each other. Start rotating your thumbs around each other a few times in both directions—continue as long as it feels good!

Finally: Gently shake out your arms and fingers and relax your shoulders.

This finger exercise routine was created by UniSport instructor Helena Pasanen.