How to Buy a Hand Exerciser

Hand exercisers are commonly used for post-trauma therapy, to prevent or help symptoms of carpal tunnel, arthritis and other conditions. Some professionals such as a musician or jeweler also use exercisers to promote dexterity or functionality of the hand.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Find Different Kinds of Exercisers

1. Find soft ball-like exercisers that are designed with different levels of resistance in different sizes. Balls may be sold in sets or you may need to buy balls of different strengths to use as function increases.
2. Buy hot or cold hand exercisers for additional therapy benefits. If your physician recommends treating a hand injury with a hot pack or cold pack, you can get double benefits from the exerciser that can be chilled before use. Or find one that can be placed in the microwave to warm it up before exercising.
3. Consider hand therapy gloves with individual weights and resistances for each finger if your working to improve finger strength or dexterity.
4. Purchase a hand web exerciser. These are also made in different resistance levels and sizes. They resemble a spider web that you put your fingers through and stretch to exercise fingers, wrists and hands.

Make Your Own Exerciser

5. Make your own therapy putty. Mix 1 cup Borax with 1 cup water. Stir together and store in sealed, labeled glass jar.
6. Put 1 tbsp. of all purpose glue in reclosable plastic bag. Add 1 tsp. of water to bag and mix. Add food coloring if you want a colored putty.
7. Add 1 Tbls. Borax mixture to the bag. Reseal it and squish between fingers for 2 minutes mixing it up. When putty begins forming, take out of bag and continue to squeeze it until it gets harder.
8. Store in a plastic bag. Therapy putty can also be purchased from stores that sell sports related items.

Tips & Warnings

• Someone recovering from hand trauma should first consult their physical therapist who will give them suggestions or an exercise program to follow.