Before You Strengthen Your Hands, Restore Tendon Glide 🤗

Most people think their hands are weak.

They’re not wrong.

But they’re also tight and braced which overworks their tendons. So when the hands start hurting, what do we do? Squeeze a ball. Grab the putty. Grip harder.

Makes sense… right?

Here’s the catch: I shared this in a recent hand workshop, and it surprised a lot of people. If the tendons can’t glide, strengthening first often makes the irritation worse.

Try this 4-minute order instead:

1. Warm 

Run warm water over your hands for about a minute. Let them soften.

2. Restore

Glide Slowly move through: straight hand → hook fist → full fist → tabletop → straight fist 5 gentle rounds.

3. Reduce bracing 

Massage across the palm at the base of the fingers for 30 seconds. Let the hand melt a little.

4. Then strengthen 

Putty, soft sponge, or rolled towel. 6–8 slow squeezes. No strain.

Tonight Let your fingers sleep long, not curled into fists. Strength helps the hands do their jobs. Glide helps the hands feel good doing them.

What are your hands holding onto right now?

This sequence comes from my Healthy Hands workshops for older adults and active professionals. If you’re interested in a group session for your community, library, or workplace, contact me.