Our hands do so much for us from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall back asleep. From grasping the tools we need to cook, eat, and clean to hugging, holding, and squeezing our loved ones; we depend on our hands for our quality of life.

And yet, hand health remains an overlooked aspect of fitness. Often, it’s only brought up in the context of arthritis management and stroke recovery. 

But everyone—not just older adults—stands to benefit from healthier hands. And that’s not just because stronger and more mobile hands are better at accomplishing tasks. 

Because of their intricate relationship with the fascia and the nervous system, our hands influence the entire body.

Here are two compelling reasons why you should start making hand exercises a part of your workout routine. Make sure to read until the end to find a 10-minute hand and wrist workout that will improve your hand health in no time.

The hands are distal fascial tensors influencing the entire body

The hands are linked to the rest of the body via the fascia. This connective tissue surrounds, protects, and nourishes all of our cells, tissues, and organs. 

While all body parts are connected by the fascia, the hands are especially influential to the entire system because they are distal fascial tensors. A fascial tensor is a body part that creates tension and tone. Since the hands are not close to the center (proximal), they are categorized as distal. 

Each time you grip or reach with your hands, that force travels up through the fascia into your forearm, shoulder, chest, and neck. This tension even reaches your spine and diaphragm.

When the hands are stiff or dehydrated, it alters the normal tension in the fascia, which can:

• worsen your posture, 
• disrupt your breathing, and
• diminish vagal tone (which controls your parasympathetic nervous system).

Hand health is correlated to brain health

Your hands are also great predictors of how well your brain works. They are packed with sensory nerve endings, occupying a massive portion of the brain’s somatosensory cortex. So, the more you stimulate your hands by touching textured tools and surfaces, the more you activate this area of the brain. 

Hand movements, especially complex and precise ones, also encourage neuroplasticity. Studies have shown that working with your hands improves executive function, memory, and attention. This is part of the reason why people who play an instrument tend to have improved cognitive abilities. 

On the flip side, decline in hand dexterity and grip strength are often early signs of neurological decline. Among older adults, lower grip strength also means slower processing speed, poorer memory, and greater risk of dementia.

10-Minute Workout for Stronger, More Mobile Hands

Given the significant impact of the hands on overall health and fitness, I regularly integrate hand and wrist exercises in Rev6 workouts. 

Here’s a simple yet challenging 10-minute routine you could do either seated or standing. The exercises in this workout restore the tone and glide of fascia in the hands, ensuring they improve instead of inhibit healthy tension throughout the rest of the body. The coordination required for some of these movements are also sure to give your brain a boost. 

In the video, I am sitting on a stability ball. But if you want to increase the difficulty of the workout, I encourage you to do the routine standing on a BOSU ball or a slant board.