3 Steps to Healthy Hands and Grip Strength
At Naboso, we love feet! But another fascinatingly complex and functional area of the body that we are pretty obsessed with is our hands.
Comprised of 27 bones, 29 joints and over 100 ligaments and muscles, the human hand represents a triumph of engineering, exquisitely evolved to perform a range of tasks. From grip strength to manual dexterity, hand function has been shown to be a predictor of wellness and mortality.
To help you integrate hand health into your movement longevity regimen, we’ve created a great program that includes sensory stimulation, mobility, and strength.
Step 1 – Hand Mobility
With over 30 muscles of the hand and wrist, mobility and recovery of these structures is important to prevent joint stress and stiff hands. The increased use of smartphones with all that scrolling, tapping, and swiping is leading to an increased prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome and “texting thumb.”
To avoid this repetitive hand stress and to protect your hand health for more functional purposes such as lifting groceries or a suitcase, we recommend performing this 5-minute hand release before a grip-intensive workout and at the end of each day.
Step 2 – Hand Sensory Stimulation
Did you know that the palm of the hand has over 17,000 mechanoceptors that read and manipulate objects in our environment? That is over twenty times as many nerves as our feet!
Representing over 25% of our somatosensory cortex, hand stimulation is deeply linked to our visual and vestibular systems. All of these sensory input systems work together as a team to enhance overall movement coordination.
We recommend integrating the Naboso Neuro Ball or Sensory Sticks into all hand prep drills as it is a great way combine mobility, strength and sensory all into one tool.
To learn more about sensory stacking with the Neuro Ball click HERE
Step 3 - Hand Strength
The final step in maintaining optimal hand health is strength, and like our feet, hand strength is deeply connected to the core. By addressing hand strength from an integrated perspective, you will see a much higher return.
When optimizing integrated hand strength, you want to ensure you are starting with a strong foot to core connection. This begins with short foot exercise.
To integrate strength in short foot exercise we recommend holding a Neuro Ball in each hand. As you perform short foot and generate tension in the core, start to grip tighter on the Neuro Ball. We call this tension stacking, and find it as a great way to prime the system for grip focused activities including pull-ups and Olympic lifts.
To learn more about optimizing your movement, foot health and hand strength please visit www.naboso.com