Hand Exercise - Ways To Relieve Stress

It is a hectic world. Whether you like it or not, you will face stress sooner or later - if you are not facing stress already. Although yelling and jumping up and down can help alleviate stress levels somewhat, you cannot really do this within the confines of your workplace, particularly if you are sharing spaces with other people. You can, however, perform these different hand exercise routines and still gain the same benefits as that of yelling and jumping up and down.

The key to gaining the best benefits to these hand exercise routines is to have some quiet time to do so. You can also perform breathing exercises at the same time. These hand exercise routines do not need to be complex. In fact, you can do these while sitting in your office space. Some of these include:

Tip: Hand massages. Do not belittle the power of simple hand massages. Take a dab of lotion or massage oil and slowly work it through your hands. Give special attention to the folds between the fingers, the ball-like muscles beneath the thumb, the wrists and the tip of the fingers. Once you have incorporated the lotion or oil unto your skin, run your right thumb repeatedly at the muscles comprising the base of the fingers of your other hand. Do this for 10 to 20 counts before doing the same with your other palm. Next link you finger together, like you are praying (elbows bent.) Push inwards, keeping your palms several inches from your chest. Elevate your elbows to shoulder level. Hold this position for 10 counts and then release.

Tip: Push your right arm forward with palm flexed upward. Take your left palm and gently pull back your right palm towards you. Do this gently for 5 counts. Make sure that you are doing this exercise without causing pain, and only until you feel your muscles stretched but not strained. Release for 5 counts, and do this again for 5 to 10 repetitions. Do the same on the left arm.

Tip: Press palms together in front of your chest. Fingers should be extended and spaced apart. Elbows must be either shoulder level or somewhat parallel to the floor. Push hard on both palms until you feel your forearms straining. Hold this position for 10 counts and release for 5 counts. 20 reps should help ease the symptoms of stress on your shoulders.

Tip: Stretch. Stretch your fingers by opening them widely and slowly making a fist, one finger at a time. It does not matter if you want to start with the thumb or the little finger as long as you let the fingers stretch while making a fist. You can do this one palm at a time or both palms at the same time. In between the stretching, you can shake your hands in the air to release the tension.

Tip: Clapping loudly. Incredibly, clapping has proven to have beneficial to relieving stress. Give yourself a few claps, and but try to add more pressure at the point of impact, particularly on the heels of the palm.

Again, these exercises will work better if you incorporate stress relieving breathing exercises as well. Some quiet time will also help these exercises become more efficient.