Tips for writers with weak hand muscles
Our hands each have 27 bones, 34 muscles and over 100 tendons and ligaments. We use each and every one as writers. Bones give our muscles, tendons, and ligaments a steady place to stretch and move from. Some stretch to hold our hand still while others move to form our words, sentences, and illustrations.
Any break of a bone, tear of a tendon, or weakness of a muscle can make a big impact on our ability to write. Bone breaks and tendon tears typically require medical care and rest. But weak muscles can be strengthened at home to increase writing speed and legibility.
Stability
During writing, we hold a pencil still in our fingers by letting it rest against our hand. While working on hand and finger muscle resistance and repetition, it is important to keep your wrist and palm still to ensure safe and effective strength building. This can be done by keeping the pinky finger side of your wrist on a firm surface like a tabletop, doing resistance activities while lying on your belly propped up on your forearms, or holding a racket ball in your hand while tapping your finger and thumb together.
Resistance and Repetition
Muscle strengthening requires resistance and repetition. Muscles must resist against something to get stronger. That can be as simple as the simple as squeezing a ball or as complex as intricate finger movements with bands wrapped around our hands. Not only must they resist, muscles must resist more than once. Repeating strengthening movements is key to building hand strength. The good news of hand muscles is many of them are small. With consistent practice for just a few minutes most days, it doesn't take long to see improvements!
Here are four exercises to strengthen weak muscles for writing:
1. CRAB CRUNCHES
Writing requires your fingers and thumb to be in a bent circular position. much like they are when holding a racket ball in your hand…or like a crab claw. Holding a stress ball or large ball of silly putty/ play doh in your hand practice squeezing it holding this circular position. As an added bonus repeat the exercise pinching the putty/doh with your thumb and pointer keeping the circular, (thumbs bent) position. Repeat pinching with your thumb and middle finger, ring finger, and pinky. If you use silly putty, consider hiding small plastic beads or pennies in it to ‘hunt’ for.
2. FINGER ROLLS
Place a marble or small piece of playdoh in between your thumb and pointer finger. Practice rolling the marble/playdoh down your pointer finger to your palm and them roll it up your middle finger. Repeat rolling up and down to your pinky and back to your pointer. As an added bonus, try completing the rolls with both hands at the same time!
3. Bird wings:
Holding papers still on the table or our tablets in our hands while we write keeps the paper/surface from sliding when we are marking letters and drawing pictures. Place a thin rubber band around your fingers (DISCLAIMER: not too tight, it should NOT turn your fingers a different color or cut of circulation). Open your fingers wide, like a bird opening it’s wings and hold for 1-3 seconds before releasing. Repeat.
4. Circle strokes
Coloring in small pictures using circular strokes with crayons or pencils. Circular strokes are an easy way to ensure all your hand muscles get a turn at working. Color by numbers and adult coloring books are great for this! Added bonus, use broken crayons to color with. It’s east to keep fingers in the best position when crayons are too short to hold with a whole hand or fist.
five FUN strengthening games
Roll playdoh to make shapes and designs.
Any card game. Holding cards in a fan in your hand is a great way to build strength.
Use chopsticks, clothes pins, or tongs to pick up snacks at meal time or board game pieces. Make sure to try and keep the crab crunch hand position when using them!
Play shadow puppet games. Turn off the lights and shine a flashlight at the wall. Practice making different shapes or animals (butterfly, fox, alligator) without your hands in front of the light and watch them ‘appear’ on the wall.
Hold a squirt bottle and spray water to give toys a bath in the tub or to rinse chalk off a driveway.