You may not realise it, but your hand grip strength is very important. Even doing household chores requires a good hand grip. Whether you are mopping the floor or gardening, it is what you need. Many assume that grip exercises can only be done at gyms. There are dumbbells or barbells that can be used for it. But ladies, you can even use easily available tools at home to improve hand grip!
Maintaining a good grip is all about regularly making use of the muscles in your hand or forearm. So, HealthShots connected with fitness guru Aminder Singh of Team Aminder fame, to find out about the importance of hand grip and ways to improve it.
If you love online shopping, you can buy hand grippers from anywhere. It is a portable and compact lever-type device that can be used to build up arm strength and muscle. All you have to do is squeeze it. Mind you, it’s quite challenging to squeeze it. That’s why it is a great way to improve hand grip.
Benefits of using hand exercise tool
Hand grip strength is needed as it allows women to function normally and carry out daily activities without any problem, says Singh. When women strengthen their forearms, wrists and grip, they find it easier to carry the groceries, hold a child, do gardening and do many other activities. So, you need to train grip strength. The hand gripper is great because you can do it from anywhere and anytime even while watching a TV, allowing you to turn your relaxation time into productive exercises.
Tips for beginners
We all start from somewhere and so does a beginner. A beginner needs to start from the base of her strength from where she feels comfortable. You can start by indulging in day-to-day activities. Let us tell you some options!
1. Dough
You probably make a dough every night for dinner. You would be surprised to know that making a dough in the kitchen is a well-known hand grip, says Singh. That’s because finger and hand muscles are used at an extensive level while making rotis.
2. Rubber band
Tying your hair up with a rubber band? Well, you can use a thick rubber band or rubber bracelet. Place it around your five fingers for grip exercise. All you have to do is extend your hand outward as much as you can.
3. Towel
Washing machine has made our lives very easy and comfortable. We no longer have to carry the heavy wet clothes and squeeze them to take out water. Well, you should do that as a grip exercise. Use a towel and roll it into a sausage shape then grab it at each end. Start twisting the towel with both your hand, and when it gets too tight, undo it.
Who should avoid using hand exercise tools?
Forearm muscles are used daily for normal day routine, so they recover also fast. That’s a good thing as they can be trained daily. But if you feel little discomfort, you can take rest for one or two days and then start again working with a hand exercise tool, suggests the expert.
Also, people who have already been way too injured should avoid using hand exercise tools.
Even gym enthusiasts should focus on a good grip. If your grip strength is poor then you may face problems in doing other exercises like pull ups, deadlifts or lunges. So, hand grip strength should not be ignored.