How to Increase Your Residents’
Finger Mobility

Are your residents having difficulties bending and moving their fingers? If so, consider adding a few finger exercises to your daily exercise routine.

If you’re noticing that your residents are having difficulties flexing and moving their fingers, then help them exercise their fingers more to increase mobility and avoid stiffness. Here are five exercises that you can add to your daily exercise routine:

1. Sign Language. Count to ten on each hand using American Sign Language.

2. Finger Stretch. Have residents do twenty repetitions of opening and closing their fists.

3. Playing Piano. Encourage residents to pretend that they are playing the piano on their laps as they move each of their fingers up and down.

4. Picking Apples. Show residents how to reach up with one arm above their heads to pick fruit and then reach down to the opposite hip to put the fruit into a bucket (which is the opposite arm). As the residents reach up to pick fruit, encourage them to spread out their fingers to grab the fruit and as they bring their arms down toward the bucket, encourage them to bring their fingers closer together to place the fruit in the bucket.

5. Picking Up Pennies. Before ending your exercise, walk around the room and ask each resident to pick up a penny from your hand. Have the resident try to pick up the penny using their forefinger and thumb, and then using their middle finger and thumb, etc.