Musicians do it, so should we.
Snap, crackle, pop. It is important to properly maintain your tools regularly. Whether one writes with a pen(cil) or a keyboard, we must all take care of our hands. Some people think popping knuckles is bad for you, some are just uncomfortable doing it.
Do it anyway.
Chiropractors pop necks, backs, elbows, ankles, and all other joints, and you pay them for it. Writing for hours can be a big strain on the hands and fingers. Once my fingers got stuck in the pencil-grip position for several minutes after. It could happen to you.
Pop your knuckles
Stretch your fingers
Bend them behind the hand
Pull them gently out from your hand to extend them all the way from your wrist
Bend your wrists back
Bend your thumbs back
Extend your fingers in a wide stretch then bend them like claws, repeat that a lot.
Play with chinese medacine balls (they’re the little metal ones that jingle); this is for dexterity.
Put a rubber band around your fingers and thumb and move them in and out repeatedly to create and release tension in the band; this is for strength and stretching.
Massage your hands
Do the Mr. Miagi rub together for warming up.
Do these before/during/after long writing sessions and your hands and fingers with be happy and crampless.
Don’t let your hands get like this.
That is all.
Good advice, thanks.
Repeated use can wear not only the muscles, but also the joints. I had to have the lower joint replaced on both thumbs because of long term repetitive movement. Good advice to keep the Dr/surgeon away!
Great post, thank you. I have been sitting in front of a computer since 1984. I had some great advice from my typing tutor at the time, “Rest and do something else”. Doing anything for long periods of time isn’t natural. So planning periodic rests will help keep your limbs in check. It has certainly helped me.
Some one in my class pulled my finger back and poped it on accendent
Ow. Sounds painful.