Hand Popping

This second exercise will give strength and extension to your hands. The idea here is a little difficult to understand until you actually feel it happen.

Start, as usual, by shaking out your hands. Try to find the natural, relaxed state of the hands by opening them slowly and then letting them collapse under their own weight. You'll find by rotating the hands so that the palms are towards ground and then toward the ceiling that the fingers have different naturally relaxed positions - more open when turned down, partially closed when facing up.

A good way to see if your hand is relaxed its by placing your forearm (we'll start with the right arm) on a table or, if sitting, on your thigh with palm up. Roll the clenched fist of your left hand along your outstretched right forearm, starting at the wrist and moving to the inside of your elbow. The fingers of your relaxed hand should move as the left hand compresses and releases the tendons and muscles that connect your hand to your forearm.  If the fingers aren't moving it's because the muscles are too tense... sooooo relax.

Back to hand popping. Turn your relaxed at forty-five degrees towards the ground, with the right side of your right hand angled down. From this relaxed state explode your fingers full of tension, spreading them and stretching them outward. Include the thumb in this exercise. Then, allow the fingers to fall into the relaxed position again, but before they fully relax pop your hand full of tension again. 

The "pop" in this exercise comes more from the middle of the hand than from the fingers, so you should concentrate on pushing your knuckles forward and through your palm. The popping feeling (and look) occurs throughout the entire forearm. After some practice at this, you'll see and feel a vibration in the muscles every time you pop your fingers open. The idea though is to get your hand to spring open as quickly as possible as though an electric shock has zapped the muscles.

The Thumbs

Because they are usually ignored in movement classes, an exercise specifically for the thumbs is
important. Begin by making two fists, leaving the thumbs out pointing upward. Simply move the thumbs from side to side at the same time; both to the right and then to the left at a moderate speed, accelerating them to a  point where It becomes difficult to keep them synchronized. 

Don't touch your hands together.

Without stopping, change directions, having the thumbs now wave toward each other, and then away.  Continue like this for about twenty seconds, alternating between synchronizing the direction the thumbs are waving and having them oppose one another. You may find that your fists start swaying back and forth with your thumbs. If this happens pay special attention to keeping them still.

You're trying to isolate your thumbs and give them independence. Part of the reason it's difficult when you speed up is that you might very well be using more muscle then you need.  Are your knuckles turning white (you're clenching your fists.. relax), are your shoulders or forearms sore?  (relax)... Is your jaw moving back and forth like your thumbs???  (It happens.) RELAX.

It's more important that you recognize when you're tensing up then actually getting the exercise right.  ...and then.... r e l a x....