Many dedicated guitar players often face a problem when their hands won't cooperate with their desire to play. The nature of the instrument makes it difficult on the muscles and tendons of your hands, wrists and forearms. Keeping your hands strong and flexible will help you play longer and allow you to concentrate on the music and forget about your hands.
Forearm Finger Pulls
To stretch out all your fingers and the flexor muscles on the inside of your forearms, extend your arm out in front of you with your fingers pointing down. Grab the end of your fingers with the opposite hand and gently pull toward yourself. Feel the stretch for several seconds, and then rotate your hand so your fingers point down and pull them in again. Perform the stretch on both hands.
Fingers and Thumb
Stretch each finger and your thumb out individually. Take each finger and bend it back to a comfortable stretch and hold for several seconds. Also, bend your thumb back toward your wrist and down in toward your palm, especially the thumb on your fretting hand.
Spider Fingers
To stretch all your fingers and thumbs at the same time, open your hands and separate your fingers. Place your fingertips against one another and press your hands together. Shift the pressure gently from left to right to give each finger and thumbs a good stretch.
Wrist Twist
For an effective wrist stretch that also gets part of your hand, hold your left hand out in front of you. Twist your hand so your palm is facing left, then grab under your thumb with your right fingers and place your right thumb on the back of your left hand. Gently twist the hand toward the outside and feel the stretch in your wrist and hand. Hold for several seconds and do both hands.
Considerations
It is important to rest your hands periodically as you play your guitar to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Take a break for a couple of minutes every 20 minutes or so. Do your stretches before and after each playing session.
