Hello and a strengthening question

[Xynephadyn]

Hello, everyone. I am sort of new here. I have been reading the forum for awhile, and find it to be helpful, thoughtful, and, at times, very funny. Some may say I've been "lurking"- I prefer to say that I am on the more quiet side. I am in my second semester of a four semester/two year MT program, and absolutely love it. The more I learn, the more I want to learn-I am fortunate to have excellent teachers.I have a question for some who may be more experienced at this.Does anyone have any good arm and hand strengthening excercises? I stretch hands, fingers, flexors, and extensors regularly and use power putty, but I would love some additional techniques I could use while sitting at stop lights or in line at the market.Thanks in advance for your replies.And a delayed thanks for the many tips I have picked up here.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hello and a strengthening question

Hey.I'm in 3d semester of a 2-year program. Can't claim a whole lot of experience, but I have heard that exercising your fingers on the extensor side can be good too. A rubber band works. Someone I talked with said she found a block of memory foam with finger holes; I'm not sure where. You insert your fingers and use it for both flexion and extension exercises.

 

[Andrew]

Hello and a strengthening question

teehee! It's so funny that merlescuz responded to palpable's post! Did you guys know you're going to the same school?! I've exchanged emails with both of you and we all go to the same mt school, but we're all in different seforum.xxxes: 1st semester (me), 2nd (palpable), 3rd (merlescuz). Small world. I'm not more experienced, so I don't have any answers, just had to point out this funny coin-kee-dink.

 

[nOtPoOdLe]

Hello and a strengthening question

I thought that might be a possibility. Just a hunch. That is about my only complaint about the otherwise super school-there is little interaction between the different classes because we all go on different days or at different times. Oh, and the commute during rush hour is a bit of a pain, but nothing a good music collection can't help with.

 

[Elisabeth C]

Hello and a strengthening question

Well, here's our oppurtunity to mingle! Maybe we should start an MTI string!!You all probably heard (?) we're moving to Watertown in the spring. It's funny to listen to the mix of grumbles (from classmates who live in Cambridge) and yelps of joy (from the ones in Watertown)...I'm in metro west, so it's a wash for me. I have to deal with 128 either way. Just think, CENTRAL AIR!!!I heard about that foam block from an MT at Bancroft in Worcester. If you're interested, I'll get you her name, and see if I can find an email addy.

 

[Meeka]

Hello and a strengthening question

Hi, merlescuz.Thanks for the info. The memory foam sounds like a slightly different version of power putty, but it might be nice to have something different to work with that won't melt in the car. As for Rt. 128-the less I have to drive on it the better-what a mess at 6 pm on a weeknight!! A good place to practice my "awareness" skills

 

[Stone 8]

Hello and a strengthening question

Grounding and centering....grounding and centering....That intersection at Alewife, end of Rindge Ave is the perfect test! Have you guys tried Joses yet? Little mexican place around the corner with great food, awesome 'ritas and very friendly staff. It's become a somewhat regular haunt when ever our class makes it through another semester final. Maybe we can plan a get-together some time.

 

[Jazzy J]

Here's a great way to work out your forearms...Grab a 10-lb weight, the circular kind that go on bar/dumbells. Next get a dowell or a dumbell, and about 4 feet of rope. Drill a hole in the dowell/dumbell, and put the rope through it, tying a knot in the end to make it stay. Tie the other end of the rope to the 10-lb weight.Stand with your arms out in front of you holding the weight device by the dowell. Make a twisting motion, making the rope wrap around the dowell as the weight is lifted upward toward the dowell. Continue rotating the dowell until the weight is about 6 inches away from the dowell. Now hold it there for about 10 seconds, and slowly rotate the dowell the other direction, making the weight go back down toward the ground. If you can, do this about 3 times, resting about 5 minutes in between. Do NOT do this before a massage, it's pretty intense.  

 

[click66441]

Hello and a strengthening question

Cool idea! I've done wrist curls with dumbbells; sounds like it works similar muscles (flexors/ extensors). In seated position, rest your elbows on your knees, forearms supinated, holding light weights one in each hand. Allow hands to drop slowly, uncurling fingers so that the weights are hanging at 2nd interphalangeal jts. Then curl fingers into palms, and flex hands. Repeat 10 - 15 times.To work extensors, flip hands over and essentially do the same maneuver, but without extending the fingers.

 

[cricketlady]

Hello and a strengthening question

that's too funny! maybe we should start an MTI string! personally I'm excited about the move to Watertown. I'm also in metro-west, but closer to the pike, which will make it a much more simple drive for me. and yes, 128 and the the roads around alewife are nightmarish in the evening. (driving in Sunday was a breeze tho!) it is too bad that there isn't more mingling between classes. i was thinking about (after we move to watertown) trying to arrange an art show/music night where we get together and share some of our other talents and mix and mingle with all the other classes. as for hand exercises. here's a link about some tools you can use:http://www.asisphonics.net/handexercise.htmland another:http://www.fitter1.com/hand-strengthening.htmland here's the website for the book "Save Your Hands." It has some interesting links in the resource section:http://www.saveyourhands.com/

 

[Sunny]

Hello and a strengthening question

Thanks for the links, Leah. I already checked out Saveyourhands.com. I checked the MTI library for the book too; they have it in their catalog, but someone "more deserving" has it (without checking it out....)So are we a musician? Artist? I'm a drummer...or was. I haven't played drum set for a long time. I was doing African drumming and some Latin percussion stuff before school started. My wife is a painter. Gotta have aht!

 

[Jas]

Hello and a strengthening question

ha! yep, gotta have aht...i'm an artist. and i have a website!http://www.leahpiken.com

 

[Blueberry Head]

Hello and a strengthening question

Hi all.Thanks for the tips. Seforum.xxxgnant, that does sound like an intense exercise. Don't have any 10 lb weights, but I've got some different sized iron skillets that I think will work just fine. I can imagine you would not want to do that before a massage (well, maybe before getting one, but...)I haven't checked out those sites yet, but will soon. Thanks again

 

[sandyblondegirl]

Yoga has been the number one excercise for strength building (yes, even your hands) and overall fatigue reducer.  Doing more targeted excercises for hands and wrists seems to wear me out more without doing the arm and chest along with it, therefore the whole body workout of yoga.Not everyone's cup of tea, but I was amazed at how much it helps.

 

[MIH1406]

a strengthening exercise

I read this as an exercise, but I have also seen it used at kids camps as a contest.  It could easily be done in the car waiting for a long light or traffic jam.Grab the corner of a full sheet of newspaper.  Abduct your arm level with your shoulder.  Using only that hand, crumple the paper into a ball. Sounds easy? give it a try ;D

 

[choudhary_ajay1980]

Hello and a strengthening question

Here's a review for the "Save Your Hands" book. I was considering buying it, until I read some of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0967954908/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/002-3641707-0186444?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=283155

 

[fade2blak80]

Ah. The frustration of crumpling a newspaper. I did that as a kid, but forgot about it. As I recall, it was quite challenging. Thanks NC.Jess, I agree that yoga is a wonderful self-care exercise. Almost as good as getting  a massage.As for self-care and "Save Your Hands", I've heard mixed reviews. My school is adamant about self care (it is even given as homework). I say this without reading the whole book, but from what I have read, it seems that the author advocates hiding your hands away from almost any work except massage (lifting, any hand intensive activities such as playing music, and so on) Definitely not my cup 'o' tea.

 

[hollee w]

Some bits OT but...Leah, you are one masterful artist!  Its funny how many of us come from art backgrounds. When I took life drawing in college, I struggled with a few mediums (making the models twitch as I stared so intensely heh), but I could whip out a mean chiaroscuro no problem, the instructor would have students stand behind me when I worked. That same instructor gave us a muscle naming test from our anatomy studies. I just wanted to paint, and was totally bored. I wrote down names like "extensor flexor maximus longissimus dorsi digitalis" or "nose picker longus" then drew my face at the bottom with my tongue sticking out...didn't affect my grade, a very cool teacher! But she wagged her *lol* "nose picker longus" at me and said, "You will have to know them SOME DAY!"How prophetic!!  :I think it will be interesting to watch the evolution of your work as you dig into sinews and deeply touch human energy daily. You guys are so lucky to be in school together! and  close to my hometown... I grew up in Cambridge, and Tewksbury. When I worked in the midwest, one of the alt rocker groups from Cambridge used to pay my fee for massage, just to sit and be around someone from home. Back on topic: Massage everyone you know to strengthen your arms!! I used to grab the tight traps in front of me when standing in long lines at the bank.

 

[CarlG]

Hello and a strengthening question

Thank you so much gutehands!!! Ha! the nose pickus longus had me laughing! That's great. Yeah, it's funny how interesting the anatomy and physiology are to me now in comparison to how uninterested I was in science in high school. When I went in to the intro session at my school and introduced myself as an artist, my intro teacher said that a lot of artists end up as MT's. She thought it must have something to do with loving to work with your hands. And hey, if you're ever back in your hometown, you'll have to let us know!!

 

[devy]

Hello and a strengthening question

Thanks Leah, I will