As you advance in age, agility will often become compromised due to mental and physical causes. This can result in reduced mobility, less independence, and an overall decline in health. But below are some tips for enhancing your physical dexterity even after the age of fifty.
Learn How to Play Musical Instruments
Learning how to play musical instruments like the violin, piano, guitar, flute or clarinet will benefit you in multiple ways. Your hands and fingers will become stronger, more flexible, and coordinated. Learning the musical notes and melodies will enhance your mind, minimizing the onset of dementia and other memory-related disorders. This can all be achieved by practicing as little as ten minutes a day.
Practice Knitting or Sewing
Knitting or sewing can be a wonderful hobby. Not only will it boost the manual dexterity of your hands, the movements which are required will work out various hand muscles. You can start out with simple items such as buttons and eventually transition to complex objects such as cardigans, jumpers or patchworks, perhaps sewing something wonderful that can be given as a gift to your loved ones.
Origami
Origami is an art form developed in Japan that involves folding paper in various ways to create sculptures. One of the most popular is the paper crane, but there are many other objects that you can create and you’re only limited by your imagination. You can purchase books or visit websites to learn it, and not only will it challenge your hands and improve your dexterity, it will also stimulate your mind.
Experiment with Putty and Clay
While putty is often associated with children, aging adults can have fun with it too. This is because you need to use your hands to transform the putty or clay into a desirable shape. As the materials have high resistance, your hands and fingers will become stronger by handling them. You’ll want to begin with simple challenges, such as shaping sticks and balls before transitioning into more complex objects. Experimenting with putty is also therapeutic and is considered a good way to alleviate stress.
Stretching
There is a reason experts recommend stretching, especially if you intend to engage in activities that are strenuous. Those that use their hands for a living, such as musicians, learn multiple techniques for stretching before performances, which you can also employ to boost your own dexterity.
These include finger stretches, where you’ll spread and extend the fingers outward from the palm. You’ll want to hold this position for approximately five seconds, then allow your hands to relax and close them into a fist. Another important technique is the wrist stretch. You’ll extend your fingers outward as before, but this time you’ll slowly rotate the wrists clockwise and then counterclockwise. You’ll want to repeat this process ten times.
Do Some Handwriting
In a day and age where most people use electronic devices such as computers and smartphones to send and receive messages, manual handwriting isn’t done as much, but you’ll want to get into the habit of doing it as it will keep your fingers moving and flexible.
