Your Personal Best: Grip strength exercise

As we age, we tend to lose our grip strength. Dr. Milady Murphy has a simple exercise you can do to counteract that negative process.

All you need is a hand therapy ball. Here’s how you do it:

• With your hand therapy ball in the palm of your hand, gently squeeze the ball for a few moments, then squeeze tighter and hold for 5 seconds
• Release your grip
• Repeat five times in each hand

This exercise can be done just about anywhere, and should be done daily.

As you get stronger, you can purchase hand therapy balls with more resistance. These can be purchased at local pharmacies, sporting goods stores or online.

If you notice pain at any time, stop. If the pain persists, consult with your doctor.