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Mobility Gentle ~3 min

Tendon glides

Move the finger tendons through their full range with five gentle hand positions to reduce stiffness and adhesions.

Equipment: No special equipment

Open hand — relaxed start.

Ready when you are

We'll guide you through 6 short steps — about 34 seconds of guided motion. Pause or stop anytime — nothing is uploaded.

Have ready: No special equipment

Contraindications & stop if…

When not to do this

  • Recent tendon repair without surgeon clearance
  • Acute fracture before bone healing milestones

Stop if

  • Sharp pain at any position
  • New numbness or tingling
  • Sudden swelling
How does the hand feel right now?
No painWorst pain

Prefer a quick pacing gate before the timer? Use full guided session — it asks for pain, stiffness, and fatigue in a few taps first (education only, not clearance).

Guided session

Full-screen steps and timer below — same exercise. For vertical reel mode, use the clapper icon next to Save at the top of the page.

Why it helps

Tendon glides help finger tendons move smoothly through their sheaths after injury, surgery, or immobilization.

What it should feel like

A gentle pull or stretch through the fingers and palm. Never sharp pain.

Target area

Fingers, palm

Stop if you notice

  • Sharp pain at any position
  • New numbness or tingling
  • Sudden swelling

Get clearance first if

  • Recent tendon repair without surgeon clearance
  • Acute fracture before bone healing milestones

Watch a curated demo

Patient education · Tendon glides
Watch on YouTube

Your practice loop

Pause where you want, then tap A for where the loop starts and B for where it ends. Turn Autoloop off anytime — your A/B times stay saved for this video.

Now 0:00 · Loop 0:08 → 1:35

Editor clip 8s–95s, autoloop on. Native YouTube controls stay in the player frame.

ChaptersOpen to jump

Chapter times are approximate markers for this upload so you can jump to each glide pattern; they are not a substitute for in-person instruction.

Tendon Glide Exercises · Ability Rehabilitation · verified 2026-04-22Patient education only — not a replacement for advice from your clinician.

More demos & readings (editorial catalog)

Extra YouTube, PDF, and hospital links gathered for this exercise cluster. The top embed above remains the oEmbed-verified pick when present; treat these as adjacent education — confirm fit with your clinician.

Typical catalog dose: 10 repetitions per hand.

Precautions (catalog)

  • Keep the movement gentle.
  • Stop if swelling or pain increases.

  • 5 Minute Finger and Hand Stiffness Exercise Routine for Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2023-03-12

    Introduces dynamic spider fingers as exercise number one.

    Good for stiffness and warming up the hand.

    Catalog ids: dynamic_spider_fingers, handwriting_warmups, hook_to_fist

  • Hand and Finger Exercises to Decrease Stiffness

    Virtual Hand Care · 2023-01-19

    Includes MP blocking as part of a stiffness program.

    Useful for isolated knuckle motion.

    Catalog ids: mp_blocking

  • Hand Exercises For Every Stage of Stroke Recovery

    Unknown / YouTube · 2024-09-19

    Includes opening-focused drills that may complement contract-relax training.

    Useful as a progression resource.

    Catalog ids: contract_relax_hand, mp_blocking

  • Hand exercises for strength and mobility

    Unknown / YouTube · 2020-02-04

    Supports mobility and hand opening patterns.

    Useful as an alternative mobility drill.

    Catalog ids: dynamic_spider_fingers, wrist_range_of_motion

  • HANDWRITING WARM UPS l Hand and Finger Exercises

    Unknown / YouTube · 2020-04-03

    A fine motor warm-up routine designed to improve pencil control, dexterity, and coordination.

    Ideal for handwriting preparation.

    Catalog ids: handwriting_warmups

  • Occupational Therapy Hand Exercises

    Unknown / YouTube · 2015-09-29

    Includes wrist flexion and extension as part of a home hand program.

    Good for wrist mobility and basic recovery.

    Catalog ids: wrist_range_of_motion

  • Quick Hand Exercise That FIXES Stroke Hand Stiffness and Spasticity

    Skills and Wellness · 2025-03-14

    Demonstrates a PNF contract-relax approach for a tight stroke hand.

    Best for stroke-related stiffness when clinically appropriate.

    Catalog ids: contract_relax_hand

  • Wrist and Finger Mobility Exercises for Stiffness: Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2024-05-02

    A guided mobility session that includes knuckle bender tendon glides and hook fist movement.

    Good for stiffness, arthritis, and post-injury mobility.

    Catalog ids: tendon_glide_sequence

  • 9 Exercises to Help Hand Arthritis

    Arthritis Foundation · 2025-12-18

    Includes finger rolls as part of an arthritis mobility routine.

    Useful for joint mobility in arthritis.

    Catalog ids: finger_rolls

    Open resource

  • Hand and Finger Exercises

    The Hand Society · 2025-08-24

    Lists differential tendon gliding as a common hand exercise.

    Good for clinical home programs.

    Catalog ids: differential_tendon_gliding

    Open resource

  • Hand Exercises

    Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · 2023-10-01

    A patient hand exercise sheet covering basic finger bend, straighten, spread, and squeeze movements.

    Appropriate for gentle recovery and daily range-of-motion work.

    Catalog ids: finger_lifts_spreads

    Open resource

  • Hand exercises for people with arthritis

    Mayo Clinic · 2026-02-04

    Demonstrates hand motions for maintaining flexibility and reducing stiffness.

    Good for gentle range-of-motion practice.

    Catalog ids: finger_rolls

    Open resource

  • Hand Physical Therapy Exercises to Boost Mobility and Recovery

    BTE Technologies / TherapySpark · 2025-06-19

    Shows finger lifts and spreads for hand mobility and control.

    Useful for basic at-home mobility work.

    Catalog ids: finger_lifts_spreads

    Open resource

  • Hand therapy exercise videos

    South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · 2022-01-13

    Covers hand therapy drills including blocking-style motion work.

    Good for therapist-guided motion retraining.

    Catalog ids: finger_blocking, flexor_tendon_rehab, hook_to_fist

    Open resource

  • Hand therapy videos

    The Royal Melbourne Hospital · 2023-01-16

    Includes flexion loop exercises to improve finger motion.

    Good for assisted motion recovery.

    Catalog ids: flexion_loop, flexor_tendon_rehab

    Open resource

  • Occupational Therapy Hand Exercises: Home Program

    Medbridge · 2026-03-01

    Contains tendon glide positions as part of a hand mobility home program.

    Useful for structured therapy programs and progression planning.

    Catalog ids: tendon_glide_sequence

    Open resource

  • other therapy exercises

    UHCW Hand Centre · 2025-08-18

    Includes finger tendon gliding exercises and blocking exercises in hand therapy instruction.

    Useful for structured tendon glide rehab.

    Catalog ids: differential_tendon_gliding, finger_blocking

    Open resource

  • Physical Therapy for Hand Injuries: 7 Exercises to Help You Heal

    La Clinica · 2025-06-19

    Includes finger-bending drills that support flexion recovery.

    Useful for regaining hand bend.

    Catalog ids: flexion_loop

    Open resource

Catalog fact-check source list

Education sources

HandTherapy.app summarizes common home-program elements used in hand therapy and surgery recovery education. These links are for learning — they do not replace your clinician's instructions.

Explainer

How to do it well

Goal, setup, dose, and the things therapists most often have to repeat. This is education — not a replacement for your clinician's plan.

Before you start

  • Sit with your forearm supported on a table.
  • Remove rings and any tight jewelry.
  • Move only into comfortable range — never force.

Today's dose

Reps
5
Sets
2
Hold
3s
Sessions / day
3
Rest
30s
Pain ceiling
3/10

Common mistakes

  • Rushing through positions without holding each shape
  • Using the other hand to force the fingers further
  • Holding your breath through the set

Easier version

  • Do only 3 of the 5 hand shapes
  • Reduce reps to 3 per set
  • Skip the full fist if knuckles are sore

Harder version

Only if your phase allows progression.

  • Add a 5-second hold at the end of each shape
  • Add a third set with a longer rest

How did this feel?

One tap. Saved as a question for your next visit when relevant — never auto-shared.

Jump toSession playerWhy & safetyForm cues & doseKeep going
Continue your rehab

What to do next — not a dead end

Suggestions use shared goals, tags, and difficulty — not your medical record. Always defer to your clinician’s plan after surgery or a flare.

Estimated time

~3 min this exercise

Add a second exercise below for a fuller block.

Equipment

None required — bodyweight / table surface only

Pain-level guard

Explainer ceiling: 3/10 — back off before you reach it.

When to stop

Sharp pain at any position

New numbness or tingling

Full stop rules ↑

Common mistake to watch

• Rushing through positions without holding each shape

More form cues ↓

Education if this matches your situation

Get clearance first if

  • • Recent tendon repair without surgeon clearance
  • • Acute fracture before bone healing milestones

Where this fits in a program

How recovery phases work

Next recommended exercises

Often the next intensity or a logical pairing.

Movement library — same skills, smaller steps

Movements are the building blocks therapists combine into exercises.

Keep momentum without overdoing it

Log on TodayShort on time?Bad hand day?Tune recommendationsGuided sessionSafety hubLearn library
In-session scaling: Easier — Do only 3 of the 5 hand shapes · Harder — Add a 5-second hold at the end of each shapeFull explainer ↓