Hand and Finger Stretches
Playing the uke will use muscles you didn't know you had! So, before you begin to play, make sure you warm up your wrists and fingers. These stretches will help wake up your muscles. Use them before you start your practice exercises or playing.
If you have any pain, STOP! These should be gentle stretches.
If you have any health restrictions, check with your physician before doing any stretching exercises.
Hang Loose Finger Stretches
A simple and effective exercise to get your fingers ready to play. You can do them almost any time to keep your fingers limber!
Hold both arms out in front of you at shoulder height and make a loose fist
Now stretch the fingers out as wide as you can, then relax them. Pull the middle and ring fingers into the palm and extend the pinky, pointer, and thumb as wide as you can (it makes a "Hang Loose" hand wave) - hold for a count of 5.
Relax and put the fingers in a loose fist again.
Now, raise the middle and ring fingers up while holding the pinky and pointer finger to the palm with your thumb, and stretch those fingers apart in a "V" shape and hold for a count of 5.
Repeat both exercises 3 times alternating between them.
Finger Spreads
Think of a cat and how they spread their paws when they stretch. Stretch all the way from your shoulders to your fingertips!
Hold hands out at chest height with palms facing away from you
Spread your fingers as widely as you can, stretching the thumb and pinky down
Hold for a count of 5 and then relax the hands
Repeat 3 times
Wrist Rotations
Extend your arms in front of you with the palms facing down to the floor
Rotate your wrists slowly to the right three times
Repeat moving the wrists to the left three times
Shaking Hands to Relax
Let your arms and hands fall to your sides and shake them gently to relax them. Shake them for 5 seconds.
This is a good thing to do whenever you feel your hands or fingers getting tight while practicing or at the end of the stretching exercises.
