Vary your grip and posture
Switch hands, tasks and positions so the same muscles and tendons are not loaded for hours.
- How often
- Daily
- Recommended for
- 19 factors
How to do it
- Alternate hands for repetitive tasks when you can, and rotate between different tasks during the day.
- Keep your wrists as straight as possible. Choose tools with handles that let you do that, such as bent-handled or pistol-grip tools.
- Avoid forceful pinch grips. Use handles or cutouts to carry boxes, and do not grab too many items at once.
- Change your body position at least every 20 to 30 minutes, even if it is a small shift.
- Take short breaks to open your hands and stretch your wrists.
Why it helps
Doing the same motion with the same grip for long periods, especially with bent wrists or a forceful pinch, strains tendons and is linked to problems like tendinitis and tennis elbow. Varying how you hold and move spreads the load. As one doctor puts it, the best posture is a moving posture.
Be careful
Numbness, tingling, weakness or pain in the hands, wrists or elbows that persists should be checked by a doctor.
Recommended for
Assembly line worker
The same motions, hundreds of times an hour, at the pace of the line.
occupationBarista
Tamping, pouring and steaming, hundreds of drinks a shift.
occupationCarpenter
Hammering, sawing, lifting and kneeling, with sharp tools all day.
occupationCashier
Scan, bag, repeat, for hours in the same small space.
occupationGraphic designer
Mouse, stylus and big screens, often against a deadline.
occupationHairstylist
Arms up, scissors in hand, standing behind the chair all day.
habitHeavy smartphone use
Head down, thumbs busy, screen inches from your face for hours a day.
hobbyKnitting and crochet
Thousands of small, repeated stitches with your head bent over the work.
occupationMassage therapist
Your hands are the tool, and your body is the lever behind them.
hobbyMountain biking
Rough trails, steep drops and a lot of jolting through your arms.
hobbyPainting and drawing
Hours of fine, precise hand work, often hunched over a page or easel.
habitParenting young children
Lifting, carrying, bending and rocking all day, on broken sleep.
hobbyPlaying guitar
Hours of fretting, strumming and holding an awkward posture.
hobbyRoad cycling
Hours bent over the bars, legs spinning thousands of turns per ride.
habitStanding desk user
Swapped the chair for standing, and found standing has its own costs.
occupationStay-at-home parent
Lifting, carrying and caring around the clock, with little time for yourself.
occupationWarehouse worker
Picking, packing and lifting at speed, miles of walking a shift.
hobbyWeightlifting
Heavy loads through your back, shoulders and wrists, set after set.
hobbyYoga
Deep stretches and long holds that can push joints past their limits.