Set the hand on a stable table
Sit beside a steady table and rest your forearm and palm comfortably, with the palm facing down. Let the fingers lie in their natural positions. Do not push a stiff hand flat. The Doncaster NHS guide shows the individual lift from this supported position.
Lift one finger softly
Choose one finger, lift it a small amount using its own movement, and lower it gently. Keep the other fingers relaxed against the surface. You are exploring active movement, not pulling the finger upward with the other hand. The Bexley NHS guide demonstrates a slow individual lift.
Keep the wrist and palm quiet
Watch whether the palm rolls or the whole wrist rises to help. If it does, reduce the lift and reset the forearm. A tiny independent movement is useful for learning the task. Finger height is not a score, and one finger need not match another.
Try the other fingers
Move to another finger only if the first lift remains comfortable. Lower each one before changing fingers and take a pause when needed. Avoid pressing the resting fingers hard into the table. The thumb may move differently, so do not force it to copy a finger.
Know when to pause
Stop for pain, locking, numbness, new swelling or loss of movement. After injury, surgery, a splint or a hand therapist’s restrictions, use your personal instructions instead. The NHS leaflets are clinical exercise examples, not a universal repetition schedule or a promise of treatment.
Choose the next hand task
For several whole hand shapes, use our finger tendon glide guide. To move the thumb toward fingertips, see thumb opposition. The beginner mobility guide helps place one comfortable movement in a small practice. This page and its translations do not imply that the Mobility app supports every article language.
For sideways finger motion instead of a vertical lift, spread the fingers on the table while keeping the palm supported.
Lifting a whole finger differs from bending its last joint. With clinician permission, the isolated fingertip movement guide explains supporting the rest without pushing the tip.