Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch)
With your hands flat on a table, you lift each finger in turn and put it down a little closer to your thumb. It is one of the daily stretches in the SARAH hand programme for rheumatoid arthritis, which improved hand function in a trial; the move has not been tested on its own. It has no 3D demo yet, so follow the written steps.
Movement guide
Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch)
Make it easier or harder
Start where you can move well, then step up.
Easier option
This is already one of the gentlest options for these muscles.
Harder option
3D demoOverhead lat stretch at a benchIntermediate · A bench or boxSimilar move, intermediate grade.
Source-researched guide. Clinical review is pending.
How to move
- Sit at a table and rest your forearms on it, hands palm down and in line with your forearms.
- Move your thumb out to the side.
- Lift your index finger and move it towards your thumb.
- Put it down as close to the thumb as is comfortable.
- Do the same with the middle, ring and little fingers in turn.
- Lift your hands off the table and return them to the start position.
Form cues
- One finger at a time; the others stay resting on the table.
- Move within a comfortable range and never force a finger across.
- Avoid: turning the wrist or lifting the forearm to help the finger move.
Practice and cautions
Daily. Start with 5 repetitions, holding each position for 5 seconds; if that brings no increase in pain or other difficulties, build to 10 repetitions, then 10-second holds (the NHS SARAH leaflet). In the SARAH trial of 490 people with rheumatoid arthritis, the whole programme of stretches and strengthening, taught by a hand therapist, improved hand function by 4.3 points on a 0 to 100 scale more than usual care at 12 months. This move has not been tested on its own.
Keep it gentle on a hot, swollen hand, and stop for sharp pain. After hand surgery, follow your surgeon or hand therapist. This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.
Sources and review status
Sources support the educational description; they do not establish that this exercise is suitable for you.
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS 2025 · Strengthening and stretching exercises for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand, part 1 (the SARAH programme leaflet) ↗
- Lamb 2015 · Exercises to improve function of the rheumatoid hand: the SARAH trial (RCT, Lancet) ↗
- Williams 2015 · Strengthening and stretching for rheumatoid arthritis of the hand: the SARAH trial and economic evaluation (Health Technology Assessment) ↗
No variation is labeled clinically validated.
What it works
Muscles
Main: Forearms.
Anatomy: Brachioradialis, Wrist and finger flexors, Wrist and finger extensors.
Equipment
None: body weight and floor space.
Level
Beginner. See the easier and harder options above.
Workouts that use it
Guides that use it
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Questions people ask
What muscles does the Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch) work?
Mainly the forearms.
What equipment do I need for the Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch)?
No equipment: your body weight and a little floor space.
Is the Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch) good for beginners?
It is graded beginner, so it suits most people starting out. When it feels easy, try the Overhead lat stretch at a bench.
How do I make the Finger walking (SARAH hand stretch) harder?
Progress to the Overhead lat stretch at a bench, or add load, range or slower lowering once your form is solid.