What are good physical exercises to get muscles ready to play handbells?
Handbells of course vary in weight. Strength and flexibility in the forearms, wrists, and fronts of the shoulders are crucial to prevent repetitive motion injuries. Strengthening of the forearm and hand grip is the first step.
You want to pick a barbell or dumbbell weight (dumbbells allow better weight selection) slightly lighter than the handbell you work with for the first set. Sit on a chair or on a bench, knees hip width apart or slightly wider. Hold the weight with a firm grip, palm side up with the back of the wrists resting on each knee. Lift the weight up by curling the wrist up so you roll the weight towards you, and then lower. The action is exactly like a bicep curl, except you are bending at the wrist in stead of the elbow. Start with 20 to 25 repetitions. If you have the correct weight, you will start to feel some burning in the wrist and forearm muscles at around 16 to 22 reps. this works the wrist flexors on the inner forearm. Next, do the same thing with an overhand grip, so palms are facing down and you are rolling the weight upward so your knuckles face you. Keep the same repetitions. For your second set, add one or two pounds more and repeat repetitions. Add slightly more weight for the third set. Keep in mind these should be light weights with mild weight increases. You are not trying to develop bulk; you are trying to build endurance. If you cannot complete the reps at all by the third set, or if there are sharp pains, you have too much weight.
For the shoulders, palms-in front raises are a good choice. This will work the front portion of the shoulders (anterior deltoids) and the biceps for lifting your handbells. Start with arms by your sides holding dumbbells slightly heavier than your handbells. Keeping your palms facing in, raise the weights straight up in front of you, shoulder width and shoulder height. Lower slowly and repeat for three to four sets of 15 repetitions.
To stretch the forearms and loosen the wrists, hold five to ten pound dumbbells in each hand. Hold arms at your sides, elbows bent at 90 degrees. Twist dumbbells at the wrists without moving the arms, as if you were unscrewing lids with your hands. Control your movement so you do not pull the connective tissues.
Keep the hands limber with prayer stretches. Hold elbows straight out and press palms together in front of your heart, as if in prayer. Lower the forearms slightly keeping the palms in contact so the fingers stretch back slightly. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds at a time and repeat throughout the day. Massage the palms and fingers frequently with small circular motions using the thumb of the opposite hand.
