FREE GYMNASTIC EXERCISES FOR THE THUMB.
Although it is not easy to prescribe complete gymnastic exercises for
the thumb, the following, if made vigorously, will, nevertheless, be
found very effective.
_First movement._
[Illustration: Fig. 13.]
[Illustration: Fig. 14.]
Stretch the fingers as far as possible away from one another, then
press the hand firmly together, the thumb being held fast in the cavity
of the hand; continue for a moment in this position, and then repeat
the same movement, alternately opening and closing the hand.
_Second movement._
[Illustration: Fig. 15.]
Hold the fingers close together, stretch out the thumb, and then
perform with the latter a circular movement inside the hand, first 20
times to the right, then 20 times to the left: to be repeated again and
again.
_Third movement._
[Illustration: Fig. 16.]
Take hold of the thumb of the one hand with the fingers of the other,
or with the whole hand, and shake it or bend it to its root, without,
however, overdoing either.
In short, perform every day some exercise with the thumb, whereby it
will be sufficiently brought into exercise.