Fingers are warmed by blood and by gradually rising load, in that order. Five minutes: first move them, then glide the tendons, then pull gently, and only then touch a small hold. The pulls are done open-handed on a big edge with feet on the floor, taking a little more weight each time. Nothing should feel like effort. If it does, that was the session's first hard move and it came too early.The five minutes as I do them. Minute 1: wrist circles both ways, then shake the hands out and flick the fingers open twenty times. Minute 2: tendon glides, slowly: straight hand, hook, full fist, tabletop, flat fist, ten rounds. Minute 3: band opens, thumb and fingers spreading against the elastic, two sets of fifteen. Minutes 4 and 5: open-hand pulls on the biggest edge of the board, feet on the ground, five pulls at roughly a quarter, a half and three quarters of body weight.Generic clip from a physiotherapist who treats climbers. No name kept. Saved on the bus back to Ljubljana, with two weeks of rehabilitation still to go and 📂 First outdoor climbing weekend at Sarn Ridge three weeks off. I wanted something to do after discharge that was not nothing. It overlaps on purpose with what Ilse had me doing in 🏋️ Finger rehabilitation, ten minutes: the band opens are the same exercise. I showed her the clip at the last appointment. She approved it, removed one thing I had added myself and said the rehabilitation ends but the warm-up does not.From September it has been bolted on to the end of my Warm-up sequence on climbing days, so the order is: the usual eight minutes for the body, then these five for the hands, then the easiest circuit in the building. Done at Sarn Ridge on both mornings, on the edge of the hut's door frame, with cold hands and an audience. Done before the session on 6 December. I am not saying it is why. I am saying I did it. Skipped once, in October, in a hurry. The finger said nothing, and I did not enjoy finding out.
