http://www.Centerworks.com/blog Whether you're doing Pilates, or working out in the weight room, or even on an elliptical, or rowing machine any exercise you do that involves gripping a bar, strap, or handle this little gem of a tip will really help you get the best support and strength from your whole upper body while you're exercising!

Did you know that gripping with your thumb ties into the use of your chest muscles? See if you can feel this... Let your arms hang down by your sides, then squeeze your thumb against the rest of your fingers. Can you feel the pec muscles engage right up in the front of your chest and armpit?

So using your thumb to grip, when you're hanging onto anything, helps utilize everything from the hand to the torso in the front of the body... Now, what about the back?

Well, your little pinky finger is tied to your back muscles. Are you ready to feel it work? Hang your arms back down by your sides and now, squeeze your little finger against the rest of your fingers. Can you feel the muscles fire right under the armpit around to the back of the body? That's your Latissimus Dorsi muscle firing.

Maintaining a grip with your thumb AND little finger when youre holding onto a bar, strap, or handle, means that you have the opportunity to use both the front and back of the upper body for balance, strength, and support.

The chest works more when you are pushing things away from the body, and the back works more when you are pulling things towards the body, but maintaining the grip with both the thumb and little finger the whole time you're hanging onto anything means that the opposite side of the body is working to help stabilize your movement to help keep your arms and shoulders safe and injury-free.

Even if you're not holding onto anything, you can still access these muscles, to strengthen this system just by squeezing both the thumb and little finger together with a cupped hand. A great place to practice this is on your 100's exercise during Pilates Matwork. If you swim you can think about this connection on your freestyle to help support the shoulder and get more power from every stroke. And if you're on an elliptical machine hanging on with both your thumb and little finger will give you the opportunity to use more of both your chest and back muscles for an efficient upper body workout while you're doing your cardio.

Hope you've discovered the benefits our opposable thumb and grip play in improved performance! Drop me a comment and share how many exercises in your workout you've found it helpful to pay attention to your thumb and little finger for improving your strength, balance, and technique. Thanks for watching... Aliesa George, Centerworks Health & Fitness Institute