One rare, but not unusual, trait of PD is for the hands to become rigid. The joints of the hand must be moved as far as possible every day, and must be moved frequently. Crafts and hobbies are excellent ways to exercise the hands, especially crafts such as woodwork, leather work, and model-building. The following exercises can be done any time during the day. Do them first with one hand and then with the other.

1. Hand Gripper: Use a light hand exerciser 20 to 25 times with each hand. The purpose is to move the hand joints, therefore a tight or hard exerciser would be a deterrent if the person is unable to squeeze it more than a few times.

2. Finger Stretch: Open your hand as wide as possible, then slowly curl the fingers down into a tight fist. Do this five to ten times, several times each day.

3. Putty Punch: Pinch off small bits of putty or clay in small pieces.

4. Finger Twist: Remove the nut from a bolt by using thumb and fingertips. The bolt should be one-quarter of an inch in diameter, and two inches long.

5. Miscellaneous: Pick up small pieces from games such as Mastermind (peg style), Perfection, peg Solitaire, marbles, checkers/draughts etc. These games are very good ways to relax with your spouse or friends. Even if you don't have an opponent, picking up the small objects is good exercise.