Physical Therapy Aide Training Practice Test

Which description describes the putty grip exercise?

Gently press your hand into a wall using the palm side of your hand.

Hold putty still without movement.

Place putty in your hand and squeeze it firmly and slowly. reshape it and repeat.

Gripping putty to build hand strength relies on a controlled, resisted contraction of the finger flexors and intrinsic hand muscles. Placing putty in the hand and squeezing firmly and slowly, then reshaping and repeating, provides graded loading that improves grip strength and endurance while promoting coordination. The emphasis is on slow, deliberate contractions rather than static holds or stretches. Pressing into a wall doesn’t use the putty or target grip in this way, holding the putty without movement is an isometric stance that doesn’t strengthen through dynamic resistance, and stretching the putty by pulling it apart focuses on extension and elasticity rather than the gripping muscles.

Stretch putty by pulling it apart.