Can Exercise Slim My Pudgy Fingers?

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Can Exercise Slim My Pudgy Fingers?

Try our pro's diet and nail-care tips to reduce swelling in pudgy hands and make fingers appear longer.

From the editors of FITNESS magazine

Question: "I hate the way my fingers look -- they're pudgy. Are there any exercises I can do to slim them down?"

Answer: Sorry, but you may be stuck with those fingers. The structure of your hands and fingers is genetically determined, says Nadya Swedan, MD, a New York City-based sports-medicine physician.

You can't spot-reduce them, but losing weight can help slim them if excess body fat is the cause of your thick digits, says Dr. Swedan. And if your feet are also puffy, water retention caused by a high-salt diet might be the culprit.

Finger-Slimming Tips

Try keeping your daily sodium intake at or below 2,300 milligrams (about the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt) for one month.
Steer clear of dark polishes and paint your nails a nude shade or a light pink to make your fingers look longer.
Growing your nails a smidge past your fingertips may also help. Just keep them filed and rounded to prevent chipping.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, June 2006.