Tip: What to do if your hands are shaking after playing sports?

After playing badminton, my hands often tremble—sometimes I can’t even hold a pen to write. By the end of a match, it becomes difficult to grip anything, and the shaking persists even when I’m not doing anything at all. This phenomenon is common among beginners or people who haven’t played in a long time, but it usually improves with regular practice. So, what should you do if your hands start trembling?

Why do hands tremble?

This is mainly due to excessive tension or overexertion during exercise, causing the smaller muscles in the forearm to struggle and temporarily cramping up—or even experiencing spasms—after physical activity. However, with proper rest and relaxation, these symptoms usually subside fairly quickly. For instance, you could visit a massage therapist to help loosen and ease the tension in your arm muscles.

What should I do if my hands shake after playing sports?

Actually, to avoid shaky hands while playing, you should focus on keeping your fingers relaxed. When holding the racket, make sure your palm remains slightly open—let your fingers loosen up when the racket isn’t touching the ball, then tighten them again just before making contact. Additionally, practicing by gently spinning the racket with your fingers before actually hitting the ball can also help ease tension in your hand.

1. Reduce attention

You need to shift your focus onto the specific tasks at hand, rather than dwelling on your own sensations. When you catch yourself noticing whether your face is turning red or your heart is racing—when you start paying attention to these kinds of concerns—your nervous system will automatically respond by becoming activated or even more heightened.

By paying less attention to it, you allow it to rest, which naturally reduces the intensity of its urge—so please shift your focus elsewhere.

Your feet, constantly on the go each day, deserve a little reward—soak them in warm water to ease fatigue and unwind. The same goes for your hands; after playing badminton, they’re bound to feel exhausted. A warm hand soak can help relieve tiredness and even calm those pesky hand tremors.

The method for a hand bath is very simple:Fill a basin with hot water, ideally at around 40°C–42°C, ensuring the water level fully submerges both hands. Spread your hands apart and soak them in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. If the water cools down during this time, simply add more hot water to maintain the desired temperature.

After soaking, promptly dry your hands with a clean towel, stay warm, and apply hand cream—once in the morning and once at night is usually enough. If you're an office worker feeling tired during the day, you can also enjoy a quick soak in the office.

3. Massage for Relief

• Reach out your hands: Extend them, then slowly open and close your fingers in a smooth, continuous motion several times. This helps relax the tendons, muscles, and joints in your hands while boosting blood circulation.

• Massage your fingers: Gently rub and press the knuckles in circular motions. As you reach the fingertips, gently hold and lift each finger slightly before releasing. Then repeat this process for the other fingers. For an even more comfortable and effective massage, consider using a massage oil.

• Massage the back of your hand: Use your thumb to gently glide up and down along the base of each finger toward the wrist. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as this could easily strain or damage the tendons on the back of your hand.

• Palm Activation: Use your thumb to gently massage the palm in circular motions, starting from the wrist and moving toward the finger joints.

• Gently massage the webbing between your thumb and index finger, being careful not to apply too much pressure to avoid injuring the tendons.

• Finally, press your palm with the wrist—massage is now complete. Hurry up and give it a try!

Friendly tip: If your hands or forearms shake accompanied by pain, it’s important to take it seriously—schedule an appointment with a sports medicine doctor or orthopedic specialist promptly to check for any musculoskeletal injuries.