Reddit mentions: The best physical therapy hand exercisers

As someone with ADHD and studying CS at the moment:

• Obtain coffee.
  
  Yes, I'm deadly serious about. If you can't access medication, try self medication. ADHD drugs are basically stimulants, and stimulants in general tend to alleviate ADHD symptoms. So you can self medicate, obviously consuming gratuitous amounts of coffee is not as good as real meds, a lot of people say that it does help.
  
  
• Obtain a stress toy.
  
  I'm using this but there are about a billion of these things out there. Doing something helps you focus, if I need to think about something I usually throw this thing in the air or against the wall.
  
  
• Schedule your activities
  
  If you want to learn anything you have to reserve time to do it. Especially with ADHD doing things "later" doesn't really work. You can obviously work whenever you want, but always reserve a slice of time to actually work/study and then actually do it.
  
  
• Get a work/study area
  
  It doesn't even need to be at your house, library, coffee shop, university, outside, anything. Just make sure that when you go there, you work. And you do nothing else, just work, you don't suddenly interrupt your work to browse Reddit unless you're taking a break. Speaking of those....
  
  
• Pomodoro
  
  Pomodoro a time management technique, at the very basic level the idea is this; you work for X minutes and then take an Y minute break. This is generally 25 minutes and a 3-5 minute break. Every 4 pomodoro, you take a longer 10-15 minute break.
  
  They key here is to estimate how long doing a certain task will take you. This is important because each pomodoro in itself is indivisible. What this means is that you can't finish until the pomodoro is over. So if you set task to read a chapter of a book and estimate that it will take you 30 minutes, that's two pomodoros. You can't do 1½ pomodoros, each pomodoro is a fixed length.
  
  Keeping the times of the pomodoros fairly short helps to keep your attention on the task, every now and then your brain gets to go all "Fuck this shit" and do something else for a while, which also helps in assimilating the information. And it does actually help you since you don't need to force yourself to pay attention that much.
  
  
• Notes. Notes! Notes are really goddamn important
  
  Not only do you need to process information differently when you make notes, you can also use them to review. As an added benefit, it keeps your hands busy and you're almost constantly doing something. What you need to remember though is that you should always use your own words when making notes.
  
  
• Internet is fucking amazing at explaining things. (sometimes)
  
  Texbooks tend to be stuffy with the way they explain things, cause you know...academia. But Internet? On the Internet no one cares if you're a dog. I've managed to figure out a bunch of ideas and concepts that were hard to grasp through books, by reading stuff at stackexchange or even on Reddit. The way information is presented to you makes a huge difference.
  
  
• Start from the result
  
  The ADHD brain is dumb in that it tends to ignore dull stuff, the best way to combat this is to try and make stuff interesting. Because when you find something interesting it gets harder to get away from it. So a great way to learn something, is to find a practical application of that concept that interests you, and work backwards from that. So instead of going from: Dull academic looking thing -> dull practice -> Implement something boring -> forget the whole thing.
  
  You're instead going: Interesting application -> How the fuck does that even work? -> This makes no sense but it's interesting -> This shit is starting to make sense! -> Hey there's that boring concept from the book!
  
  In fact trying to understand things through practical applications is almost always better and easier than trying to jsut figure out academia.
  
  
• Mess around
  
  Try things out out, even stupid things, little things, just to see how stuff works. This is similar to the previous part in that you're actually trying things out in practice. And in that vein, do tiny little projects like project euler
  
  
• Speak out lout, even to yourself, or your duck.
  
  Rubber duck debugging is a fairly well known idea, explain the shit you're doing to someone and your brain will interpret it differently and promptly inform you that nothing you said makes any sense. Basically reading stuff in your mind is different than reading stuff out loud. If you want to learn something it's often better to read it out loud, especially if its a complex part.
  
  
• Tell everyone else how wrong they are and that your code is actually perfect.
  
  And by that I mean, engage with other people. Talk about stuff you want to learn, explain, teach, ask, debate, argue, because this all promotes you to seek out data which helps you to better understand the concepts. And it's not done under the excuse of "learning" it's done because you want to.
  
  
• Seek out relevant questions online and try to answer them.
  
  Stackexchange is full of questions, answered and non-answered, as is /r/learnprogramming and tons of other places. If you frequent any of those, look through some of the questions and try to think of the answers. If the problem engages you, try to solve it, heck if you're lucky you might just help someone else as well.
  
  
  ----------------------------------------------
  The main thing to take away from this is that as someone with ADHD, you want to engage yourself in a different fashion than someone without ADHD. The whole thing relies on you trying to make things more interesting to you and training your brain to associate certain things with studying.
  
  Also, use the Internet when you can, there are tons and tons of incredibly smart people out there. People who are passionate about what they do and they are willing to share that information. And the best thing is that the information can be very narrow. There can be incredibly detailed explanations about complex issues that help you understand the entire framework of pretty much everything related to the issue, or there can be short and simple explanations that manage to summarize a ton of information into a small space and still make sense.
  
  Heck there's probably enough information there, that you could write numerous language specific books by pruning through the answers in stackexchange.
  
  And reading all that stuff can be much more interesting and entertaining than reading a book or watching a video. At least in my experience.

I don't really read music either. One of my goals but it hasn't been very important, I pick up things by ear fairly well.

First and foremost, get the best used guitar you can afford, preferably from a music store that knows what they're doing. Do not get a new cheap guitar. This is because cheap guitars have crappy action. The "action" is the space between the strings and fretboard. Quality instruments can be made to have very low action, which is easier on the fingers, while cheap instruments tend to warp and thus make it harder to press down on the strings. Also cheap instruments tend to go out of tune easier.

Next learn to play your favorite yet easy to play songs. You're more likely to keep up with it if you love the music you're playing. Get the chord books or tablature books for your favorite bands. There are a lot of "how to play this song" videos on YouTube.

Prepare for your fingers to hurt and bleed. This is normal. You'll build callouses eventually. Do warmups. Get a finger gripper like this to help strengthen your fingers.

If you get an electric guitar, don't worry about the whammy bar/tremolo/etc. Though a lot of electric guitars have them by default, the cheaper ones will knock your guitar out of tune if you don't know how it all works. Floyd Rose tremolos work fairly well but are a bitch to change strings. Beginners don't need them anyway.

Regardless of type, pick it up and play it with a strap or sit down with it. If it hits your arm in a funny spot, choose a different one.

Be careful of having your belt buckle exposed when you try guitars. They'll scratch the back of the guitar.

I have small hands too.

But unless your hands are so small and or frail that it's difficult for you to hold cups or turn doorknobs and such, you can play guitar just fine. (I'm not joking about small frail hands. My mom has trouble with basic activities now. I wouldn't suggest anyone with similar issues try picking up guitar.)

This is a good intro to hand stretches.
You can start there and see if that helps.

My next suggestion would be to practice basic finger exercises higher up the neck where the frets are closer together and there's less tension. You can play 7-8-9-10 going down and up the neck. Use all four of your fingers by following the one finger per fret rule. Play the 7th fret strictly with your index, the 8th strictly with your middle, the 9th strictly with your ring and the 10th strictly with your pinky. The pinky should be the trickiest. Don't overlook it though! And then move to 5-6-7-8. Be methodical about it. It's a tedious exercise but it does help!

Also a lot of your finger strength for guitar actually comes from your forearms! I've read that just regular arm stretches and basic arm exercises in general are healthy for strengthening your forearm. I've also been warned about doing exercises that only target your forearms though. Apparently targeting just the forearm is an easy way to injure yourself.

There's also those little grip hand workout mechanisms. You can try those if you want. Make sure to buy them in a really light tension though. You're trying to fret strings not go rock climbing. It does help build strength and dexterity if you use it correctly. But it's not better than just regular guitar hand exercises.

And if full sizes acoustic don't suit you. You can always try for a 3/4 size. I wouldn't recommend smaller than that.

Good luck!

Hi. I'm a fencer. Thumb and index finger dexterity is something we rely upon and you CAN train this up. There are a few tools you can try to improve the strength in each finger.

First, I recommend the [VariGrip](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0196HHMYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5Ll9Bb8G9B265. The one I linked is "extra light" weight, but feel free to select a model with higher lbs of coil tension. They make a version for therapy, for guitar players, and for sports.

Second idea, a bit cheaper, is to get yourself some small black binder clips, invert the silver part, and exercise your thumb and index finger by opening and closing the clip. You may have to start with the extra small size clips, then gradually move up. This is awesome at building dexterity in the thumb and forefinger.

Last would be something for when you are a bit more advanced and feeling adventurous: a gyroscopic ball that lights up These vary in price and complexity, and you'll probably need one with a docking station so that you don't have to pull a starter cord. But once it's spinning, you basically hold it in the palm of your hand, and you move your wrist and hand back and forth to keep your grip on it. It's pretty tough! But when you are getting to the point where you are improving, it can really firm up your grip.

It depends on what you did in the meantime. I'm guessing it was a few years you climbed for the last time? And are you physically fit at the moment?

You might want to see how your body is holding up when you're back at climbing (I don't know how strong your tendons etc. are at this point) and don't overdo it in the beginning.

Depending on how you feel and how your climbing goes you can adjust from there. Imho a hangboard might be a good idea then if your tendons/fingers are up to it, but I wouldn't do it now. Too risk sensitive.

If you want to do something in the meantime you could train your fingers a bit more lightly. E.g. have a look at something like https://www.amazon.com/Handmaster-Plus-Physical-Therapy-Exerciser/dp/B00CTG3TQU and build it up slowly.

And a bit of cardio or weights in the gym won't hurt either to get your body back ready for climbing. Just don't overdo it and pay attention to your body :)

Have fun and good luck with your goals!

Okay, thanks for the tip! It would at least be something for me to do at my desk, and make me feel like I am doing something that will help me improve haha. Do you think that something like this or this would be more beneficial since it seems to be targeting the fingers more, or are they all exercising the same muscle? I'm not really a workout person, so my terms are probably all off haha.

In terms of strength and flexibility - you have several options:

- use certain hand exercisers like this ( https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM ) or smth similar, it really helps to get a grip.

- play and play rhythm guitar songs over and over, and over time it will become easier

- try to learn chord based songs on acoustic guitar, with hard and nasty chords (after acoustic switching to electric guitar is live going to Bahamas for vacation)

For me a good inspiration is Django Reinhardt ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4 ), he only had two fingers working properly due to fire accident, and still he had became a well-known guitarist in blues / jazz scene. When i fail in guitar i take inspiration from his courage and continue trying.

I think you've found your practice focus. Using those fingers in new ways is the way through it, even outside of belgeri. Stretch routine? strength training? (Grip Master: https://www.amazon.com/GRIP-MASTER-Gripmaster-Exerciser-Black/dp/B000W4KVGC/ or bands: https://www.amazon.com/Airisland-Stretcher-Resistance-Exerciser-Strengthener/dp/B071JL6PYZ)

​

I don't have experience with this regarding belgeri (i'm now interested myself though), but I have used a grip master (with individual finger keys). I had the medium (red) which was too strong for middle and ring. If you go for it, Start with the lighter one -- but i've been reading that a set is best so you can progress.

Use one hand to hold the book/turn pages and fiddle with something in your other hand, works wonders for those impulses to get up and do other stuff. I usually spin two juggling balls around in my hand, though whatever satisfies your fidgeting will work-Silly putty is good, and I know people who use Tangle Therapy toys and really like them.

I used to use a gripmaster back in my climbing days, but now prefer this
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Varigrip-Adjustable-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM/

I find the adjust-ability of it to be very helpful.
Is it the same motion as playing guitar? No, but finger strength and endurance is still useful to you. I often use it with one hand while reading from my kindle with the other. Swap hands every 5 mins or so.

You can alleviate it with therapy. It's usually caused primarily by inflammation of the surrounding tissue, so stretching and promoting bloodflow to your hands helps.

I've found this to be extremely helpful for me. I think using it helps open up the channels in some way, either by increasing bloodflow to my hand or strengthening the muscles.

I'm not a doctor, just someone with RSI in one of my hands (ulnar nerve).

yeah coming from a finger amputee here, 6 years and the pain will not go away you'll just get used to it, medical marijuana is the only thing that seems to help me. avoid cold as much as possible and I recommend one of these:http://www.amazon.com/Gripmaster-MEDICAL-Exerciser-3-0-Pound-Tension/dp/B00BAZW46M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1422471306&sr=8-5&keywords=pro+gripmaster to help strengthen it. Also I'd say make up some funny stories about how you lost it(my favorite is "I got hungry") pick your nose/ear with it, makes it all a bit more fun. :)

I would write down ur different modes and scales and then buy the D’addario hand exerciser to improve your hand strength and use ur fingers the same way you would with ur scales, so it will help u memorize all them.

Here’s an Amazon link to the product: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OCGGEM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527557035&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=guitar+finger+strengthener&dpPl=1&dpID=31TKcbhXr5L&ref=plSrch

Tomorrow is my birthday so that is what I am looking forward to most! I will be 23 years old! I also have a show on Friday with my new band which is both exciting and a little nervous! It is only a house acoustic show but it is with a bunch of people who have connections in the scene and if I perform well I might get offered bigger and bigger gigs! :)

This could help me strengthen my hands when I am not playing guitar.


oh and Catdog!

I was in Occupation Therapy for Carpal Tunnel (which I figure was from a combination of Lyme and the unavoidable repetitive motions of my former job) and it helped immensely. I went from barely being able to lift 2 pounds, to currently lifting full gallons of water, small hand dumbbells, laundry baskets, etc...pain free. Check out your insurance policy, some come with coverage for a certain number of sessions or a 60-day treatment period. I searched Amazon for some of the exercise tools that I used in OT to continue them at home and most were very reasonably priced. If I had to choose only one item to recommend, I highly suggest looking into baoding balls. This is the set I have (I intentionally chose a set that didn’t chime, however I’m sure that many people prefer the ones that do as they can be therapeutic/soothing), however there are many other sizes and weights depending on your hand size.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077HYV5WC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vSEzCb35WCXZ1

Also, if you haven’t tried CBD oil, while it can be pricey...I found it to be incredibly helpful especially at night, and often I fell asleep with zero or nearly zero pain.

oh god I had popping fests too, but luckily my face is clear so it wasn't bad there

but I have these little bumps on my arms and I'd spend hours picking, not realizing I was doing it

turns out, I have dermatillomania. I use a lot of fidget toys like this to keep my hands busy so I don't pick so much

The best way would probably be just to use the heavier switches until your fingers naturally get stronger. If you really want to build finger strength, they sell finger strength trainers for guitarists like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Tangle-Creations-300-Therapy-by/dp/B000F8I5AE

THIS! This is great for playing with while watching a movie or studying or really anything where you have at least one hand free.

It sound like you need a warm up for finger dexterity. I have a set of boading balls that work well for this. Here's a video, although I'd recommend a set that is solid and doesn't have those annoying bells in it. Here is another option for exercise using a squishie ball and hair scrunchy.

And, since we're taught to draw from the shoulder here, these might help as well.

I'm lucky enough to keep my guitar in my office so I get about 45 minutes of practice each day on my lunch break.

There's a great app called Functional Ear Trainer that is really helpful for training your ear to better identify intervals. I highly recommend it.

You could try one of those finger exercisers (like this one). I'm not certain how well they actually work, but I've seen a decent amount of people who like them.

It's already been said, but you can never go wrong with listening to music. Try exploring bands and genres you don't normally listen to.

Lots of other ideas here.

3-in-1 Hand Strengthener Grip Rings Oval-Comfortable To Use-Increase Your Hand Finger Wrist Forearm Grip Strength For Athletes Rock Climbing Musicians Stress Relief & Injury Rehabilitation (60-80 LB) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01E9VWD3C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RG3aAbWADSQR5

I use these, especially when i have breaks that i cant climb. work pretty good imo, 20 bucks CAD

Buy one of these with the strongest resistance. And then squeeze the shit out of it. Strengthens your forearm, feels good, and really lessens your anger. Carry it in your pocket.

CanDo 10-1808 Ergonomic Hand Grip, 48 lb, Black-X-Heavy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GF0SDS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_jb8SBbWYX7V2X

I play guitar, which has similar movement for the hand playing the notes. I have one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fitness-Mad-Pro-Power-Grip-5-20Kg/dp/B002DSAQWE/ref=sr_1_43?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1304023226&sr=1-43). I do 50 reps or whatever they are called a day. Really strengthens the muscles and tendons in your lower arm, the ones you can feel moving if you press on your wrist and wriggle your fingers. I also have a weight which i put around my wrists and I do the movements I would be doing if I was playing guitar wearing the weights. They both help alot.

I bought one of these when I started playing guitar and it helped a lot.

D'Addario Varigrip Hand Exerciser-Improve Dexterity and Strength in Fingers, Hands, Forearms- Adjust Tension Per Finger- Simulated Strings Help Develop Calluses- Comfortable Conditioning https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7UhtDbN2GB11E

I don't like onesies; I prefer the feeling of a waistband.

I'll second the Tangle and add Downbeats earplugs. Kinetic sand is cool. I can't find the one I have but sensory chews like this or this are great.

No song recommendations, persay, but I can't recommend getting a hand exerciser enough. I got one two weeks ago and have been using it absentmindedly at my work desk, or as a way to actively fidget during meetings. I have already noticed a HUGE improvement in the dexterity of my pinky finger (and others of course).

Here's the one I got. Very affordable, and you can adjust the resistance, as well as build calluses (using the string molds under the rubber grip)

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492652330&sr=8-1&keywords=daddario+finger+exerciser

Be prepared for sore fingers, peeling and possibly blisters. I also recommend getting a D'Addario finger exerciser (primarily for your fretting hand). When I got one, within a week I noticed my fretting skills on my ring finger and pinky vastly improved.

I concur with everyone else as far as learning a couple core songs and get into that groove. After some time, you will start hitting the pocket on them.

Strongly recommend getting Rocksmith 2014 as well. It really helps quite a bit for beginners. You can get it for gaming consoles and PC but the PC handles the audio much better without the issues of lag like the console do.

Here is a the link for the finger exerciser.
https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM

I use this one. I haven't used the "string" part too much, but I love the variable tension on each finger. It's made playing guitar a bit easier since I can single out my pinky more.

I'm all about pre-habbing. Is this the one you use?: https://www.amazon.com/FlexEx-Hand-Exerciser-Triple-Pack/dp/B00597E3QG/ref=sr_1_cc_2_a_it?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1498931616&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=flexex

It's out of stock but it looks like there are a lot of different variations. Is this the one you found most effective after trying other ones?

No problem :)

If you want a tool that helps you exercise your hands, buy something like this .

I can't stay a day without using Flex Finger / Digiflex, otherwise I can't even open neither close my hands, and it also helps you build some strength.

As everybody has said so far — practice will resolve this. It took me a couple months to get G & E chords down ever time.

Also, get a finger specific hand exerciser to build up you’re grip. I use this one:

D'Addario Varigrip Adjustable Hand Exerciser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rEn0AbWZ69SVJ

Interesting. Personally, I don't have a problem with any regular bends on my 17w G string (except on frets 1, 2, and 3) and I play on a 28.6" neck, so the tension is higher. I just went to my guitar and tried just to double check that I wasn't talking out of my ass. If you really want to get into playing with a wound third string, perhaps pick up a finger strengthener like this. If not, then don't sweat it

Ofcourse. Also night one of these. Gripmaster Hand Exerciser Green, XX-Light Tension (1.5-Pounds per Finger) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HOOGWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oB8gzb0E5RATK

Good luck. Hopefully you can ease some of your pain.

If you pick when you're anxious I would strongly recommend a fidget toy, like tangle toys or the fidget cube.

I started using one of these and it helped me immensely because I could fidget with that instead of picking my nails.

They are pretty cheap so it's a great place to start even if it might not work for you

My guess is that you actually expand your fingers with them in the slot while holding the ball part in the palm of your hand. Rock climbers do that with rubber bands.

Edit: like this maybe

https://www.amazon.com/Vive-Hand-Finger-Strengthener-Strengthening/dp/B071HY5HYF

I recently got one of these:

Parallel Halo Power Wrist Ball AUTO Start Wrist Exercises Force Ball Gyroscope Ball- Wrist& Forearm Exerciser - Arm Strengthener for Stronger Muscle and Bones-Blue Without LED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GFRHZFF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SdIjDbFQT44BT

I like how it works different muscles depending on how you use it. Seems to help with everything from hands to shoulders.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JL6PYZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xaKVCbBRD0XNQ

This makes extension stronger basically glorified rubber band except it doesn’t slide all over the place as your fingers move.

Yep, if they're mostly round. Or a wooden ball at a craft store, or a small hard rubber ball. I carved two from balsa wood years ago before I bought the Teflon ones pictured in Magical Passes from Cleargreen's website. They're no longer listed, but emailing them may get results.

Chinese Baoding balls also work great:

1.57 Inch Solid Baoding Balls 304 Stainless Steel - No Chime Chinese Health Ball with Case by Nimble AgilityTM - Stress and Pain Relief - Hand/Wrist Massage Therapy, Exercise, Strengthening, Dexterity https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MG8HSZN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vpFYDbE3NT62D

I bought ones like these. I have the 60-80lb ones, almost wish I had gotten heavier, but these will work. I like them.

Frequent stand up and walk around breaks are good. The new fitbits and stuff can remind you to get up and work as well. I rock climb so my back tends to be a lot stronger than most programmers.

However, I took a break when my finger was a bit injured and after moving a ton of furniture I tweaked my back the following day- resulting in a painful and boring (painfully boring?) two days.

I generally utilize these things http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CTG3TQU every now and then as well. Climbing (and programming 12 hours a day) can actually cause carpal tunnel, so it's doubly important for me to get my fingers strengthened.

Actively train your grip and forearms. I use: Iron Crush Finger Extensor Hand & Forearm Exerciser in addition to several other gripping tools. A lot of grip trainers can be used while working a desk job or doing other things.

​

I started learning about the importance of grip strength from competitive Judo but once I started down the path of training grip and fingers independently, my injuries have all but eliminated.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

I was having trouble with grip strength in my left hand for traveling rings. I thought it was a problem with my left grip (ie. the gymnastics grip thing with dowel that protects your hands) for the longest time, like maybe it wasn't tight enough or something.. but then I realized no, my hand/forearm is just weaker on the left side than the right.

​

I had one of those rubber donut grip strength things (like this) in the house, so I just kept it by my desk and picked it up and squeezed it every now and then throughout the day for a few weeks. It worked :)

Get a fidget toy! The medication does help with it for sure, but I also use one of these (Tangle Toy). It is quiet, you can do it under a desk, not distracting others, and it provides tactile stimulation.

Look around on Amazon they also have therapy putty and many other similar items.

Shredneck, possibly may work for you.

Maybe one of these as well: www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM - D'Addario Varigrip Adjustable Hand Exerciser

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Exerciser-Improve-Dexterity-Comfortable-Conditioning/dp/B001OCGGEM

You can use this thing if you're at work or away from your bass and can't practice. But practice is best.

I thought I read saxophonist in a different comment. Sorry about that! Regardless this is the sort of thing I'm talking about!

Have fun!

I have adjustable clutch and brake levers. Not sure about the latter though.

I used to play bass, maybe that's why. Get one of these into your workout procedure...

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494037776&sr=8-1&keywords=guitar+strength+trainer

Used to use something like this all the time.

balls of steel?
here you go champ:
https://www.amazon.com/Top-Stainless-Baoding-Non-Chiming-Exercise/dp/B077HYV5WC/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1535884935&sr=8-6&keywords=steel+balls

Silly putty, fidget spinner/cube, hand grip exerciser (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HOOGWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_78oXzbPQ9A11P)

D'Addario Varigrip Adjustable Hand Exerciser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_npQszb34KPQ3R

Have you considered picking up a hobby like knitting? /r/knitting has several stories of people using knitting to wean themselves off of other things to do with hands.

Alternately, carry around a hand puzzle thing.

try something like this when you start to feel it flaring up

These Baoding balls work for me. It draws my attention to my hands and is rhythmic and soothing.

My kid is the same age with the same mental ability but she isn’t blind here are some things that she likes and I think can work when being blind

tangle , there are many versions that feels different.

Koosh balls , my kid has one on the zipper of her favorite hoodie.

You might want to check around for rubber or silicone grippers

they're a lot of fun, they range in difficulty. I found them in sport stores at ~7-15€, and recently even in a pharmacy for 4€ (~5$).

This might help
I broke my right arm just below the shoulder and of course I'm right handed and have spasticity on that side. This definitely helped strengthen it and you could work on doing it in motions to a metronome or a song.

I use these: Handmaster Plus 3 Piece Physical Therapy Hand Exerciser (Colours May Vary) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CTG3TQU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_95N2BbHQEXTCK

Does the same thing but also works out the closing action in a less intensive way.

Normally I'd say practicing those scales is the best finger exercise that money can buy, but if you're having trouble playing the notes cleanly with the 4th finger, it kinda defeats the purpose.

Your case might be the rare time I'd recommend one of those grip training devices.

Guitar Gripper

that's where mine was. I bought those grip things that go on your fingers and it fixed me up and has not bothered me in a long time

https://smile.amazon.com/Airisland-Stretcher-Resistance-Exerciser-Strengthener/dp/B071JL6PYZ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1509543262&sr=8-5&keywords=finger+strengthener

GO PROOOOO

This helped me: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OCGGEM

It takes awhile and takes a lot of practice to build your fingers and arms. Your teacher is probably not concerned at the moment, because you are still learning your strings and notes. As the songs become more complicated and you are moving across the strings more, it will pointed out more.

As for the tiredness, I'd try a handgrip exerciser.

Buy in the UK

http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Varigrip-Adjustable-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375732909&sr=8-1&keywords=varigrip

These are nice

https://www.amazon.com/Hand-Strengthener-Grip-Rings-30-100LB/dp/B01E9VWD3C/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1501683568&sr=8-9&keywords=grip+strength

That's what I've got

http://www.amazon.com/Tangle-Creations-300-Therapy-by/dp/B000F8I5AE/ref=cm_lmf_tit_26_rsrsrs0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JL6PYZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=finger+bands&psc=1&qid=1571742854&sr=8-3

This is what he means

Here is the one I have. Has a callous builder/maintainer too:
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Varigrip-Adjustable-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1421865333&sr=8-6&keywords=finger+strength

https://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Varigrip-Adjustable-Hand-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OCGGEM/?tag=051-20

You may want to crosspost this to /r/CompulsiveSkinPicking or /r/calmhands - there's a lot of really helpful people in those groups.

But if you don't want to do that, my biggest suggestion is getting some fidget toys. These have helped me and a number of my friends who I've given them to who have skin or cuticle picking problems. My hands are really small so I actually prefer the Tangle Jr., however. Between using that and getting rid of the skin problems through advice from here, I've almost eliminated my CSP on my face (still have problems with my scalp, but Rome wasn't built in a day etc.)

I second looking into the braces. I don't really see any problem with what you're doing other than the fact that it isn't working for you. I played the same way for years and it never gave me any trouble, until my hands got too big to put all my fingers in that area. The issue is that your hand isn't strong enough to hold it. Soooo... either find some sort of brace or one of these