Researchers agree: This is what experts say about the relation between “pinky time” and a healthy brain

There are many activities which, we are told, will keep our brains functioning into old age when everything else is falling apart. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, word searches... all of which are said to prevent cognitive decline. And the latest fad, “Pinky Time Exercise” brought to you by Tiktok, claims to have similar benefits.

What is “Pinky Time”?

“Pinky Time” involves taking time out during your day to perform simple exercises using your fingers. These dexterous movements, if done daily, send your brain’s neurons into overdrive, keeping it young and healthy and fending off nasty disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Treat yourself to the classic, standard “Pinky Time” workout by closing your index and middle fingers together, bring the tips of your thumb and ring finger together so that they are touching, then waggle your free, little finger or pinky back and forth. Your brain will thank you for it.

There is no conclusive evidence about how much pinky time you need to be doing, but a little, every day should be enough to keep your brain sharp, Tiktokers assure.

Is there any truth in the Pinky Time health benefits claim?

To some degree there is. Any exercise is better than none and even the most basic finger movements require a complex set of command signal from your body’s nerve center - the primary motor cortex of the brain, which sends messages down the nerve pathway to your hands.

So engaging this area of your brain by performing precise movements will require concentration and memory. If done on a regular basis, this will help to keep your brain healthy and in slowing down cognitive decline.

What do the experts say? Dr. Jennifer L. Dearborn-Tomazos, a neurologist in Brockton, Massachusetts, told Boston’s WCVB-TV: “It takes a bit of concentration to get those movements down - and that’s really the key to why I think this trend has taken to be viral. It does require a little focus and there’s a lot going on with that little movement.

“From a neurological perspective, we actually have to connect parts of the brain to get that movement done - the front of the brain, the back of the brain and even across the hemisphere so there is some basis to that movement,” Dr. Dearborn-Tomazos added.

Whether Pinky Time is a preventative tool against serious neurological disorders and diseases is another matter altogether. “It’s important to say that there is nothing about this movement specifically that’s tied with brain health. But the concept that fine motor skills are tied with brain health is very rooted in some science. So, anything that you do, if you do it with repetition, you can grow connections in the brain and that can be beneficial to brain health. But I think we’ve gone a little bit too far when we use that to say, we can prevent Alzheimer’s disease or dementia just by doing this exercise every day”.

And besides, not everybody is able to perform the pinky time movements - those with arthritis or a nerve injury may not be able to wiggle their little finger. “Pick an activity that you enjoy - maybe you enjoy playing a musical instrument, maybe you enjoy a sport, maybe it’s knitting, maybe a craft... any of that will enhance the connections in your brain and promote grow and plasticity in the brain and be good for your overall well being and health. Pinky time is a fun exercise but we can’t say anything definitive about it,” Dr. Dearborn-Tomazos concludes.

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