{"id":614191,"date":"2026-04-18T02:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T02:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/614191\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T02:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T02:40:12","slug":"according-to-tiktok-you-need-to-be-doing-daily-pinky-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/614191\/","title":{"rendered":"According To TikTok, You Need To Be Doing Daily \u201cPinky Time\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone loves a helpful hack, especially if it\u2019s one you can do from the couch. It\u2019s why a certain pinky exercise is going viral on TikTok<\/a>. Not only is it the ultimate lazy girl move, but it also makes big promises when it comes to your health.<\/p>\n

On the app, creator @dpaezpumar posted about her daily \u201cpinky time<\/a>\u201d with friends \u2014 something they all promptly observe at 7:45 every night. In the clip, you can see them taking a few seconds to do a movement that involves touching your ring finger and thumb together, then wiggling your pinky up and down. In her caption, she wrote, \u201cNo one is exempt from pinky time \u2014 we keep that brain HEALTHY.\u201d <\/p>\n

This pinky movement is thought to challenge your brain in a way that may help slow cognitive decline and Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> symptoms in older age. It\u2019s also being used as a test: If you can do the movement with ease, TikTok says it might mean your brain is firing on all cylinders. Under @dpaezpumar\u2019s video, one commenter said, \u201cThe way I started doing this immediately, no questions asked lmao.\u201d Another wrote, \u201cI just joined y\u2019all. Hell yeah. Fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others, like @allie.chantel, gave it a try as well. In her clip, she says, \u201cPulling this move daily ever since I learned that it\u2019s a sign that your brain is healthy<\/a>.\u201d As soon as you see one of these videos, you\u2019ll find yourself attempting it, too. But does it actually do anything? Here\u2019s what an expert has to say.<\/p>\n

Do You Need Daily Pinky Time?<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Kelly Gonderman<\/a>, a licensed clinical psychologist, the pinky exercise is an example of a fine motor task<\/a>, which is anything that involves small, precise movements with your hands, fingers, feet, and toes. It requires complex coordination between your muscles and joints \u2014 actions that can become harder with age-related mental decline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can feel the intricacy of the pinky exercise as soon as you give it a try: Wrap your pointer and middle fingers together, like you\u2019re wishing yourself good luck. Then, touch your thumb and ring finger together. And once you have that hand position, move your pinky up and down. Many people repeat the move for 7 to 10 seconds as part of a daily brain wellness routine.<\/p>\n

It takes a moment to get it right \u2014 and that\u2019s entirely the point. When you pause, concentrate, and try a new movement that your body isn\u2019t used to, like wiggling your pinky, it lights up your motor cortex, cerebellum, and other areas of your noggin, Gonderman says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat cross-hemisphere coordination is genuinely good for the brain,\u201d she tells Bustle. According to creator and physician @drsermedmezhert<\/a> on TikTok, it\u2019s also helpful for your ongoing cognitive health to try new things. The goal, like with the pinky exercise, is to make your brain say, \u201cHey wait! We\u2019ve never done that before!\u201d New challenges may help keep your brain in tip-top shape<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What Gonderman doesn\u2019t co-sign about this trend is that people are using the pinky exercise as a brain health test. \u201cThe idea that struggling with it signals poor brain health is where I’d pump the brakes,\u201d she says. \u201cDifficulty with a novel motor task can reflect lots of things: hand dominance, arthritis, practice, attention in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s hard to make certain hand positions, so if you can\u2019t do it, it doesn\u2019t mean your brain\u2019s on the decline. \u201cIt’s not a clinical screening tool and shouldn’t be treated as one,\u201d Gonderman adds. \u201cThe broader principle behind it \u2014 that fine motor activity, learning new physical skills, and hand-brain coordination exercises support cognitive health as we age<\/a> \u2014 is supported by research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keeping Your Brain Happy<\/p>\n

To keep your brain healthy as you get older, and potentially slow cognitive decline, it\u2019s important to look at your wellness as a whole. That means daily exercise<\/a>, keeping your blood pressure in check<\/a>, and being social<\/a> \u2014 all things that have been shown to keep a brain functioning and feeling young.<\/p>\n

Similar to complex hand movements, Gonderman also recommends learning new things,<\/a> like an instrument or a complex hobby like knitting. \u201cTen seconds of finger movement a day isn’t going to prevent Alzheimer’s on its own, but activities that challenge the brain through novelty and coordination are worth doing regularly,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Once you get the pinky move down, try something new, like the viral alternate clapping<\/a> method. The idea is to keep trying new things, and keep your brain guessing. The takeaway: Daily pinky time is fun to try, and the novelty of new movements really is good for brain, but it\u2019s only one small part of a much larger picture.<\/p>\n

Studies referenced:<\/p>\n

Chen, Y. (2025). Grodstein F, Capuano AW, Wang T, Bennett DA, James BD. Late-life social activity and subsequent risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment<\/a>. Alzheimers Dement. doi: 10.1002\/alz.14316.<\/p>\n

Corti, EJ. (2017). Johnson AR, Riddle H, Gasson N, Kane R, Loftus AM. The relationship between executive function and fine motor control in young and older adults<\/a>. Hum Mov Sci. doi: 10.1016\/j.humov.2016.11.001.<\/p>\n

De Paula, JJ. (2016). Impairment of fine motor dexterity in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease dementia: association with activities of daily living<\/a>. Braz J Psychiatry. doi: 10.1590\/1516-4446-2015-1874.<\/p>\n

De la Rosa, A. (2020). Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease<\/a>. J Sport Health Sci. doi: 10.1016\/j.jshs.2020.01.004.<\/p>\n

Flexman, R. (2021). Lifelong Learning: A Key Weapon in Delaware’s Fight Against Cognitive Decline<\/a>. Dela J Public Health. doi: 10.32481\/djph.2021.09.015.<\/p>\n

Lee, J. (2015). Effects of combined fine motor skill and cognitive therapy to cognition, degree of dementia, depression, and activities of daily living in the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease<\/a>. J Phys Ther Sci. doi: 10.1589\/jpts.27.3151.<\/p>\n

S\u00e1iz-Vazquez, O. (2023.) Puente-Mart\u00ednez A, Pacheco-Bonrostro J, Ubillos-Landa S. Blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease: A review of meta-analysis<\/a>. Front Neurol. doi: 10.3389\/fneur.2022.1065335.<\/p>\n

Source:<\/p>\n

Dr. Kelly Gonderman<\/a>, licensed clinical psychologist<\/p>\n

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