finger stiffness?

[fivesevenoh]

ive been playing bass for about 5 months now. and I stretch out my hands/fingers before and after I play. and I noticed recently that my fingers are becoming less flexible and more tense. im having trouble stretching em as far. is this normal?

[Figjam]

Lately , after playing for about an hour, my fingers become quite stiff too. I usually just crack my knuckles and they loosen up a bit. Im afraid that crackign my knuckles will be bad in the logn run, so...im open to suggestions as well.

[Metal Mitch]

Get a set of those Chinese Iron Balls the Kung Fu guys use. They come in different sizes so you can find the ones that fit your hand best. A little larger is better than too small, because you want to be able to apply enough pressure and have enough surface area to massage your tendons. Do about 5 minutes in each hand, rotating both directions. I find they're most effective to warm down and remove stiffness/cramping after playing, but they could also be used to warm up. Works wonders.