Unless you play guitar professionally, you probably don't think much each day about your little finger, your “pinky.” It's our hand's weak sister, almost an evolutionary afterthought in a species gifted with opposable thumbs.

But although they are not quite in the same line of fire as, say, your index fingers, your pinkies are particularly susceptible to injury due to their placement and size, especially in sports where your hands come in contact with a ball. And a pinky injury will sideline you just as thoroughly as one to any other finger.

Just as guitarists do exercises to strengthen their little finger's fret work, I suggest all athletes, especially of the “weekend warrior” variety, do what is necessary to “bulk up” their little fingers.

Small as it is, your pinky still contains nine distinct muscles, and all muscles benefit from exercise. By targeting these in a regular regimen of training we can help to improve their strength.

Three exercises I recommend are:

1. The ball squeeze: Grab hold of a tennis ball in the palm of your hand and squeeze it tightly for a count of five, making sure that your pinky is engaged for the whole exercise;

2. Extensions: Place the palm of your hand onto a flat surface and press the pinky into the plane as hard as you can. Again, hold for five seconds;

3. Fingertip push-ups: Instead of the traditional palm-focused exercise, do the push-ups on the tips of your fingers instead. Do as many as you can while still maintaining proper form.

As with all exercises, be sure to warm up your hands before beginning your routine.

But bad things still happen to good little fingers, and even the sturdiest of pinkies will get injured from time to time. It's wise to exercise a finger after it gets hurt – but only after you've gotten the go-ahead from your doctor.

Here's the 4 exercises I suggest:

1. Extension: Place as with the strengthening exercise above, place the palm of your hand onto a a flat surface, but this time lift the injured finger as best you can.

2. Range of Motion: With your uninjured hand, slowly straighten out your pinky, then try slowly bending it.

3. Strengthen Grip: This is the same as the strengthening exercise with the tennis ball above, but a tennis ball may prove too challenging if the injury is particularly painful. Use one of those pink “stress” balls, cut a hole in the side of the tennis ball to make it more flexible, or, worst case scenario, just make a fist.

4. Pick-Up: Using your injured pinky and the thumb of the same hand, try picking up small objects like pennies, paper clips, or dice.

Interested in long-term pinky strength? Learn to play the guitar, and practice every day. You're never too old to learn an instrument, and the world needs more music!