Whether you’re working or playing, you’re often using your wrists. And just like any other part of the body, wrists can become injured.
Athletes are especially at risk of hurting their wrists, but a wrist-related sprain, ligament tear, bone fracture, dislocated bone, or other problem can affect anyone. In fact, wrist injuries are seen frequently in occupational and recreational settings. (And you may be surprised at what can cause wrist pain.)
According to 2016 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wrist injuries happen at a rate of 3.8 occurrences per 10,000 workers and cost around 14 days of work annually. That may not sound like many, but it makes wrist injuries more common than workplace injuries of the neck or the eyes (1.4 occurrences and 2.3 occurrences per 10,000 workers, respectively). Carpal tunnel syndrome, which the American Medical Association says affects up to 10 million individuals, is another injury associated with the wrist.
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One way to prevent wrist injuries is by performing strength-building exercises. A few simple exercises will help you gain strides fast and put some power back into your wrists.
Wrist twist
To begin your “wrist training,” grab a 1-pound or 2-pound dumbbell because it’s time for the wrist twist. Hold the dumbbell at one of its ends, like an oversized toothbrush. Lay that arm on a flat surface with your palm facing the side and the dumbbell forming a straight up-and-down column (it will look like the letter “I”, if that’s easier to visualize).
Now it’s time to twist your wrist by rotating until your palm is facing upward toward the ceiling. (The dumbbell will now be horizontal and parallel with the flat surface.) You will feel this move in both your wrist and the muscles in your upper and lower arm. Be deliberate and slow with your movements. Feeling a “pulling” sensation is normal; feeling pain is not.
Once you’ve twisted your wrist, slowly return it to the starting position. Repeat a few times. Then, do the same exercise with the other wrist.
If you have difficulty using a dumbbell for this exercise, feel free to go without any weights. Simply going through the motion will still encourage your wrist ligaments to become looser and more flexible. It’s also worth mentioning that wrist twists can be good exercises for alleviating carpal tunnel syndrome discomfort.
Wrist flex and extension
You can use the same weight and flat surface for another exercise, the wrist flex and extension. However, you’ll grab the dumbbell in the middle instead of at one end. Lay your arm flat with your palm facing upward.
Keeping a steady grip on the weight, slowly bring your hand up by flexing your wrist. Gradually unflex your wrist until you’re back in the beginning position. Try for one set of several flexes on each wrist to begin.
After you’ve flexed your wrist, you can work on extending it by turning your hand over so your palm is facing down and your wrist is on the edge of the same flat surface. Gripping the weight firmly, steadily extend your wrist by lifting the back of your hand toward the ceiling.
Again, go for one set of several for each wrist. As with the wrist twist, you can skip the dumbbell if it’s too difficult.
Ten-finger faux push-ups
This exercise will have you seeing push-ups in a whole new way. (By the way, if you like push-ups, you’ll want to avoid common push-up mistakes that everyone makes.) You’ll need to get on your hands and knees on the floor. Your back should be parallel with the floor, like a tabletop.
Make sure your hands are palm-side down and flat with your fingers splayed. Then slowly and carefully use the fingertips on both hands to raise your palms — and, effectively, your shoulders — off the floor. The move should be smooth.
When you’ve pushed up your palms as much as possible, hold the position. Then lower your palms down to the ground so you’re back where you began. These moves will give your fingers, along with your wrists, a little more strength.
You can feel free to do at least one set of up to eight of these faux push-ups. If you feel confident, go ahead and add a couple more sets. On the other hand, if you have trouble pushing up your shoulders and torso, extend your arms out more when you’re starting to reduce the amount of force needed to raise your palms.
Health Digest