An important issue that is often overlooked when exercising is protecting your joints. While staying active is beneficial for healthy, functioning joints, you must be proactive to keep them safe. If not, you face a risk of wrist sprains, injuries, as well as possible chronic wrist pain or conditions.
Wrist pain is often the result of a traumatic injury or overuse. If you begin to suffer from wrist pain, your fitness and exercise regimes may be severely hindered. However, you can take action to fight any wrist pain and possibly prevent future injury. Read below for some Airrosti-recommended tips to protect your wrists, some exercises to improve stability and strength, and how our Providers can help.
Exercising Safely: 5 Ways to Protect Your Wrists
Wear Protective Wrist Gear
Most sports have certain gear requirements in place to prevent major injuries from falls or impacts. Next time you’re gearing up for the gym, try taping up your wrists with kinesiology tape or wearing a wrist guard to keep your joints stable. Even if you’re not an athlete, wearing protective gear can make all the difference between a good workout and a painful one.
Practice Proper Form
Exercising with correct form can effectively reduce unnecessary stress on your joints. The key to avoiding wrist pain is to keep your wrists stable during exercise and avoid over-extending them. If you notice your form is off, take a break and try the exercise again.
If you’re still struggling to maintain proper form during a workout, it may be time to modify the exercise. Another step to consider is consulting with a certified trainer, as they can provide professional expertise and help you fix any issues with improper form.
Modify Your Exercises
Do your wrists start to get sore after just a few pushups? Maybe you’ve noticed your grip weakens whenever you try to lift certain weights. If your joints are getting sore or losing strength during certain exercises, try modifying those exercise or swapping them out for lower-impact exercises. The key is to progress at a pace that your body can handle. If your wrists are hurting while doing pushups or planks, modify the exercise until you can build enough strength to work.
Take Time to Cool Down
The point of exercising is to build endurance and strength. After a tough workout, your muscles need time to rest and recover. Take some time to cool down after exercising, especially when you’re trying new routines or pushing past your limits.
Your post-workout recovery can help you keep most common exercise-related aches and pains away. Take time to stretch, massage your muscles with a lacrosse ball or foam roller, and apply ice or a cold pack to any lingering pain points to reduce inflammation.
Improve Wrist Stability and Strength
One of the best ways to prevent a wrist injury is to be proactive! Take time during your normal exercise routine to build wrist stability and strength. This is important as we lose muscle and bone mass while we age, so building all that strength can help combat it, as well as ward off possible conditions, such as Osteoarthritis. Try the exercises below to help release forearm tension, improve wrist strength, and practice stability.
*Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor.
- Position a lacrosse ball between your forearm and the table with your palm down.
- Roll the ball slowly on your forearm, focusing on tender spots.
- Complete 5-10 passes.
Forearm Extensors Release
- Position a lacrosse ball between your forearm and a solid surface, like a wall, with the palm facing out.
- Roll the ball slowly on your forearm, focusing on tender spots.
- Complete 5-10 passes.
Wrist Flexion Exercise
- Place a band under your foot or another heavy object.
- Hold the band in your hand with your palm facing up and place your forearm on a table with the hand off the edge of the table.
- Flex the wrist upward without moving the forearm.
- Return to starting position and complete 2 sets of 5 – 10 repetitions.
FIX WRIST PAIN FAST WITH AIRROSTI
Don’t let a wrist injury keep you from crushing your workouts. At Airrosti, our Providers can diagnose and treat your injury, and help eliminate it right at the source, so you can recover faster and return to the things you love. Schedule an appointment with Airrosti today and get back to reaching your fitness goals pain free.
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