One of the most overlooked body parts that can become very tight and stiff are the wrists.
The reason that the wrists can get so stiff is that there are approximately 17 muscles that attach on or pass through the wrist from the forearm.
When we keep our wrists still or bent at a keyboard for long periods of time, the space designed to allow these muscles to move smoothly gets compressed.
When this space gets smaller, the tendons of these muscles get irritated causing inflammation, stiffness, and pain.
Like all joints, the more you move them the healthier they are. But often you can go weeks, months, or years without taking your wrist through its full range of motion.
Particularly when you spend most of your day working at a desk typing, using a mouse, or writing, wrist stiffness can quickly sneak up on you.
As with every joint, movement is the key.
Luckily, your wrists are one of the easiest joints to take care of. You don’t even have to stand up or move somewhere that gives you more room. You can move your wrists around in seconds, getting crucial blood flow and circulation to that joint.
Below are three exercises that, if you work on at least one consistently every single day, you’ll see huge improvements in the way your wrists feel and move.
Exercise #1 Quadruped Wrist Flexion Extension
Cue #1: Maintain even pressure between all your fingers as you slowly rock forward onto your wrists.
Cue #2: Keep your shoulders externally rotated, with your shoulder blades down and back.
Exercise #2 Wrist Circles
Cue #1: Go slow enough to keep all of the motion in the wrist. Resist the tendency to rotate your forearm.
Exercise #3 Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press
When first trying this exercise choose an extremely light weight.
Cue #1: To balance the kettlebell, focus your attention on shoulder stability. Keeping your shoulder locked into place with your lats firing gives you a stable base to hold the kettlebell from.
Conclusion: How are these working for you?
Are you feeling any better from doing these exercises? Does one work better for you than others?
Have any specific topics you’d like covered in a future article?
Let me know in the comments below!
Have questions about any new or recurring pain?
Request an appointment with Dr. Brink!
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You don’t need to live in pain! Let us help you move well and pain-free.
