A Few Tips for Building Wrist Strength
If you struggle to open jars or feel uncomfortable in your high planks, it could be your wrists! Over the last couple of months I have had several questions on wrist strength. “Planks hurt my wrists, do you have any suggestions?” “What would you recommend for strengthening my wrists” and of course, people sharing about their previous injuries or the fact that they avoid certain movements because they do not feel confident in their wrist strength. As someone who struggles with grip strength and wrist strength, I get it!
Having strong wrists is important for many daily activities as well as sports that involve gripping like working out, carrying groceries, and holding your body up just to name a few! Wrist strength (or lack of) can potentially limit your performance in workouts and it may also increase your risk of injuries like sprains or tendinitis. For some people, taking variations may be enough to achieve their movement goals and protect their wrists. Every body is different and there are definitely some things (genetics, previous injury) are not within our control. Additionally, it can be really challenging to know where to start. The good news is that you don't need any special equipment to work on strengthening your wrists. Here are a few of my suggestions:
TL;DR: Here is all of the info condensed into a Reel for you!
Wrist Extensions
This move works the muscles on the back of your forearms that help extend your wrist. Start by kneeling on the floor with your hands flat on the floor slightly in front of you. Keeping your forearms on the floor, lift your hands up towards the ceiling as far as comfortable. You can go until you start to feel the stretch in your wrists. Hold for a second, then slowly lower back down. Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Wrist Curls
The wrist curl hits the opposite muscles used during extensions. You can see an example in the video above. Sit with your forearms resting on your thighs or a table. Hold a light dumbbell in one hand with your wrist hanging off the edge of your leg/table. Bend your wrist up towards the ceiling, then slowly lower back down. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per arm.
Farmer's Walks
This exercise for overall forearm strength is exactly what it sounds like - you'll walk while holding heavy objects. Use dumbbells, kettlebells, buckets, or any other weighted objects you can safely grip. Walk for 30-60 seconds while squeezing the weights and keeping your arms straight. I honestly LOVE these as a warm up for all of my workouts because it can help with my wrist strength and, if the weight is heavy enough, it also helps activate my core. Check out this video of mine that is a variation on these carry’s here. Take a break and repeat for 3-5 rounds.
Finger Extensions with Rubber Band
To do the finger extension with a rubber band, first get a small rubber band or tie a resistance band into a loop. Sit with your forearm resting on a table, palm facing down, and slip the rubber band around the tips of your fingers and thumb. With your palm still down, slowly spread your fingers against the band's resistance, fanning them out as far as comfortable while keeping your knuckles pressed to the table. Hold the extended finger position for 2-3 seconds, feeling the contraction in your forearm muscles. Slowly release and allow the band to pull your fingers back together. This is important for holding the high plank position. I like to open up my hand and fingers really wide to distribute the weight in my hand. Repeat for 10-15 reps, then switch hands and do 2-3 sets per side.
Finger Flexion with a Towel
Take a bath towel and roll it up tightly lengthwise into a cylinder shape. You can rest your arm on a chair or hold the towel in your hand without the arm support. Squeeze in on the towel, practicing using all of your fingers Hold this for a few seconds and slowly release. I really like this one because I struggle with grip strength. It is a fairly simple exercise that can be done while you’re watching TV or as a little break from desk work. Grip strength is really useful for deadlifts, pull-ups or hanging moves, and opening jars!
More Wrist Resources:
If you are looking for videos on these types of movements, my friend Dr. Marcia makes amazing, bite size exercise videos. They have an entire playlist dedicated to hand and wrist mobility, stretches, and flows, including this Floor Yoga for Wrist Mobility!
Final Note:
I never want to scare people out of starting a movement practice until their bodies are 100% because so many of us will NEVER be 100%. When it comes to working on and through pain points, I like to take a realistic approach because ever situation is unique. Taking variations for moves like planks and push-ups can be a great way to be able to do those moves without causing pain in your wrists. Doing wrist stretches and mobility can provide some relief and help make exercise and daily tasks more tolerable. And lastly, strength requires new stimuli to continue to challenge muscles and grip strength.
You may not ever be the hulk, but it is always a good idea to build some mobility and strenght!
If you found this perspective valuable, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback and support. Share this with a friend or drop a comment below. (Updated May 4, 2024)
