Wrist exercise

What is wrist exercise?

Wrist exercises are helpful to increase the strength and flexibility of the wrist joint and help to lower the risk of injury. Exercise is recommended as a preventive measure or to deal with slight pain. However, they should not be used by people with inflammation or serious joint damage unless recommended by a medical professional. This is because, in those cases, exercise could cause more harm to your wrist.

The Wrist is connect your forearm to your hand. This is a small joint, but this is an important joint to complete hand movements. Wrist muscles should be stronger to fulfill our activities of daily living. so this exercise is helpful to strengthen your hand and wrist.

Always speak with your doctor before attempting new exercises or treatments. It is important to determine the exact cause of your wrist pain first then start the exercise.

What is a wrist joint?

This joint is also known as the radiocarpal joint. It is a synovial joint created between the radius, its articular disc, and three proximal carpal bones; the scaphoid, lunate and triquetral bones. The radiocarpal joint is observed to be the only articular component of the wrist joint. The primary motions of the radiocarpal joint are abduction, adduction, flexion, and extension.

Which Muscles are used to do wrist joint movements?

• Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus.
• Extensor Carpi radialis brevis.
• Extensor Carpi ulnaris.
• Flexors carpi radialis.
• Flexor Carpi ulnaris.
• Palmaris longus.

Health benefits of wrist exercise.

• Helps to Increase the circulation of synovial fluid (lubricates and helps to cushion the joints to keep them moving freely).
• Helps to increase blood flow to your hands, and provides warmth to the muscles and ligaments around the wrist.
• Helps to Increase the oxygen supply and nutrients that move through the joint membranes decreases the process of necrosis and removes necrotic cell debris from the wrist and hand.
• Provides good flexibility.
• Improve the range of motion.
• Decrease the risk of injury by lengthening the muscles.
• Improve the effectiveness of pain.
• Strengthen the muscles surrounding the wrist joint for stability.
• Stretching your wrists activate your forearm and hand muscles.
• Increasing your mobility of the wrist joint.
• Decreases muscle soreness as you fall forward onto your outstretched hand.
• Wrist exercises increase ROM and help to decrease the risk of injury.
• It also helps decrease the possibility of damage by slightly lengthening muscles.

This exercise is also helpful in some specific conditions like Tendonitis, Wrist Drop, wrist surgery, Sprained Wrist, Arthritis, and after wrist fracture.

There have different types of wrist exercises and stretching.

Wrist curls

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise you have to Sit comfortably with your arm resting over your knees. Hold a dumbbell with a lighter weight in your palms facing down and your wrist hanging over the knee.
• Move your hand up as much as possible and then down as much as possible in a slow and controlled movement.
• Do a 2 set of ten, then repeat.
• Repeat this exercise, but with your palms facing up.
• Once you can do two or three sets easily, you may want to increase the weight of the dumbbell you are using.

You can also perform this exercise with your arm in the air.

Wrist extension and flexion

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise You have to sit in the chair with your forearm and put on the table with a rolled-up towel to stabilize your wrist hanging off the edge of the table, palm facing the floor.
• Move your hand up towards the sky until you feel a slight stretch in your wrist flexors, then back to the initial position.
• Repeat this same maneuver with the elbow at your side, palm facing to the sky.
• Now move your wrist towards the sky, until you feel a slight stretch.
• Gently back to the initial position.
• Do this for 20 to 35 repetitions.

Wrist supination/pronation

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise You have to sit in a chair or stand with your arm at the side with the elbow bend up to 90 degrees, palm facing downward side.
• Then rotate your forearm, so that your palm faces the sky side and it will go towards the floor.
• Do this for 25 to 40 repetitions.

Wrist ulnar/radial deviation

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise You have to sit in the chair with your forearm and put on a table with a roundup towel for padding or put on your knee, thumb towards the ceiling side.
• Take your wrist up towards the sky and downwards towards the ground with a full range of movement.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Thumb flexion/extension movement

How to do it?

• You have to sit on a chair or hand with both the shoulder apart.
• Initially, the thumb is positioned outward.
• Move your thumb towards the palm and return to the starting position.
• Doing this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Hand/finger tendon glide

How to do it?

• You have to sit on a chair or stand with shoulder feet width apart, to get the starting position your fingers should be straight out.
• Make a hook fist, and return to a straight hand.
• Then make a full fist; return to a straight hand.
• Then make a straight fist and return to an extended hand.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Raised fist stretch

How to do it?

• Start with your hand up and side to your head, while your hand is open.
• Clench the hand without involving your thumb (thumb is outside to fist).
• Glide your fingers toward your wrist.
• When you feel a stretch stop there and hold for three to six seconds And repeat two-three times.

Wrist and hand stretches

How to do it?

• A person should perform the exercises below gently and smoothly focusing on stretching and strengthening.
• If the stretch hurts, stop. Start with your arm upwards beside your head, with your hand open.
• Make a paw, keeping your thumb outside of it.
• Glide your fingers in direction of your wrist till you feel a stretch.

Wrist rotations

How to do it?

• Stretch your arm towards the outside in front of you.
• Gently, point the fingers towards the ground until you feel a stretch.
• Use the other hand to gently pull the raised hand in the direction of your body.
• Maintain this position for two to four seconds.
• Take your fingers toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch.
• Use the other hand to slightly pull the raised hand towards the body.
• Maintain this position for four to five seconds.
• Repeat this three times.

Prayer position

How to do it?

• Sit with your elbows on the table and both palms together in a prayer position.
• Take the hands towards the downward side of the table until you feel a stretch.
• Keep your palms together. Hold this position for three to seven seconds.
• Repeat this four times.

Hooked stretch

How to do it?

• Hook one elbow under the other and pull both arms towards the center of the trunk.
• You should feel gentle a stretch in your shoulders.
• Wrap one arm around the other so that the palms are touching.
• Hold the position for twenty seconds.
• Lock the arms and repeat it on the other side.

Finger stretch

How to do it?

• Start with your arm upward side beside your head, with your hand open.
• Make a fist, and take your thumb outside of it.
• Glide your fingers toward your wrist until you feel a stretch.

Fist-opener

How to do it?

• Make a fist and maintain it in front of you.
• Stretching your fingers until your hand is open and flat with the fingers together.
• Repeat the movements ten times.

Sponge-squeeze

How to do it?

• Make a fist and squeeze a sponge ball. maintain this position for twenty seconds. Relax. Repeat this ten times.

Windshield wiper wrist movement

How to do it?

• Start with your hand facing downward on a table.
• Smoothly, point the hand to one side as long as it can go without moving the wrist.
• Hold it for three to seven seconds.
• Do the same on the other side.
• Repeat the movement four times on each side.

Thumb pull

How to do it?

• Grab your thumb with the other hand.
• Gently pull the thumb backward, away from the hand.
• Hold the stretch for twenty seconds.
• Repeat it on the other thumb.

Alternate finger stretch

How to do it?

• Take the ring and middle fingers together.
• Separate the index and pinky fingers from them.
• Repeat the stretch ten times.

Clenched fists

How to do it?

• Take a sitting position and put your forearms on your thighs with palms facing upward.
• Close your hands to make a fist. Avoid tight clenching.
• Now take your fists towards your body, bending your wrists while your forearms touching to your legs.
• Maintain that position for ten seconds and lower the fists, open up your fingers.
• Repeat this ten times.

Wrist Flexor Stretch

Wrist Flexor Stretch

How to do it?

• Perform with your arms out in front of you and make a fist with your hands.
• Open both of your hands as if you were pushing on a wall in front of you.
• Take your right hand and pull the fingers back on your left hand and hold for ten seconds.
• Repeat on your other hand.
• Repeat four times on each hand.

Wrist Extensor Stretch

How to do it?

• To stretch the wrist flexor muscles, begin by holding the wrist in extension.
• To perform so, stretch your arm out in front of you with the elbow straight and palm facing down.
• Then, utilize the opposite hand to gently push the palm and wrist up into extension.
• Hold for 15-30 seconds for up to 3 sets.
• Do not force the stretch and modify if you feel pain or nerve symptoms. To progress, you can put your hands in a “prayer” pose in front of your chest to stretch both hands at once.

Wrist and hand stretches

How to do it?

• A person should perform the exercises below gently and smoothly focusing on stretching and strengthening.
• If the stretch hurts, stop. Start with your arm upwards beside your head, with your hand open. Make a paw, keeping your thumb outside of it.
• Glide your fingers in direction of your wrist till you feel a stretch.

Resistance band exercise 1

How to do it?

• Resistance bands are simple and versatile exercise aids.
• They come in different strengths. If you’re recovering from an injury, start with a light resistance band.
• But if you’re training for a sport, choose a heavier band.

This works your wrist flexors and extensors.

• Sit comfortably, resting your arm on a table with your palm facing down and your hand hanging over the table edge. Put one end of the resistance band under your foot to hold it down, and hold the other end in your hand.
• You may have to wrap it around your hand to create some tension.
• Pull up against the resistance, extending your wrist as far as you can.
• Keep the motion smooth and controlled. Slowly come back down to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 times. Repeat with your other hand.

Do the same exercise, but start with your palms facing up.

Resistance band exercise 2

How to do it?

• Sit comfortably with your arms close to your body, bent at right angles.
• Hold a band taut with both hands, palms down.
• Slowly rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing up, stretching the band.
• Keep your arms and elbows in place.
• Repeat 10 to 12 times.

Wrist walking

How to do it?

• To perform this exercise you have to Stand near a wall, with your arms extended, your palms against the wall, and your fingers pointed up.
• Your palms should be against the wall, walk your wrists down the wall as much as you can.
• Then turn your hands around so that your fingers are pointed down.
• With your palms against the wall, walk your wrists back up as far as you can.

Wrist-strengthener

How to do it?

• Get into position on your hands and knees, with the fingers pointing towards your body.
• slightly, lean forward, keeping your elbows straight. Hold the position for twenty seconds.
• Relax, then repeat the stretch four times.

Wrist Warm-Up

How to do it?

• Sit in a cozy chair with the forearm supported on an armrest, or your thigh if necessary, with free space for the hand to move. Simply warm up the wrist and hand by moving them around in circular movements. You can perform finger flexion and extension to the move as your wrist loosens up. Complete 12-15 circles in each direction as needed.

Tendon glides

How to do it?

• Begin with an open palm and then flex your fingers to a claw hand. Back to an open palm and then to an “L hand”. Back to an open your palm and then make a flat fist. Back to an open palm and then make a full fist with finger pads in your palm.
• Finally, return to an open palm and then repeat (same order).

Thumb Opposition

How to do it?

• Start with an open palm and fingers extended.
• Then, touch the tips of the first and second fingers. Then back to open palm. Next, touch the tips of the first and third fingers, etc until all fingers have been done.

Hand pumps

How to do it?

• Hold your hand upward. Open and close the hand into a fist and repeat. If you cannot make a full fist, then make a half fist. This can aid in reducing swelling and stiffness.

Radial Nerve Glide

How to do it?

• Stand in a comfortable pose with your arms by your sides.
• Let go of the shoulder of your injured arm and stretch your fingers downward.
• Roll your arm inward (your thumb should point toward the body).
• With your palm facing the roof, flex your wrist.
• Tilt your head opposite from the arm you are stretching.
• Keeping your wrist bent and your head tilted away, lift your arm upward, away from your body.
• Hold each of these positions for three to five seconds.
• Repeat five to eight times.
• Do this exercise two to four times a day.

Hammer Rotation

How to do it?

• You will want a hammer, wrench, or similar long, thin implement for this exercise.
• Ensure it is not too heavy, especially if your wrists are tender or weak.
• Take your chosen tool in one hand and lean forward in a chair to rest that arm on your thigh.
• Your palm should be facing inwards then slowly turn your wrist downwards so your palm is facing the ground. Turn it back to the initial position then rotates your palm upwards so it’s facing the roof.
• Do it as many times as you can on both arms.

When you do not do wrist exercise?

• If you feel intense pain during this exercise.
• If you have a fracture of the hand and arm.
• If your doctor advice you to take a rest.
• If exercise is painful or exercises increase the pain you should consult Physiotherapist before starting exercise.