Suffering from a wrist injury is problematic because it will make it more difficult to perform a variety of simple activities. Thankfully, it’s possible to increase your wrist strength before and after an injury with wrist exercises. This will help decrease the likelihood of injury, as well as injury severity.
These simple exercises will help you understand how to prevent and treat wrist injuries. Perform them with other forms of exercise to keep your wrists strong. You can also performed lower-intensity variations after a wrist injury to keep it active and to increase its strength.
Squeezing A Tennis Ball
One of the easiest ways to begin improving your wrist strength is to squeeze a tennis ball. Purchase new or slightly used tennis balls and place one in the palm of each hand. Squeeze each ball as hard as you can. If you feel any pain in your wrist or fingers while squeezing, decrease the pressure. Hold this stretch for 5-10 seconds and release.
Let your hands rest for another five seconds before repeating the process. Try to perform this exercise at least five times a day to start and try to work up to 10. Perform them as reps or spread them out throughout the day. If you don’t feel challenged by a tennis ball, use a stress ball: these are a little firmer and will increase your strength even more quickly.
Extension Wrist Stretch
Start by standing or sitting with your back straight. This helps keep your spine in good shape and avoids other problems that come with bad posture. Now, hold your right hand in front of you parallel to the ground, with your elbow straight. Leave your elbow a little “loose” to avoid strain.
Lift the fingers of that hand straight up in the air at a 90-degree angle to the ground. Take the fingers of your other hand and slightly pull back on those fingers. Don’t pull too hard: just pull hard enough to cause a light stretch. Hold for about 10 se conds, release, and repeat on your other hand. Perform at least three sets of these every day.
Range Of Motion Stretch
People rarely utilize the full range of motion in the wrist. As a result, certain muscles (especially those in the side) tend to be weak and prone to injury. Stretch the full range of your wrist muscles with this simple, yet effective exercise. Stand as if you are going to perform the extension wrist exercise, but keep your hand straight.
Slowly and deliberately move your hand in a circle at the wrist. Only use the wrist muscles: if you are tempted to use your elbow, hold just below your wrist with the other hand. Perform 10-15 cycles in one direction and an equal number in the opposite direction. Rest for 10 seconds before repeating with the opposite hand.
Repeat this exercise 4-5 times with each wrist. You may feel somewhat sore after finishing this exercise, especially if you perform it after an injury. If you persistently feel sore after this exercise, try performing it with less intensity and with less reps.
Resistance Band Exercises
One of the most under-utilized, yet effective, pieces of exercise equipment is the resistance band. It’s much easier to store than dumb bells and can be utilized just as effectively if you successfully use it. Adapting a resistance band for use as a wrist exercise tool is relatively easy.
Start by wrapping the band around the fingers of your hand with your arm straight by your side. Loop the other end of the band just above your elbow to create the resistance. Now, push your fingers up against the strength of the resistance band to really give them a strong exercise.
Perform three sets of 10 reps on each hand. This exercise works best as “preventive” measure. Using it with an injured risk may cause you to exasperate the injury. However, you can always decrease the intensity by loosening the tightness of the band until you are comfortable.
Staying active with these exercises is just one of the many ways you can treat serious wrist injuries. If you have any more questions about these exercises or ways you can avoid injury, please contact us now to learn more.