Alleviate push-up discomfort in your wrists with these proven strategies recommended by trainers.
If you've been experiencing wrist pain during push-ups or high planks, you're not alone. Personal trainer Roger Montenegro, who often avoids these exercises due to tendinitis, explains that wrist pain in these movements is often due to mobility or positioning issues, rather than severe conditions like arthritis or injuries.
Montenegro suggests several alternative exercises to strengthen your wrists and forearms, reducing the risk of pain. Here are some effective alternatives:
- Wrist Mobility and Strengthening Exercises
Try wrist rotations and side bends to gently stretch and strengthen your forearm muscles. These exercises involve bending your elbow at 90 degrees and rotating your hand palm-up and palm-down while keeping the elbow stationary, or making side bends by rotating your wrist outwards and inwards.
- Towel Wringing Exercises
Twist a wet towel in opposite directions to build crush and support grip strength without directly loading your wrist in extension or flexion.
- Seated Clenched Fists
Sit with your palms up on your thighs, make fists, and gently bend your wrists slightly towards your body, holding for several seconds, then releasing. This exercise builds wrist and forearm strength with controlled motion and minimal load on your wrist joints.
- Reverse Wrist Curls
Using light weights or dumbbells with your forearms supported on your knees or a bench, lift the weight by bending your wrists back (extension). This exercise helps target your forearm muscles.
- Palm Pulses and Finger/Wrist Stretches
In a gentle tabletop position, spread your fingers wide and lift your palms off the ground or move your fingers side to side. These exercises enhance wrist stability and provide pain relief without weight bearing.
- Grip Strengthening Exercises
Use soft tools like stress balls or small towels to repeatedly squeeze and release. This helps improve your wrist and hand muscle function safely.
Montenegro advises a staged progression under guidance to monitor pain and prevent aggravation. If you're finding it difficult to support your bodyweight in movements that require wrist extension, like holding yourself up on all fours to do a cat-cow, it could be a sign of weak wrists.
To reduce wrist strain during push-ups, Montenegro suggests holding dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other, knuckles pointing down). Hammer curls and reverse curls are good exercises that avoid unnecessary wrist pressure and can improve forearm strength.
If you're still finding push-ups uncomfortable, Montenego suggests going down to your forearms for high planks or decreasing the load during push-ups by going down to your knees or increasing the height of the push-up surface (e.g., from a bench or barbell).
Farmer's carries are a great way to work on grip and wrist strength. Remember, modifications are not a downgrade, but a smart way to get stronger and stay injury-free. Many of Montenegro's PT clients and class regulars also have weak wrists.
By focusing on these alternative exercises, you can build strength and reduce pain in your wrists, making your workouts more enjoyable and effective.
- In addition to wrist rotations and side bends, towel wringing exercises and seated clenched fists are other exercises that can help strengthen forearm muscles, reducing the risk of pain during workouts.
- Reverse wrist curls and palm pulses are effective exercises for enhancing wrist stability and targeting forearm muscles, respectively, which can help alleviate pressure on the wrists during fitness-and-exercise activities.
- To prevent wrist strain during high planks and push-ups, personal trainer Roger Montenegro recommends using dumbbells with a neutral grip, doing hammer curls and reverse curls, and considering modifications such as going down to your forearms, knees, or increasing the height of the push-up surface.
