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Building strength with planks and push-ups can be difficult if your wrists are unable to bear your body weight comfortably. Here are some approaches to help alleviate wrist strain and ultimately strengthen them.
Reposition Your Hands to Redistribute the Weight
You might reduce discomfort by adjusting how you position your hands. As yoga instructor Lilith explains in the video below, the weight should shift toward the front of your hands, near your knuckles and fingers, rather than solely resting on the heels of your hands.
She also advises ensuring your hands are properly aligned under your shoulders: it's ideal for them to be directly beneath your shoulders, though shifting them slightly forward can reduce pressure. Use a mirror to check if you're in the right alignment.
Use Props or Make Significant Position Adjustments
If the minor adjustments mentioned earlier don't quite do the trick, try altering your wrist position more drastically. Anything that straightens your wrist rather than leaving it in an L-shaped angle will make floor exercises more comfortable. Some options include:
Resting on your fists rather than your palms
Placing a foam wedge or rolled towel beneath the heels of your hands
Using a bar positioned near the ground, or portable push-up handles
Using hexagonal dumbbells (like the ones commonly found in gyms) as makeshift push-up handles
Changing your position can also help ease wrist discomfort in other exercises. If your wrists prevent you from gripping a barbell properly during a front squat, you could try a cross-arm grip to hold the weight without putting strain on your wrists.
Stretch for Future Relief
If you're satisfied with using props and adjusting your position, you can stop here. However, if you're looking to enhance wrist flexibility, you'll need to focus on it specifically.
Muscles and tendons stretch more comfortably when they're warm, so it's beneficial to save more challenging wrist exercises for the middle of your workout. You can also start with gentler wrist stretches, like the one shown here:
Although the video suggests doing this stretch before your push-up routine, I tried it and found that stretching for two minutes beforehand made my wrists hurt even more when I started the actual exercises. While pre-workout stretches may work for some (especially those who are almost ready to perform push-ups without discomfort), I recommend reversing the order for those of us experiencing difficulty. Complete your workout with props or other modifications first, then focus on stretching at the end to invest in your progress over time.
Photo by midwestnerd.
