Chances are, when you were planning your full body workout you might have missed the wrists out as an area to work on. We’ve all done it. Because it’s such a small joint it often seems pointless to train when there are bigger, stronger muscles that you could be building. But, if you do any form of lifting, you need strong wrists to improve your grip strength and keep your forearms stable.

The wrist is a small but complex joint that connects the hand to the forearms. It is made up of eight small bones known as carpal bones. Unlike most bones which are long and rectangular, the carpal bones are a variety of different shapes and sizes. It’s this unique blend of bones that makes the wrist a flexible joint. That being said, with so much flexibility there is also a higher risk of injuries.

When it comes to training, the wrist is usually an afterthought, or wrist strengthening exercises are implemented post injury as rehab when it’s too late. Incorporating wrist strengthening exercises into your workout programme will help protect the joint during sport and reduce injury risk.

Potential Causes of Wrist Pain

As with any joint in the body, the wrist joint can be prone to a variety of conditions that can cause both long term and short term discomfort and problems. Some of the most common wrist conditions include -

Arthritis

This is inflammation in the joint that can cause pain and swelling. There are different forms of arthritis such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The common problem occurs when cartilage at the end of the bones wears away and causes the bones to glide against each other.

Repetitive Strain Injury

RSI occurs with excessive repeated movements and can cause aching, stiffness, and weakness in the joint. It usually appears in people that do repeated movements for work or who play wrist dominant sports such as tennis and golf.

Carpal Tunnel

Pressure on the median nerve in the wrist can cause tingling and numbness in the wrist and fingers. Arthritis or repetitive movements can cause carpal tunnel.

Wrist Tendonitis

Tendonitis is fairly common, especially in sports with repetitive movements. It results in the tendon swelling and becoming inflamed, causing stiffness in the joint.

Injuries

Because the wrist is a small joint, high impact collisions in this area can easily cause problems such as a break. Because the joint is made of small bones, when broken they fragment into even smaller pieces which poses more of a problem compared to the clean break of a large bone.

The list of potential joint conditions at the wrist might be leaving you feeling a bit weary. However, specific wrist strengthening exercises can reduce the chances of injury. This is important whether you’re training for a specific sport or for general health.

Wrist Roller Exercise

The Wrist Roller is a piece of equipment that allows you to work on both wrist flexion and extension. Attach the strap and carabiner to a kettlebell handle or loading pin, from here, hold onto either side of the handles and flex and extend your wrists to roll the weight towards the handle. Once at the top, repeat the movement in reverse to roll the weight back down.

Dumbbell and Resistance Band Wrist Exercises

If you don't have a wrist roller, you can also use Dumbbells or a Resistance Band to strengthen your wrists.

Wrist Flexion

In a seated position hold a small dumbbell in your hand and relax your arm on your leg with your wrist relaxed over your knee. With your palm facing up, curl the dumbbell towards your body.

Wrist Extension

Start in the same position as the wrist flexion exercise but with your palm facing away from your body. From here, curl the dumbbell up towards your body.

These movements can be mimicked with a resistance band. Secure one end of the resistance band with your foot and grip the other end in your hand and repeat the movements as described above. 

Wrist exercises aren’t the most glamorous thing, but it’s a must if you want full body strength. Weakness in one area can lead to muscular imbalance or injury, even at a site as small as the wrist. If you’re pushed for time, include them in your rest period between sets to get the most out of your training. And remember, it is better to improve your wrist strength now, than it is to wait until after injury.

Look after the rest of your arm with our workout using an exercise band for arms.

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