{"id":4035,"date":"2025-02-20T20:25:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T09:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/tips-for-avoiding-wrist-discomfort-during-push-ups-planks-and-burpees.html"},"modified":"2025-02-20T20:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T09:25:39","slug":"tips-for-avoiding-wrist-discomfort-during-push-ups-planks-and-burpees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/tips-for-avoiding-wrist-discomfort-during-push-ups-planks-and-burpees.html","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Avoiding Wrist Discomfort During Push-Ups, Planks, and Burpees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You have strength to bang out a plenitude of push-ups, a bunch of burpees, and planks in perpetuity. But you have one limiting factor: wrist pain. So, it\u2019s your joints \u2014 not your muscles \u2014 giving out that sends you collapsing in a heap.<\/p>\n<p>Since push-ups and planks are integral to workouts from bootcamps and body-sculpting to yoga and Pilates, skipping them isn\u2019t really an option.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, you don\u2019t have to. You can perform push-up movements with less pain in a way that protects \u2014 rather than strains \u2014 your wrists. And you can minimize the triggers that stress them, performing moves that build strength in your wrists.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Your Wrist Hurts\u00a0When Doing Push-Ups<\/h2>\n<p>Like any other joint in your body, your wrists are happiest in the Goldilocks zone \u2014 when you\u2019re not using them too little or too much, but just right.<\/p>\n<p>Stiffness and inflammation result from two primary causes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Misuse.<\/strong>\u00a0You can hurt your wrists acutely by forcing them into awkward positions during exercise, a fall, or some other mishap.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overuse.<\/strong>\u00a0Pain from repetition, also known as repetitive strain injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome, can come from spending hours on a computer or mobile device. It can also occur from performing weight-bearing exercises that stress your wrists too frequently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThere are a variety of reasons for\u00a0wrist pain, but a common one is from repetitively performing the same motions,\u201d says Dr.\u00a0Kristin Valdes, OTD, OT, CHT, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Gannon University in Ruskin, Florida.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why: When you contract the back of your hand toward your forearm, your wrist is in extension. Assuming a push-up position in which your extended wrists support your bodyweight can put pressure on the median nerve in the wrist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you repetitively perform any motion, the tendons that cross the wrist can become inflamed and then press on the median nerve. This pressure can be exacerbated during exercise activities where the wrist is fully extended,\u201d Dr. Valdes says.<\/p>\n<p>So the problem might start with how you use your wrists during your day job, and then your gym work may simply make it worse. But you can troubleshoot both what you do at work and the gym to minimize the strain and prevent the pain.<\/p>\n<h2>Tips for Doing a Perfect Push-up or Plank<\/h2>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/players.brightcove.net\/1634697872\/default_default\/index.html?videoId=6316482025112\" width=\"600\" height=\"337.5\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You needn\u2019t cut out push-ups altogether unless you\u2019ve been instructed to by a physician or the exercises are too painful to perform, advises\u00a0Shannon Cauley, fitness director of The Houstonian Club in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>But doing them correctly is key:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First, make sure you\u2019re performing a push-up or plank in a way that\u2019s biomechanically sound. Start on your hands and knees and place your palms flat on the floor or a mat.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your hands are in line with (and slightly wider than) your shoulders\u2014not forward or backward of them. Also, \u201cmake sure that your hands are placed firmly on the ground, but without cupping your palms \u2014 keep your fingers extended.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Distribute your bodyweight equally between your hands and the balls of your feet (or knees if you\u2019re doing a modified push-up) so that you minimize the load on your wrists.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your head in a neutral position (neither lifted up, nor dropped), and your body straight from head to heels.<\/li>\n<li>When you move up or down to perform a push-up, keep your core fully engaged, moving your entire body up and down as one unit so as to keep your body weight evenly distributed and not shifting weight disproportionately to your wrists.<\/li>\n<li>Finally, don\u2019t flare your elbows; keep them close to your body as you lower your chest to within a few inches of the floor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re unsure of your alignment, speak with a qualified trainer, Cauley suggests. And if, even with a perfectly executed push-up or plank, you still feel discomfort, evaluate how bad it is. If it\u2019s minimal, you may be able to alleviate it with our easy fixes below.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if you experience any kind of pain, numbness or tingling, see a physician before performing any kind of exercise,\u201d Cauley cautions.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Minimize\u00a0Wrist Strain\u00a0When You Work Out<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162432\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120418\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-workout.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re prone to sore wrists, you\u2019re best off avoiding extreme joint angles, especially when you\u2019re working out and exposing the joint to high compressive forces.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, you want to avoid excess pressure to the median nerve by maintaining a\u00a0wrist-neutral posture\u00a0when doing these types of exercises, Dr. Valdes says.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Place your hands in a different position.<\/strong> Make fists and support your weight on the flat part of the top of them during push-ups and planks. The key is to keep your wrists straight\u2014that\u2019s what will take the stress off them. This option isn\u2019t comfortable for everyone, which is why you might want to\u2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use props.<\/strong>\u00a0Perform push-ups using push-ups stands \u2014 known also as\u00a0parallettes \u2014 or\u00a0hex dumbbells\u00a0instead of placing your hands directly on the floor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use a box, step, yoga block, or weight bench.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cTurn your hands out and place them on the sides to create room to hold your wrist in a more neutral position,\u201d recommends Galina Denzel, co-author of\u00a0Eat Well, Move Well, Live Well. (In weightlifting, a \u201cneutral grip\u201d is when your palms face each other.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bolster your wrists.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cSimply roll up a small towel or use another comfortable form of modest elevation,\u201d Denzel says, \u201cand place the heel of your palm on it to lift the back of your hand and help keep your wrists more in line with your forearms.\u201d\u00a0Wrist wedges\u00a0can provide similar support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Also try to keep your wrists straight during weight-bearing moves.<\/strong>\u00a0In exercises like the barbell chest press, aim to keep your wrists as straight as possible as you lower and raise the weight above your chest. Allowing the bar to bend your wrists backward will increase the stress on them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>How to Avoid\u00a0Wrist Pain\u00a0at Work<\/h2>\n<p>Easing strain during exercise is only half the battle. How you use your wrists the other 23 hours of the day is just as \u2014 if not more \u2014 important.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Set yourself up at your desk so that your wrists and other joints (neck and back) are better positioned to handle long hours. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends\u00a0that desk and chair height be coordinated so that your hands, wrists, and forearms are in line and parallel to the floor as you use your keyboard or mouse.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure to take hand breaks and avoid squeezing the mouse too tightly or banging away at the keyboard too hard, Cauley recommends.<\/li>\n<li>You can also use a wrist support at the keyboard. This low platform can help elevate the heel of the hand to create a more neutral wrist position as you type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Treat Wrist Pain<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162431\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120410\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-treatment.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Jacked up your wrist? Here\u2019s how you can respond:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stop doing whatever caused the problem.<\/li>\n<li>If your problem is severe, see a doctor. You may have to scale activity way back, reducing as much movement in your wrist joint as possible for up to two weeks (and maybe longer) before resuming light activity.<\/li>\n<li>A splint \u2014 available at any drugstore \u2014 can help prevent painful, accidental movements. Your doctor will let you know if you need one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can address less severe wrist soreness by making minor adjustments to activities that require wrist movement:<\/p>\n<p>Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDS) like Advil can reduce inflammation and pain, but don\u2019t pop them indiscriminately \u2014 while they can reduce the severity of symptoms, they won\u2019t cure an injured wrist.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Strengthen your Wrists<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s possible to\u00a0build strength in your forearms\u00a0to help you better withstand the stress of wrist-supported moves.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ease into heavier loads on your wrists by starting planks and push-ups first on raised surfaces like bars or benches. When you transition to the floor, start in a modified push-up or plank, supporting your weight on your knees. Then build up to a full-body pose supported on the balls of your feet.<\/li>\n<li>Carry heavy weights \u2014 or heavy bags outside of the gym \u2014 by your sides (rather than slinging a bag over your shoulder.) These \u201cfarmer carry\u201d exercises help strengthen the wrists, Denzel says.<\/li>\n<li>Hang from a bar for five to 10 seconds and work your way up to longer periods and even pull-ups\u00a0if you can do them, Denzel suggests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Stretches for Wrist Pain<\/h2>\n<p>The following moves can help relieve pain in your wrists. Use them whenever your wrists feel stiff or sore, or as part of a regular hand- and wrist-care program. Perform each stretch slowly at first, and stop if it makes the pain more acute.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Forearm self-massage<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162436\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120443\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-self-massage.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From a sitting position, place your right forearm on a table, palm up.<\/li>\n<li>With your left hand, massage the tissues along the outside and inside of your forearm, working from your elbow to a point about halfway down your forearm.<\/li>\n<li>When you find a tender spot, apply gentle pressure, breathe deeply, and attempt to relax the tissues.<\/li>\n<li>Continue massaging up and down for up to two minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Forearm flexor stretch<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162437\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120449\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-flexor-stretch.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Interlace your fingers and extend your arms forward, turning your palms away from you.<\/li>\n<li>Push your palms forward until you feel a stretch in the insides of your forearms, and hold for a two-count.<\/li>\n<li>Bend your arms slightly, releasing the stretch.<\/li>\n<li>Continue extending and bending your arms for 30 to 45 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Crossbow<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Interlace your fingers and raise your elbows to chin height, forearms parallel to the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your palms down, your fingers interlaced, and your elbows and hands at chin height, slide your palms forward and back as if along a high tabletop, feeling a mild stretch in the sides of your wrists as you do so.<\/li>\n<li>Repeat for 15 to 25 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>4. Flexion stretch<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162438\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120457\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-wrist-flexion-stretch.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stand behind a table with your hands at your sides and rotate your arms so your palms face backward. You can also do this from a seated position by placing your hands on the floor.<\/li>\n<li>From this position, place the backs of your hands on the table, shoulder-width apart.<\/li>\n<li>Straighten your arms as much as possible.<\/li>\n<li>Apply gentle pressure downwards until you feel a stretch in the backs of your forearms (if this is uncomfortable, place a folded towel on the table).<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your arms straight, ease in and out of the stretch for 15-25 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>5. Extension stretch<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-162439\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18120505\/wrist-pain-push-ups-600-wrist-extension-stretch.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Place your palms flat on a table, fingers facing you, spread wide, and shoulder-width apart. You can also do this from a seated position with your hands on the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Straighten \u2014 or attempt to straighten \u2014 your arms until you feel a stretch in the insides of your forearms.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your arms as straight as possible, ease in and out of the stretch for 15 to 25 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When to See a Doctor<\/h2>\n<p>See a doctor for wrist pain if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019ve experienced sudden and severe trauma from a fall or other accident.<\/li>\n<li>There is noticeable swelling, numbness, or severe pain.<\/li>\n<li>Pain persists or worsens, even after you stop doing the activities that caused the pain.<\/li>\n<li>The pain is continuous, even when you\u2019re not using your hand.<\/li>\n<li>There is swelling, redness, or heat in the wrist, all of which indicate an infection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You have strength to bang out a plenitude of push-ups, a bunch of burpees, and planks in perpetuity. But you have one limiting factor: wrist pain. So, it\u2019s your joints \u2014 not your muscles \u2014 giving out that sends you collapsing in a heap. Since push-ups and planks are integral to workouts from bootcamps and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-4035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness","tag-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4035"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4037,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4035\/revisions\/4037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}