How to Prevent Wrist Pain During Pushups
Warm up your wrists and hands., Check your hand position., Avoid flaring your elbows out., Engage your core.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Warm up your wrists and hands.
You may have done a general warm-up before you started exercising, but if you plan to do push-ups, you should also warm up your wrists and hands, particularly if your wrists hurt during push-ups.To warm up your wrists and hands and build flexible strength in your wrists, hold out one hand and spread your fingers.
One at a time starting with your thumb, rotate each digit a few times clockwise, then a few times counter-clockwise.
Think of drawing circles with that digit.
Focus on not moving any of your other fingers as you do this.
If you can't draw circles with one finger without a finger near it moving, that indicates a weakness in your hand and wrist muscles that you should work on over time.
Keep going with one hand, doing your best to have only the working digit moving.
Then move on to the other hand.
After completing this simple warm-up, your wrists and hands should feel warm, loose, and more invigorated than they were before you started. -
Step 2: Check your hand position.
Placing your hands too wide, or too far out in front of you, can put additional pressure on your wrist.
Turning your hands inward or outward also puts your wrists at an awkward angle that can lead to unnecessary strain.While in the position you normally are for push-ups, stop and look at your hands.
They should be facing forward, with all parts of your hand and fingers firmly on the ground.
If your palm is cupped or you're lifting your fingers, this puts all the pressure on the heel of your hand, which can cause wrist pain.
Make sure your wrists are directly under your shoulders when your arms are fully extended, not forward or back.
It can be helpful to have someone else observe your form to make sure your hands are in proper position, so they can help you adjust if necessary. , As a beginner, you may have done push-ups by flaring your elbows out to the sides of your body rather than keeping them close and bending them back against your body.While you may have done this because it made it easier to do push-ups when you were just starting out, continuing to use this technique can lead to excessive strain on your wrists.
Flaring out your elbows also can lead to elbow or shoulder injuries over time if not corrected.
When you do push-ups, your elbows should bend back, close against your sides, at about a 45-degree angle.
If you're unsure about your elbow position, do a few push-ups and have someone observe you and watch your elbows.
They typically will be able to get a better perspective than you can.
Practice the correct technique by pushing off from a wall while standing.
This way you'll have a better understanding of how it feels for your elbows to be bending correctly. , Push-ups are not just an upper-body exercise.
If you're doing push-ups using only your upper body strength without engaging your core, you're putting extra pressure on your wrists, which can lead to wrist pain.When you do push-ups, you're not engaging your core correctly if any part of your body is moving later than another part – for example, if your hips are sagging or if your lower body raises after your upper body does.
If you notice your back swaying, or an arch in your lower back, you may need to do additional exercises to build more strength in your core before you continue doing push-ups, so that you can do them correctly without causing undue pressure on your wrists.
Doing planks rather than push-ups can help you build core strength.
You may want to start with half-planks, in which you come down to your forearms rather than your hands, which limits the pressure on your wrists. -
Step 3: Avoid flaring your elbows out.
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Step 4: Engage your core.
Detailed Guide
You may have done a general warm-up before you started exercising, but if you plan to do push-ups, you should also warm up your wrists and hands, particularly if your wrists hurt during push-ups.To warm up your wrists and hands and build flexible strength in your wrists, hold out one hand and spread your fingers.
One at a time starting with your thumb, rotate each digit a few times clockwise, then a few times counter-clockwise.
Think of drawing circles with that digit.
Focus on not moving any of your other fingers as you do this.
If you can't draw circles with one finger without a finger near it moving, that indicates a weakness in your hand and wrist muscles that you should work on over time.
Keep going with one hand, doing your best to have only the working digit moving.
Then move on to the other hand.
After completing this simple warm-up, your wrists and hands should feel warm, loose, and more invigorated than they were before you started.
Placing your hands too wide, or too far out in front of you, can put additional pressure on your wrist.
Turning your hands inward or outward also puts your wrists at an awkward angle that can lead to unnecessary strain.While in the position you normally are for push-ups, stop and look at your hands.
They should be facing forward, with all parts of your hand and fingers firmly on the ground.
If your palm is cupped or you're lifting your fingers, this puts all the pressure on the heel of your hand, which can cause wrist pain.
Make sure your wrists are directly under your shoulders when your arms are fully extended, not forward or back.
It can be helpful to have someone else observe your form to make sure your hands are in proper position, so they can help you adjust if necessary. , As a beginner, you may have done push-ups by flaring your elbows out to the sides of your body rather than keeping them close and bending them back against your body.While you may have done this because it made it easier to do push-ups when you were just starting out, continuing to use this technique can lead to excessive strain on your wrists.
Flaring out your elbows also can lead to elbow or shoulder injuries over time if not corrected.
When you do push-ups, your elbows should bend back, close against your sides, at about a 45-degree angle.
If you're unsure about your elbow position, do a few push-ups and have someone observe you and watch your elbows.
They typically will be able to get a better perspective than you can.
Practice the correct technique by pushing off from a wall while standing.
This way you'll have a better understanding of how it feels for your elbows to be bending correctly. , Push-ups are not just an upper-body exercise.
If you're doing push-ups using only your upper body strength without engaging your core, you're putting extra pressure on your wrists, which can lead to wrist pain.When you do push-ups, you're not engaging your core correctly if any part of your body is moving later than another part – for example, if your hips are sagging or if your lower body raises after your upper body does.
If you notice your back swaying, or an arch in your lower back, you may need to do additional exercises to build more strength in your core before you continue doing push-ups, so that you can do them correctly without causing undue pressure on your wrists.
Doing planks rather than push-ups can help you build core strength.
You may want to start with half-planks, in which you come down to your forearms rather than your hands, which limits the pressure on your wrists.
About the Author
Catherine Stevens
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in lifestyle and beyond.
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