5 wrist openers that counteract the demands of digital-first lifestyles
Typing isn’t the most strenuous activity you do during the day, but the repetitive motion can cause more damage than anything you do in the gym. It can lead to pain, tingling, numbness, tendinitis, carpal tunnel, and ligament damage.
“Excessive use of your computer or phone creates strain in the forearm muscle, wrist, and hand,” and weakens your grip strength because of increased tension in the stabilizing muscles, says Christopher Barbour, a group fitness instructor who teaches yoga and meditation at Equinox Marina Del Rey in California.
That kind of overuse has implications for your workouts. “You need strong wrists to perform at your best, whether you’re holding planks, doing push-ups, or playing sports,” says Leora Kirshenblatt, a group fitness instructor at Equinox locations in Toronto.
Barbour teaches the five-move sequence below, demonstrated by Kirshenblatt, to protect wrists from the side effects of digital-first lives. “The routine reduces constriction through the wrist joints and aids better blood flow to the muscles, prompting the movement of Qi and oxygen,” he explains.
Complete these openers as often as every day in a cross-legged position or kneeling with your eyes closed to counteract the demands of typing and texting. Take a few deep, diaphragmatic breaths to relax your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and then begin.
Anterior Forearm and Wrist Opening:
Bend your left arm at the elbow so your left palm opens toward your face. Cover the fingers on the left hand with the fingers of your right so they make a crosshatch pattern, then place the right thumb on the top side of the left wrist. Extend the left arm forward so palm faces up and gently pull the left fingers down so they point toward the floor and left palm faces away from you. Stretch left thumb away from palm to open the tissues of the wrist and anterior forearm. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and progress to 2 minutes. Switch arms and repeat.
Exterior Forearm and Wrist Opening:
Extend the left arm in front of you, palm facing up, and beak the fingers by bringing the tips together. Bend the left arm at the elbow, bringing the elbow next to the rib cage, and turn the left hand so the fingers point toward the heart. With the right hand, cover the left fingers at the knuckle and gently press them down toward the elbow. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and progress to 2 minutes. Once you release, do three wrist circles in each direction. Switch arms and repeat.
Progressive Opening for Wrist, Forearms, and Shoulders:
Extend both arms in front of you, with thumbs pointing down and palms facing away from each other. Bring each arm across the midline of the body so the left arm crosses on top of the right and the palms face each other. Interlace the fingers. With shoulders relaxed, hinge at the wrists to draw your fingers to the left, to the right, and back to center. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds in each position. Then, keeping fingers interlaced, lower the hands and thread them through your arms to the heart and forward again. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then shake out your arms. Repeat with the right arm crossing over the left, hinging at the wrists first to the right, then to the left.
Floor Wrist and Forearm Opening:
Extend arms in front of you, palms facing up and away from you, fingers slightly spread. Keeping arms straight, slowly lower hands until the fingertips touch the floor, then lean into the hands so the heels of the palms touch the floor and the fingers point toward the body. Keep hips relaxed and lift through the heart. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then shake out the arms.
Forearm and Wrist Self Massage:
Bring the forearm across the body, with left palm facing you. Using the thumb on the right hand, massage the left arm starting at the tricep connection just above the left elbow. Massage your way down to the wrist. When you reach the wrist, flip the hand over so the palm faces up, then massage up the palm and to the tip of each finger. Then, bring the left forearm back across the body, left palm facing toward you. With the right thumb, apply pressure in the center of the wrist and push the thumb up the center of the forearm to the elbow. Complete this final massage a few times, then switch arms and repeat.