Mobility and stretches
Wrist warm-up
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- forearms · wrists
- Also
- hands · elbows
The wrist warm-up takes your wrists and forearms through their full range before they have to hold bodyweight. It prepares you for push-ups, planks and any position where the hands are flat on the floor, and it suits anyone who types or grips things all day. Done slowly, it also works well as a cool-down after pressing work.
Form
How to do wrist warm-up
- 1Kneel on the floor and place both palms down in front of you, fingers pointing forward, arms straight but elbows soft.
- 2Rock your weight slowly forward over your hands until you feel a stretch in the front of the wrists, then rock back towards your heels. Breathe out as you rock forward.
- 3Turn your hands so the fingers point back towards your knees, palms flat, and rock gently back and forth again in that position.
- 4Flip to the backs of the hands on the floor, fingers pointing towards you, and press down lightly, only as far as is comfortable.
- 5Finish by lifting the hands off the floor and circling the wrists in both directions, then spreading and closing the fingers a few times.
- 6Keep every phase slow and even, and stop short of any sharp pinch at the joint.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Dumping full bodyweight onto the hands straight away.
Fix: Start with light pressure and add weight gradually as the wrists loosen across the effort.
Rushing the rocking so it becomes a bounce.
Fix: Slow the movement down so each direction takes a couple of breaths.
Letting the fingers lift off the floor as you rock.
Fix: Spread the fingers wide and press the pads down so the hand stays fully in contact.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.