If you have ever dealt with a wrist or hand injury, then you probably know firsthand just how painful and annoying they can be. Not only does it mean that you have to stop working out, but it can also take long for you to recover. If you do not want to suffer from hand or wrist injuries during your training, there are some important things you need to know.
The exercises
It is important to bear in mind that there are some common weightlifting and body-weight exercises that can lead to hand and wrist injuries. There are times when ligaments and tendons are repetitively strained or overloaded during exercises, which can lead to ligament tears, sprains, tenosynovitis and tendinitis.
While time under tension and repetition is great when it comes to muscle building, it is not so good for your hand health. There are certain exercises, such as burpees and pushups that should be done mindfully because they can leave you vulnerable to hand and wrist injuries. Exercises that involve dynamic loading or weight bearing through extended wrists should be kept to a minimum.
Tips to avoid injuries
When you are exercising, you use your hands and wrists more than you realize. You need to provide your hands with a stable foundation of support and lighten the load to allow the muscles to be worked up properly and also keep your tendons and ligaments safe. Here are some tips that can be helpful in this scenario.
Keep your wrist position natural
You need to keep your wrist position natural during exercise. Similar to how you practice proper posture, you need to make an effort to keep your wrist position natural. This means the wrist needs to be in slight extension. When you are doing push-ups, it is recommended that you use a push-up grip bar, or hold two dumbbells.
It is essential to maintain a neutral wrist position when you are lifting weights and should not over-grip to prevent your finger flexors from being overstrained.
Use wrist straps
You can provide external support to your wrists when you use straps during weightlifting. However, this is recommended for those who are competitive weightlifters. If you are weightlifting for personal fitness, then it is best for you to train your wrist to remain stable by maintaining a proper wrist position and performing exercises with a proper technique.
If you find it difficult to maintain a neutral and stable wrist when you are lifting weights, then there is a good chance the weight is too much.
Avoid wrist-specific exercises
Some people believe that they can avoid wrist injuries when they use wrist-focused exercises for strengthening their wrists. But this is not a good idea. This is because your hands and wrists are working constantly and under tension, so it is not a smart move to do grip or wrist strengthening exercises. If you engage in repetitive resisted gripping, or wrist curls, you could end up with carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendinitis. You can strengthen your grip and wrist functionality through proper form, technique and body positioning.
