FitSugar

You Asked: Wrist Pain When Lifting Weights?

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering.

"Hey Fit. I am not usually a weight lifter but I've recently started doing a few things. The only problem is that it really hurts my wrists when I am doing them. Am I doing something wrong?"
- Weighted Wrist Pain Wendy

Great question, and you may be surprised to hear that this is actually a common problem, especially for women. Do me a favor and take a look at your wrists. Pretty small, eh? These little suckers do a lot for you and so you need to be extra careful of them. I've got a few tips that should help ease your pain so read more.

You probably just need to fix your form. Pay special attention not to roll your wrist backward or forward when you're holding weights. The wrist should be aligned with the forearm. Hold the handle tight in your palm, and not up towards your fingers. If you are not able to do either of these, decrease the weight. Once you are stronger, you can up the weight. Also, don't neglect your forearms. Most women never train their forearms but they are important for wrist strength and exercising them will help reduce wrist strain - my favorite exercise for the forearms is the wrist curl. If you still are experiencing pain then you may want to see your doctor because it could signify something more serious like carpal tunnel or a sprain.

Source

Stretch It: 2 Wrist Stretches

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I'm sorry to say, but our wrists are pretty weak. That's no insult - it's the truth! They're skinny and delicate, and they have tiny muscles. Plus people don't spend too much time doing wrist strengthening or flexibility exercises.

If you type a lot, play a musical instrument, or spend a lot of time balancing on your hands, you can end up with sore, overworked, or injured wrists. Here are some great stretches you can do to increase flexibility in your hands and wrists.

Sit on your heels and place your hands on your mat with your fingertips facing your knees. If this stretch feels too intense, lift your hips off your heels a little. Stay here for 5 deep breaths, or as long as you want.
Place your hands on the mat, palms facing up with your fingertips facing you. Now step your feet onto your palms, pressing your toes into your wrist creases. Don't worry about keeping your legs straight - this is a wrist stretch, not a hamstring stretch. Stay here for 5 deep breaths, or as long as you want.

I love how good these two stretches feel - my wrists feel so much more open after I do them. If my wrists get sore after blogging all day, or practicing Crow for too long, I always feel better after stretching them out.

Shower Stretches

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0800

I love to stretch in the shower, it is one of those rare times when I get to slow down. I turn on the soothing hot water, light some candles, play some relaxing music, and let the warm steam envelop me.

There are a 3 stretches that I love to do in the shower, just because it feels so good to close my eyes and calm my mind. Plus, the steamy water does a wonderful job warming my muscles, so they're easier to stretch.

Come into a wide squat in the middle of your shower so you can feel the hot water gently pouring onto your lower back. Stay here for a minute or so, dropping your chin towards your chest and extending your arms out in front of you. It feels amazing, especially if your lower back bothers you.

Want to see the other 2 stretches? Then read more

This stretch is for your neck. Stand so the back of your head is in the stream of water. Interlace your fingers and place your open palms on the back of your head. Gently and slowly press your head down, tilting your chin in towards your chest. It stretches the back of your neck and lengthens your spine.

To stretch out your shoulder and wrists, place your right palm on the front wall of the shower (away from the water). You want your fingertips facing to the right, feeling your wrist opening up. You can stay here or if you want to stretch it even more, walk your body towards the left, gazing over your left shoulder. Stay here for a minute or so and then switch to the left side.

Let me know what you think or if you have any other ideas for shower stretches. Post your thoughts or pictures in the Yoga Stretch and Tell Group.

Safety First

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:01:10 -0800

Whether you are a runner, walker, biker, climber, hiker, or just a person who doesn't sit on their butt all day, you've got to get a Road ID.

It's just good to be prepared in case of an accident. If you don't believe me, check out this testimonial. This guy was biking and got hit by a car. He couldn't speak, but his ankle ID had all of his info.

You can get up to 6 lines of text engraved on the stainless steel plate. Choose whether you want the Wrist, Shoe, Shoe Pouch, or Ankle ID.

Now you'll have your important info with you whenever you venture out. Each one is made with durable, water-resistant velcro, so it attaches easily. Plus the band acts as a reflector for an added safety bonus. Nice.

They're stylish and safe, and not too expensive at all. Each one is around $20. Even though I wouldn't put a price on safety, that's a pretty awesome deal.

Work it Girl!

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:00:00 -0800

Almost everyone is trying to find out ways to stay active at work. We've seen everything from jumping jacks on the hour every hour, to offices with treadmills placed right in front of computers.

For some less embarrassing ideas try any or all of the following:

The easiest way to get an extra workout at work: Take the stairs! Everyone should know where the nearest stairs are in your office building anyway, so use them.
Wrist work: Stretch a rubber band using all of your fingers, then over 2 or 3 fingers.
Inner thigh work: Place full water bottle (or anything similar that is not breakable) between your knees and, keeping abs in, squeeze bottle gently. Repeat several times throughout the day.

Stretch It: Kneeling One-Handed Wrist Stretch

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0700

If you work at a desk typing and mousing all day, or you use your hands in other ways, I'm sure your wrists could use a break. This is one of my favorite wrist stretches. Just make sure to take your shoes off.

If you want to know how to do this stretch then read more.

Begin sitting on both heels.
Lift your right leg up, bend your knee, and place your right foot on the ground. Lift your right toes so you can slip your right hand underneath, with your palm facing up. Make sure your toes are all the way up to your wrist crease. Actively press your toes into the base of your palm as you pull your arm straight up to increase the stretch.
Hold like this for 30 seconds and then sit back on both heels. Shake out both hands and then do this stretch with your left wrist.

Wrist Management

FitSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Women are three times more likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, an over use injury that causes pain and inflammation. The wrist connects your ever valuable hands to the power of your arms, so you want to take care of them, especially since they are involved in so many daily activities. To learn how, just start the slideshow.

Source

View Slideshow ›

You Asked: Wrist Pain From Pilates?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

Dear Fit,
One of my goals for 2009 was to return to my regular Pilates that I had been skipping for over two months. The night after my first class, as well as the next morning, the bones in my wrists and lower forearms ached. It was a general, dull ache that definitely seemed to be the bones and not the muscle. It’s not the first time this has happened from Pilates either. We did do a variety of plank exercises but I don’t understand why my bones would hurt. Do you know what it might be?
- Pilates Gal in Pain

I think it is great that you made it back to your Pilates class, and your complaint of wrist and forearm pain is a familiar one. Upon returning to a fitness class, be it Pilates or a vigorous yoga class with many vinyasas (the transition that involves a push-up like motion), the wrists can become strained. To learn what I think is going on and how to prevent it, read more.

Anatomically speaking, the bulk of the muscles in the forearm are much closer to the elbow than the wrist and in the lower forearm, the muscles run under tendons and really hug the bones. So if the muscles are sore, the pain can feel deep. Add to that referred nerve pain; the nerves of the wrist can get easily compressed after many planks and push-ups. The referred pain can feel deep and general in the wrist area. I feel your pain - I get a numbness in the lower third of my forearms from overuse (combo of typing, planks, and biking) and it is often delayed and comes on the following morning or day.

There are many ways to avoid compressing your wrists and side-step this pain. Rather than bearing weight on your hands, you should work on your forearms as much as possible. Yes, elbow planks are harder, but you will just get stronger. Also, if the mat you use in Pilates is squishy, it is hard to stabilize the wrist. So ask the instructor to not only check your form but also to suggest a few props to help you keep your wrist in a better position. Stretching your wrists will help too. Good luck!

Source

Yoga Tip: Protect Those Wrists

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:45:00 -0700

When some people think of yoga, they picture a person sitting silently in Lotus, eyes closed, meditating on the meaning of life. Some people do practice that kind of yoga, but not me! The yoga I do is both physically and mentally challenging. It's hard, and can be hard on your body, especially on the smaller joints of the body.

Yoga can be really demanding on your wrists. There are tons of postures where most or all of your body weight is placed into your hands, such as Down Dog, Tripod Balance, Handstand, and Crow. If your wrists are weak, or you're not paying full attention, you can end up injuring yourself. Here are some tips for protecting those often weak wrists:

This is a MUST: When doing poses where your hands and wrists are supporting much of your weight, spread your fingers as wide as you can. Activate every single fingertip, pressing them firmly into the ground, as if you were gripping it (I try to think of Spiderman). The underside of your fingers will not even be touching the ground - only your fingertips and the knuckles at the base of each finger. Try to take some of the weight out of your wrists by distributing the weight to your fingers. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you'll notice a huge difference.

What else can you do to protect your wrists? To find out read more

Move S-L-O-W-L-Y and deliberately when you do yoga. Listen to your body and don't try to rush into a pose. If you move or jump too quickly, you could end upp twisting or jamming your poor little wrist.
Don't overdo it! If your wrists are screaming in pain from doing too many poses that involve your wrists, give them a break. Try these 2 wrist stretches - they always make my wrists feel better.
Icing sore wrists can also bring down inflammation.

Fit's Tips: Once you practice using your fingertips and the heels of your palms in yoga poses, you'll find your wrists and the muscles surrounding them strengthening. This strength will help you do poses you weren't able to do before, and you'll also be able to hold poses longer.

Gear Review: Wrist Assured Gloves

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

We can blame our sore wrists on overuse in certain exercises or too many hours at the keyboard, but there's no reason you can't continue to do some of the weight-bearing exercises that you love. Your wrists might just need a little assistance to achieve a pain-free push-up or downward dog, and that's where Wrist Assured Gloves ($70) could come in handy.

The gloves are padded in such a way that your weight is redistributed away from your wrists. They were extremely effective when I tested them with a set of push-ups, and I also noticed a difference when doing triceps dips. The gloves worked noticeably better than gripping free weights as a means to take pressure of my sometimes sensitive wrists. If you're someone who is deterred from doing these exercises or certain positions in yoga and Pilates, these gloves will enable you to incorporate the things that have been giving you a pain in your wrist.

At $70, a painless experience does not come cheap. However, Joint Protection Products offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee if your experience doesn't live up to expectations.