Expert Q&A: How to Strengthen Your Wrists
Learn effective strategies to strengthen your wrists when you have arthritis.
Question: My wrists don’t hurt much anymore, but they feel very weak. How can I strengthen my wrists?
Answer: The most important and effective strategy for strengthening wrists is to use your hands for activities that you enjoy doing or need to do. For example, cooking that requires chopping and stirring will contract your wrist muscles and therefore aid in strengthening. Gardening activities such as pulling weeds by grasping the weed with your fist and pulling up will provide needed resistance. The best exercises for your wrist joint are isometric exercises that cause your muscles to contract but do not move the joint. To do these, simply position your forearm either palm up or palm down and hold your palm still with the opposite hand. Attempt to bend your wrist but resist with the opposite hand. Do this 10 times in each direction – including side to side. Repeat several times daily.
Debbie Amini
Occupational Therapist
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
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