It’s not uncommon for some people who practice yoga regularly to develop wrist pain, especially if they have spent the majority of their life working at a desk. Decreased range of motion, strength, and flexibility of the wrists combined with an increase in the demand placed upon these delicate joints through regular weight-bearing in a yoga class can be the perfect recipe for injury. LYT yoga is the only method offering wrist stretches at the beginning of every class, but even in some cases, that’s not enough. If you’re having trouble with your wrists, a little extra warm-up before class could be just the thing you need. Try this out about 5-minutes before class starts and see if, over time, it helps!
- Make fists and roll the wrists clockwise and counterclockwise for 15-20 seconds in each direction. Do this once with the thumbs outside the fists and once with them inside.
- Open and close the hands quickly for 20-30 seconds, warming up the hand and forearm musculature.
- In Quadruped (all fours):
- Rock forward/back 5x and then side-to-side 5x. This range of motion should be pain-free, so you may not get your shoulders fully over the wrists to start.
- Circle the shoulders around the wrists, 5x in each direction. Again, you might not be able to get the shoulders fully over the wrists to start.
- Repeat the 2 steps immediately above with the fingers pointing out to the sides of your mat.
- Flip the palms to face up, fingers pointing towards each other, and rock from side-to-side 5x, stretching the wrists into flexion. You will most likely have the majority of your weight in the hips and not over the wrists.
You can also catch my series on LYT Daily, “Weightless in the Wrists,” which includes six traditional LYT classes with little to no weight-bearing through the upper extremities, specifically for people with current pain and/or wrist dysfunction.
And check out my 4-minute wrist warm-up video on the LYT Yoga YouTube channel. Take care of your wrists so you can stay on your mat practicing as much as you want!
Xoxo,
Kristin
