Back to Exercises
Warm-up
Wrist Circle
Wrist circles are a simple, dynamic stretching and warm up exercise designed to mobilize the wrist joint, lubricate the surrounding connective tissues, and prepare the arms for activity.
How to Perform
1Sit or stand in a comfortable position with your back straight and hold your arms relaxed in front of you with your elbows bent.
2Curl your fingers into loose, comfortable fists.
3Slowly roll both wrists in a clockwise direction for 5 full circles.
4Reverse the direction and roll them counterclockwise for 5 full circles.
🔁 Repeat this exercise 5 times
Muscles Targeted
Extensor carpi radialis longus
Wrist Extensor
Extensor carpi ulnaris.
Wrist Extensor
Fexor carpi radialis
Wrist Flexor
Flexor carpi ulnaris
Wrist Flexor
Intrinsic muscles of hand
Stabilizing Muscles Of hand
Helpful For
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
Highly recommended for office workers or gamers to break up long hours of typing or mouse use.
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Helps glide the tendons and reduce stiffness in the carpal tunnel region.
Wrist Osteoarthritis
Gentle movement helps lubricate the joint and manage stiffness associated with arthritis.
Tendinitis
Used as a low-impact rehabilitation exercise for conditions like De Quervain's tenosynovitis or general wrist tendinitis (once acute inflammation has settled).
Benefits
- Increases Joint Mobility: Helps maintain and improve the full range of motion in the wrist.
- Boosts Circulation: Promotes blood flow to the forearms, wrists, and hands, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.
- Injury Prevention: Serves as an excellent warm-up to prevent strains before engaging in repetitive tasks like typing or manual labor or sports like tennis, golf, or weightlifting.
- Reduces Stiffness: Alleviates the feeling of tight or locked wrists after long periods of inactivity.
Precautions
- Keep it Pain Free: The movement should feel like a gentle, relieving stretch. Never push into sharp pain.
- Control the Motion: Perform the circles slowly and smoothly. Avoid jerky or rapid, uncontrolled movements.
- Don't Over-Clench: Keep your fists relatively loose. Squeezing your hands too tightly can cause unnecessary forearm fatigue.
- Listen to Your Body: If you feel any clicking or popping that is accompanied by pain, reduce the size of the circles or stop the exercise.
Helps With
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Tennis Elbow, medically known as Lateral Epicondylitis, is a painful condition caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons. Despite its name, it affects far more than just tennis players.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common hand conditions, caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through a narrow passage in the wrist. It can cause troublesome numbness, tingling, and weakness that affect everyday hand function.
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