The Wrist(y) Business of Push-ups

Wrist(y) Business

Bodyweight exercises are key to functional fitness and the legend of them all is the push up. Ultimately the best way off the ground towards a fitter tomorrow is an ability to drop down and do a few. While the passionate and obsessive among the fitness community might scoff at the fact that wrists might hold a person back from blasting out 100 at a clip they’re laughing from a position of heightened range of motion and free from constrained activities of daily living that hold many people back from pushing up their own glory.

Starting with the hands and wrists themselves they spend their days predominantly in extension whether it be on a phone, a computer, or driving a car. The actions in the opposition of said extension are not equal and therefore will not create even mobility or optimal range of motion. Becoming mindful of whether or not you can press your hands flat on the ground is a good indicator of the tightness in your hands and wrists. As long as no previous carpal tunnel or tendonitis issues are in play you can move on to positioning.

Hands down on the ground, they belong under your armpits, slightly wider than your ribs, with your wrists, elbows, and shoulders stacked over them at the top of a push up. Imagine you are a building and at the top(shoulder) the architecture would be the strongest if everything was carefully stacked beneath it. Being accurate, with proper positioning comes an infinitely safer exercise, protecting three joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder) with simple adjustments. Often when the hands are placed too wide more pressure is put on the wrist causing pain and an overall aversion to the action. Then be sure to point your fingers forward, while flat on the ground distributing some of the weight from the palm. Fingers and palms must remain flat for the entire performance as cupping of the palm puts pressure on the heel of the hand often causing wrist pain. A way you can change this is to imagine your hands gripping the ground.

Modification is a powerful option not to be overlooked when encountering a workout that isn’t working for you. By taking a box, using a TRX or leveraging yourself against a wall you create the opportunity to work those muscles without stressing the wrist joint while you can diagnose and rectify the cause of the pain. Your physical fitness should be a joyous journey for you with exercises that feed your goals

MS

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