7 Simple Wrist Stretches to Ease Pain and Boost Flexibility

Wrist pain can sneak up on you — whether from long hours spent typing, lifting, or simply the repetitive motions of daily life. While it’s easy to brush off discomfort, your wrists are essential to nearly every hand movement you make. Wrist pain doesn’t have to slow you down or affect your daily routine. Simple wrist stretches can help alleviate pain, improve flexibility, and keep your hands feeling strong and functional.

Read on to learn about the wrist stretches recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists to relieve discomfort and prevent future strain. These stretches are quick, easy to perform, and can make a big difference in how your wrists feel day to day.

Interested in getting a personalized exercise therapy plan? Learn more about Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy programs and see if you’re eligible.

7 Wrist Stretches to Try 

The following wrist stretches are recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists to improve wrist flexibility, mobility, and range of motion. Whether you’re feeling stiff after a long day of typing, want healthier wrists for pickleball or other activities, or just want to prevent future aches, these moves are designed to keep your wrists functioning at their best.

Wrist bends involve wrist flexion (bending your wrist forward and down) and extension (moving the back of your hand toward your forearm). “They help improve flexibility, mobility, and strength in your wrists, which helps decrease wrist stiffness,” explains Nandini Rampersaud, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. Wrist bends also help increase blood flow to the area, which can be particularly helpful if you perform repetitive tasks that involve your wrists (e.g., typing on a keyboard). 

How to do it:

• Sit in a chair with your forearm resting on a table and your wrist and hand hanging off the edge. Your palm should be facing the floor. 

• Bend your wrist to move your hand toward the floor and hold this position. 

• Return to the starting position, then bend your wrist to move your hand toward the ceiling and hold. 

• Relax back to the starting position.

Wrist rotations help loosen the muscles around your wrist, which helps improve wrist mobility and reduces stiffness, explains Dr. Rampersaud. This can help reduce your risk of injury during activities that involve wrist movement. 

How to do it: 

• Stand with your elbow bent to 90 degrees and resting at your side. Your hand should be open with your thumb pointing toward the ceiling. 

• Keeping your elbow at your side, rotate your hand so your palm is facing the ceiling. 

• Return to the starting position with your thumb pointing toward the ceiling. 

• Rotate your hand so that your palm is facing the floor and hold this position. 

• Return to the starting position.

This movement targets side-to-side wrist motion. Wrist side bends gently stretch the muscles and tendons on the sides of your wrist. This can be a particularly good stretch for people who do a lot of repetitive wrist motions, says Dr. Rampersaud. 

How to do it: 

• Sit in a chair with your forearm resting on a table with your hand hanging off the edge. The palm of your hand should face the floor and your wrist should be straight. 

• Move your hand sideways by moving the pinky side away from your body. Your palm should continue to face the floor. 

• Return to the starting position. 

• Move your hand in the other direction by moving the thumb side in toward your body, and then hold. 

• Relax back to the starting position.

“This movement targets the wrist extensor muscles, which are in your outer forearm,” explains Dr. Rampersaud. “These muscles can become easily overworked if you do a lot of activities like typing, texting, or other fine motor movements.” The wrist extensor stretch helps counteract muscle tension and tightness that can occur with these activities. 

How to do it: 

• Rest the backs of your hands and fingers comfortably together in front of your waist with your fingers pointing down toward the floor. 

• Move your hands up toward the ceiling, so your elbows move apart as your fingers continue to point down toward the floor. 

• Hold this stretch, and then move your hands down to the starting position.

This move targets your wrist flexor muscles, which are in your inner forearm and help you bend your wrist forward. “Like the wrist extensor muscles on the outside of your forearm, these muscles tend to get overworked with repetitive wrist activities,” says Dr. Rampersaud. This is a particularly good stretch for people who do a lot of gripping activities (e.g., using hand tools), typing, or lifting.  

How to do it: 

• Rest the palms of your hands and fingers comfortably together in front of your head with your fingers pointing up toward the ceiling. 

• Move your hands down toward the floor to about chest level, so your elbows move apart as your fingers continue to point up toward the ceiling. 

• Focus on keeping the palms of your hands together as you hold this stretch. 

• Move your hands up to the starting position.

“Our nerves love getting good blood flow. This helps them function well,” says Dr. Rampersaud. Muscle tightness and tension can limit circulation to nerves in the wrist. Nerve glides help provide blood flow and movement, which can help decrease pain intensity. 

How to do it: 

• Stand with your targeted elbow bent fully so your hand is just in front of your shoulder. Your elbow should be at your side with your hand open and facing toward your body. 

• Rotate your head toward your targeted side while you straighten your elbow, extending your hand to the floor. 

• At the same time, start turning the palm of your hand to face behind you while bending your wrist up toward the ceiling. Your palm should be facing the ceiling with your fingers pointing behind you as you hold this stretch. 

• Return to the starting position.

“This exercise is a great catch-all movement that targets your neck, upper back, shoulder, forearm, and hand and wrist area,” says Dr. Rampersaud. “The muscles in the front of the body tend to get tight if you spend a lot of time in positions where you lean forward or round your shoulders. This is something a lot of us do when we sit at a table or work at a computer.”  The open book exercise can relieve tightness and tension in these areas, including your wrist and hand. 

How to do it: 

• Lie on your side with a pillow supporting your head. Your arms should be straight out and resting on the floor in front of your chest. Your legs should be stacked together with your knees bent up toward your chest.

• Reach your top arm up and behind you while turning your torso toward the opposite side. Keep this arm straight while your legs and other arm remain in the starting position. Your chest will open up toward the ceiling as you rotate. 

• Continue to reach your arm and shoulder toward the floor behind you as you stretch into this position.

• Return your top arm and upper body back to the starting position. 

• Repeat on the other side.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Personalizing Your Wrist Stretches

Note: Some of these moves may feel challenging if you’re dealing with pain flares, say, from wrist arthritis, wrist tendonitis, or other issues. On the other hand, if you’re doing them proactively to prevent pain, they may feel subtle or too easy. Working with a Hinge Health physical therapist can help make sure your exercises are the right amount of challenge for you. 

Benefits of Wrist Stretches 

Your wrists work hard for you every day, often without you even realizing it. They are involved in nearly every task you do with your hands. This constant use can lead to stiffness, discomfort, or even injury. That’s where wrist stretches come in. Here’s more on the benefits of doing regular wrist stretches. 

• Less wrist pain and stiffness. “Our hands and wrists are really strong and resilient, but they can become overworked if you do a lot of repetitive fine motor activities, like typing or sewing,” explains Dr. Rampersaud. The above wrist stretches stretch and strengthen the structures in and around your wrists, so they’re more prepared to handle a variety of tasks. This also helps prevent pain. 

• Better function. This means your wrists can handle your day-to-day activities and work. “Targeted stretches and exercises help you do everything you do each day — whether that’s washing dishes, raking leaves, sending emails, or lifting heavy boxes — without having your wrists get achy,” says Dr. Rampersaud. 

• Injury prevention. Wrist stretches help to improve circulation, reduce stiffness, and promote muscle balance. This can help prevent common issues like carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis. 

• Improved flexibility and range of motion. Stretching keeps your wrists limber, which helps maintain or improve your range of motion. This is particularly important for activities that require dexterity, such as typing, lifting, or playing an instrument.

• Better posture. This one might surprise you. And while there’s no such thing as perfect posture, there are positions that are more comfortable for each individual. Wrist stretches can help alleviate tension in your forearms, shoulders, and neck, which are all connected. This helps you move around and change positions frequently so you can find a posture that works for you. 

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

1. Chu, E., Kim, Y.-S., Hill, G., Kim, Y. H., Kim, C. K., & Shim, J. K. (2018). Wrist Resistance Training Improves Motor Control and Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(4), 962–969. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000002019

2. Ferguson, R., Riley, N. D., Wijendra, A., Thurley, N., Carr, A. J., & BJF, D. (2019). Wrist pain: a systematic review of prevalence and risk factors– what is the role of occupation and activity? BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 20(1). doi:10.1186/s12891-019-2902-8