Pilates and Wrist Pain…How to Avoid During Practice and How Pilates Helps

Do you avoid doing planks because your wrists are weak or painful?
Does your job require a lot of keyboarding, texting or repetitive wrist movements?
Are you noticing that your wrists are less flexible or more painful?

Wrist pain is quickly becoming one of the leading complaints for people over the age of 45….why is that?

Common Causes of Wrist Pain:

1. Repetitive wrist movements with profession….florists, keyboarders and Pilates instructors
2. Too much texting and typing
3. Weak muscles in the core and upper body
4. People avoid any weight bearing through the wrists so wrists gradually get weaker and less flexible….leading to wrist pain and tightness
5. Certain medical and life style conditions can predispose you to wrist pain….such as high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and smoking.

Your hands perform a variety of tasks every day, from gripping a steering wheel to typing on a keyboard. These repetitive motions can create weakness and stiffness in your wrists and fingers.
Practicing simple exercises can help prevent injury. Certain exercises can strengthen your wrists and keep your hands and fingers flexible.
Certain strengthening and stretching exercises are recommended by many physical therapists and physicians as a preventive measure or to ease slight pain in the wrists, forearms and hands.

****However, they should not be used by people with inflammation or serious joint damage unless recommended by a healthcare professional. This is because, in those cases, exercise could cause more harm to your wrists or hands.
ALWAYS speak with your doctor before attempting new stretches or strengthening exercises.

It’s important to determine the exact cause of your wrist pain so that you can be guided towards the appropriate exercises or activity modifications necessary to minimize or even avoid pain.

I have provided several exercises in the above Monthly Workout to improve strength and flexibility of the wrists…..First ask your doctor whether these stretches and exercises are safe for you, especially if you have an injury. Once you’ve been given the go-ahead, don’t hesitate to take some time each day to perform these stretches and exercises, especially if you have a job that requires hours of typing at the keyboard. Your hands will thank you!

There are some exercises in your Pilates practice that can cause wrist discomfort….such as:

1. Planks
2. Leg Kick Back
3. Mermaid and Twist

Don’t simply avoid what hurts and chalk it up to “weak wrists”. Look at the bigger picture….. Look at your alignment. Look at how you can support your wrists by strengthening your core, shoulder girdle and rotator cuff muscles.
The key to protecting your wrists is—surprise!—a strong core and shoulder girdle (you knew this was coming, right?).

Evidence shows that a strong core can increase the efficiency of the rotator cuff muscles (I cue “Lift out of your shoulders” during plank and pushup all the time in class for this reason). These muscles stabilize the shoulders and decrease the load that is transferred to your wrist.

How ABS Pilates can help:

1. ABS Pilates offers both Live In-Studio options and Online options to give you variety and the ability to be consistent.
2. ABS Pilates offers both Mat Pilates and Equipment Pilates ONLINE and IN-STUDIO
3. ABS Pilates offers a variety of classes for different levels of challenge….beginner classes, intermediate and advanced.
4. ABS Pilates is here for you to help you develop the ideal program for you….so reach out to me and I would be happy to help you plan your exercise routine.

 

ABS Pilates is located in Sunbury, Ohio. It services the Sunbury, New Albany, Gahanna, Westerville, Johnstown and Columbus areas.

ABS Pilates offers in-studio Mat and Equipment-based Pilates for all levels of fitness.

ABS Pilates offers Online Mat Pilates for all levels of fitness.

All classes are taught by Amanda B. Smith, licensed physical therapist and certified Pilates instructor with more than 30 years of experience.

Don’t Delay….Let me help today!