Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Wrist pain when doing planks: the wrist bent back, forearm planks, fists, handles and swaps

Wrist pain when you do planks usually comes from holding a big share of your weight on a wrist bent back close to the end of its range, a position few wrists meet in daily life. Where it hurts is the best clue: a dull ache across both wrists is usually load they aren't used to yet, a sharp pain in the middle of the back of the wrist at the end of the bend points to a pinched joint lining or a small hidden ganglion, the little-finger side in a side plank to the cartilage cushion there, and tingling in your fingers to a nerve. A forearm plank takes the bend out entirely, and it's the version the core muscle studies used; fists, handles or a bench help too. No study has counted plank wrist pain or tested a fix for it, so this guide says where each piece of advice comes from.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from accident and emergency (A&E) for a wrist that is out of shape, numb or cold after a fall, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for pain at the base of the thumb after a fall on your hand, a hot, swollen wrist with a high temperature, or lost feeling in your hand. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the lab studies of hand position show, and don't, shows how to change your plank today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from forearm planks back to side planks on your hand.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 50 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the wrist, thumb or a finger has changed shape, is at an odd angle, or has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Same day (NHS 111): severe wrist pain; you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain, or you feel unwell, hot, cold or shivery; you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise when you hurt it; you can't move your wrist or hold things; your wrist has changed shape or colour; a lump on your wrist is very painful, hot or red (redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin); or you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand. These might be signs of a broken wrist or an infection.
Same day (NHS 111, an urgent treatment centre or an urgent GP appointment): a wrist or hand injury that is very painful, getting worse, very swollen or bruised, stiff, or that you can't use. It may be broken. Get the same help if you also have a very high temperature, or feel hot, cold or shivery: this could be an infection.
Same day: after a fall onto an outstretched hand, pain or tenderness at the base of the thumb on the back of the wrist (the hollow called the snuffbox), even if the wrist moves well or the first X-ray was normal. A broken scaphoid can hide on the first X-ray and is slow to heal if it's missed, so ask what follow-up is planned.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): sudden, severe pain in one joint, with swelling, a change in skin colour or difficulty moving it, especially if you feel unwell, hot, cold or shivery or have a high temperature (although not everyone has one). It could be an infection in the joint, gout or calcium crystals (pseudogout), and only a sample of fluid from the joint can tell them apart.
Call 999 or go to A&E: sudden, severe pain in a muscle of the forearm or hand, which may be worse when you stretch it, with swelling, numbness, weakness or pins and needles, or tightness or difficulty moving the fingers. This can be acute compartment syndrome, which needs surgery as soon as possible. It usually follows an injury, a crush, or a cast or bandage that is too tight. Do not drive yourself to A&E.
Same day: you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand.
Contact your GP practice urgently (or NHS 111 if it's closed): clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms that is getting worse.
Same day: both hands numb or clumsy (dropping things, trouble with buttons or handwriting), especially with unsteady walking or falls. Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck can do this, and it is often first mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Call 999, even if it passes: sudden weakness or numbness in one arm, with a drooping face or slurred speech. These are signs of a stroke.
Call 999: chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw. It could be a heart attack.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home, getting worse, keeps coming back, or stopping you doing normal activities. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy.
Any tingling or loss of feeling in the hand or wrist.
Carpal tunnel symptoms that are getting worse, not going away, or not helped by treatment at home; sooner if the thumb is weak or the muscle at the base of the thumb looks thinner.
Constant numbness in the ring and little fingers, a weak or clumsy hand, or visible wasting of the muscle between the thumb and index finger. Ask about referral: one NHS referral guide treats permanent numbness or wasting as urgent.
See a GP if your wrist is painful, warm, swollen and stiff, or you have wrist pain and also feel unwell with a high temperature.
The wrist feels unstable or weak, or clicks with pain: see a GP or physiotherapist. It may need a hand specialist to check it.
A deep ache in the middle of the back of the wrist that keeps coming back when you load it, often with a weaker grip, even if an X-ray was normal: see a GP or physiotherapist and ask whether a scan is needed. A hidden ganglion or, rarely, Kienböck's disease (loss of blood supply to a wrist bone) can be missed on early X-rays.
A fall on the hand more than about 4 weeks ago that still hurts at the base of the thumb, and was never X-rayed or put in a splint: get it checked. UK hand surgeons ask for a scan and may advise an operation after a delay of more than 4 weeks.
A teenager whose wrist still hurts the day after lifting, cleans, handstands or push-ups, or whose wrist is swollen: stop putting weight through the hands and see a GP or sports doctor. In growing athletes it can be a stress injury of the growth plate.
A lump that gets bigger, is hard or doesn't move.
Swollen, stiff joints in several fingers or both hands, with morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer suspected rheumatoid arthritis urgently when the small joints of the hands or feet, or more than one joint, are affected, even if blood tests are normal.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Both wrists, a dull ache across the back during the hold that settles within minutes, fine on your forearms

Usually load your wrists aren't used to yet (our reading). A forearm plank, fists or a bench, then building back up, usually help.

The middle of the back of the wrist, sharp at the very end of the bend, tender just beyond the bony bump on the back of the forearm bone

Often the joint lining being pinched or a small hidden ganglion, the commonest findings in one MRI study of people with this pain. X-rays are usually normal.

Read: Wrist pain bending back →The back of the wrist with a painful click, clunk or grind under load, or a weaker grip, often after a fall on a bent-back wrist

Possibly the ligament between two of the wrist bones (the scapholunate ligament): get it checked rather than just changing your grip.

Read: Wrist sprain or fracture →The little-finger side, worse in a side plank on your hand, turning your forearm or gripping hard, sometimes clicking

Often the cartilage cushion there (the triangular fibrocartilage complex, or TFCC) or the tendon beside it. Side planks on the forearm for now; most settle without surgery.

Read: TFCC tear →The thumb side at the base of the thumb, worse lifting the thumb or gripping, sometimes swollen

Often de Quervain's tenosynovitis, which hurts with thumb movements more than with the wrist bent back.

Read: De Quervain's tenosynovitis →The base of the thumb on the back of the wrist after a fall on your hand, tender in the hollow there

A possible broken scaphoid, which can hide on the first X-ray: get it checked the same day, even if the wrist moves well.

Read: Scaphoid fracture →A smooth lump on the back of the wrist that aches at the end of the bend

Often a ganglion, which is harmless and often goes on its own.

Read: Ganglion cyst →Tingling or numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, in the plank or at night

Carpal tunnel syndrome: a nerve, not a strain. A straighter wrist helps; tingling that lasts needs a GP.

Read: Carpal tunnel syndrome →Tingling in the ring and little fingers

Usually the ulnar nerve at the elbow or the wrist.

Read: Ulnar nerve entrapment →A deep central ache that keeps coming back when you load the wrist, with a weaker grip

Rarely Kienböck's disease, which early X-rays can miss: see a GP.

Read: Kienböck's disease →A child's or teenager's wrist, sore the day after handstands, planks or push-ups

Possibly a stress injury of the growth plate: no weight through the hands while it's sore, and get it checked.

Read: Gymnast's wrist →The same wrist ache in push-ups, downward dog or other yoga poses

Our push-ups and yoga wrist guide covers those positions.

Read: Wrist pain in push-ups and yoga →The point of the elbow on a hard floor, in forearm planks

Often a sore, swollen bursa from pressure: pad your elbows on a mat. Our elbow bursitis guide covers pain that lasts.

Read: Elbow bursitis →The shoulder rather than the wrist

Usually the rotator cuff or the joint at the end of the collarbone.

Read: Shoulder pain in push-ups →Several swollen, warm joints in both hands, with morning stiffness over 30 minutes

Possibly an inflammatory arthritis, which needs an urgent referral: see the warning signs.

Read: Wrist and hand pain →

Understand it

What a plank asks of the wrist, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

In a high (straight-arm) plank your hands sit under your shoulders with the wrists bent back close to the end of their range, and they hold that position while carrying a large share of your weight. Nobody has measured the plank itself. The nearest figures are from push-ups: the hands took a peak of about 64% of body mass in a regular push-up, 49% from the knees and 41% to 55% with the hands raised on a box (23 adults). Those are peak forces while moving, not a plank hold, and the top of a push-up, the plank position, carries less than the bottom. In 10 yoga practitioners, a floor pose bent the wrist back about 85 degrees; the often-quoted 90 degrees in a plank has never been measured.

Cadaver and lab studies show where the load goes when the wrist is bent back: in 8 donated wrists, pressure rose on the thumb side of the joint and moved towards the back of the wrist, compared with a knuckle position, and most of the load passed through the radius, the forearm bone on the thumb side; in 14 volunteers, force ran further towards the back and the little-finger side of the wrist. That explains why a wrist that is fine all day can complain in a plank. That this is the usual cause of plank wrist pain is our reading, since no study has counted it.

Sources 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Where it hurts, and what it often isEmerging evidence

The one study that names the plank position looked at people referred to hand surgeons with pain at the back of the wrist when they loaded it bent back, in push-ups, planks, yoga or Pilates. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found a cause at the back of the wrist in 84%, most often a small ganglion you can't see or feel (76%), then partial tears of the scapholunate ligament. It was read as an abstract, its numbers of people weren't given, and these were referred patients, so it shows a common pattern, not how often each cause happens in everyone who planks.

Pain in the middle of the back of the wrist that is worse at the end of the bend, with normal X-rays, can also be the joint lining being pinched; in 231 people who had surgery for it, 77% had pain brought on by bending the wrist back. The little-finger side points to the cartilage cushion there or the tendon beside it, and a clinician presses a soft spot just beyond the end of the ulna to check (the ulnar fovea sign). The thumb side points to de Quervain's, which hurts lifting the thumb and gripping. Tingling in the thumb and first fingers is carpal tunnel syndrome. A smooth lump is usually a ganglion, which UK hand surgeons call harmless.

Sources 1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23

How common it is, and who gets itMixed evidence

Wrist pain is common wherever the hands bear a lot of weight: about half of adolescent gymnasts (53%, across 9 studies, low certainty), 56.7% of 321 adults who practise handstands (a self-selected online survey) and 20.4% of 270 CrossFit athletes, who reported a hand or wrist injury at some point, three quarters of them at the wrist. In young gymnasts, wrist pain went with more training hours and intensity. None of these studies looks at planks on their own.

It tends to bother people new to planks or adding long holds quickly, people who train a lot on their hands, and people whose wrists are already sore from typing, lifting or an old fall (our reading).

Sources 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

Not at first for a gradual ache without warning signs: the NHS starts with looking after it at home and a GP if it hasn't improved after 2 weeks. After a fall on the hand, it can be hard to tell a broken wrist from a bad sprain, and the NHS says you'll probably need an X-ray, with follow-up if the base of the thumb is tender: with follow-up if the base of the thumb is tender: across 8 studies of 1,685 wrist injuries with a normal first X-ray, 9.0% turned out to have a hidden scaphoid fracture, and no single sign ruled one out. MRI is the most accurate follow-up test.

For a central ache at the back of the wrist that keeps coming back, MRI can show a hidden ganglion, a partial ligament tear or, rarely, Kienböck's disease. But in a pinched joint lining, MRI matched what surgeons found poorly, so a scan matters most when an injection or surgery is being considered. Tingling that lasts needs a GP, who may arrange nerve tests.

Sources 37, 38, 19, 20, 18, 1, 13, 12

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows plank wrist pain. Arthritis UK says most hand and wrist pain isn't a sign of a serious or long-term problem and settles in a few days or weeks with simple self-care. NHS inform says new wrist pain "should begin to settle within 6 weeks"; an NHS trust leaflet says most soft tissue wrist injuries improve a lot within 6 weeks, "although some injuries may take up to 3 months or longer"; and a pinched joint lining usually settles over 2 to 3 months once the load changes, in hand surgeons' experience.

In young gymnasts who kept training unchanged, 89% of those with wrist pain still had it a year later, and among people who saw a GP with any new hand or wrist problem, 42% were fully better at a year and more than half still had some symptoms. That argues for changing the load early rather than waiting. No one can promise a date.

Sources 39, 42, 24, 12, 26, 48

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

The forearm plank keeps the core trainingStrong evidence

The front and side planks measured in the core muscle research were done on the forearms: a review of 67 studies defines its front plank on the forearms, and a study of 30 adults used a prone bridge on the elbows and toes, with a side bridge. So a forearm plank is the studied exercise, not a lesser one. The one direct comparison of forearm and high planks measured the shoulder and arm only: the high plank worked the triceps and lower trapezius harder in 21 men. No study has compared the core muscles between the two. If a forearm plank feels too easy, an unstable surface or a longer lever raises the challenge without going back onto your hands.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Fists, handles and a bench: lab mechanics, with trade-offsEmerging evidence

Keeping the wrist straight with fists, push-up handles or hexagonal dumbbells lowered pressure in the wrist joint in cadavers and sent force through it more evenly in volunteers. There are trade-offs: a straight wrist moved load from the elbow to the shoulder in 14 men; in 6 donated wrists with a torn scapholunate ligament, the straight position opened the gap between the injured bones more; and one soldier's daily knuckle push-ups caused stress fractures in his hand. None of these studies measured pain, so fists and handles are a comfort swap, not a treatment, and a clicking wrist after a fall needs checking first.

Putting your hands on a bench lowers the load: in push-ups, hands raised on a box took 41% to 55% of body mass against 64% on the floor, and the knees-down position 49%.

Sources 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2

Warm-ups, braces and tape: little to go onMixed evidence

In the survey of 321 handstand practitioners, warm-ups, braces and grip devices such as blocks and parallettes weren't linked with less chronic wrist pain, though a survey can't show cause either way. A gel-padded brace eased gymnasts' pain by about half over 3 weeks, in a study with no comparison group, and rigid wrist tape with weight-bearing movement beat placebo tape by 18 points out of 100 after 1 week in 30 people. They are reasonable to try for comfort; none is proven to treat or prevent plank wrist pain.

Sources 28, 35, 36

Forearm strength helps; the evidence is smallEmerging evidence

No trial has tested exercise for plank wrist pain. In 31 adults with long-lasting wrist pain and no clear cause, 4 weeks of grip and wrist strengthening, twice a week, cut pain from 4.23 to 1.87 out of 10 and raised grip from 27.0 to 35.4 kg, against passive treatment. In 169 adults with hypermobility and hand pain, wrist stabilising exercise did as well as a splint, and both groups improved. Across 12 small studies, the evidence for exercise in wrist tendon problems is limited.

So the plan borrows NHS hand-therapy programmes, as our other wrist guides do: NHS inform's pacing, Cambridge's pain-free still holds for an irritable tendon, and the Oxford wrist booklet's strengthening and its steps for bringing weight back through the hand (written for after a broken wrist; borrowed here).

Sources 45, 46, 47, 43, 40, 44

Splints, injections and specialist care for the named causesEmerging evidence

For a pinched joint lining at the back of the wrist, hand surgeons say most settle with 2 to 3 months of rest from the load that brings it on, a splint and anti-inflammatories, and an injection gave about 70% pain relief for several weeks in their experience; keyhole surgery is for the few that don't settle. For de Quervain's, a thumb-and-wrist splint and a steroid injection, which relieves the pain in about 70%, UK hand surgeons say. A ganglion can safely be left alone; when soldiers had one removed, their push-up scores 6 months later were no different from before surgery, and their pain eased. For little-finger-side pain, splinting then strengthening helped in one programme without a comparison group, and none of those who completed it needed surgery within a year. For carpal tunnel syndrome, a splint for up to 6 weeks. These come from reviews, specialist pages and small series, mostly not about planks.

Sources 12, 13, 16, 22, 49, 15, 21

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to 5 out of 10, settled within half an hour, and lower on the little-finger sideEmerging evidence

This guide uses the wrist hub's rule, as our push-up, lifting and front squat wrist guides do. Some discomfort during these exercises is fine and doesn't mean you are doing damage. Keep it to about 5 out of 10 or less. It should settle within half an hour or so, and your hand should be no worse the next morning. If it is, do fewer, smaller or lighter next time, not nothing. An NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet uses the same limit: an unpleasant stretch of about 5 out of 10 that settles within 30 minutes. NHS inform's wrist exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive), with pain no worse the next morning, and the NHS says resting a repetitive strain for more than a few days makes the area weaker and less flexible. In long-lasting pain, exercise into some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise (7 trials, 385 people, none in the wrist).

On the little-finger side, keep it lower, about 3 out of 10, as our TFCC tear and front squat wrist guides do. For an irritable tendon in the first days, keep still holds pain-free and halve the effort if they hurt, as a Cambridge NHS hand-therapy leaflet advises.

For planks (our suggestion, built on the same rule): judge the hold by your wrist, not your core. Choose the support (forearms, fists, handles, a bench or flat hands) and the hold time where the wrist stays at 5 out of 10 or less (3 on the little-finger side), settles within half an hour and is no worse the next morning, and end the hold when the ache starts to build. Tingling or numbness, a painful click or clunk, swelling, or pain after a fall isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs. A child's or teenager's sore growth plate gets no pain allowance: no weight through the hands while it hurts.

Sources 43, 41, 40, 44, 50

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Take the bend out of the wrist, keep planking

About weeks 0 to 2, planks 2 or 3 times a week and wrist movement daily: keep training your core with no weight through a bent-back wrist, keep the wrist and forearm moving, and start still holds for a sore tendon. With a diagnosed condition (a TFCC tear, de Quervain's, a broken scaphoid or wrist, gymnast's wrist, a ganglion, carpal tunnel syndrome, Kienböck's disease), that guide's plan comes first; after a fracture or surgery, your team's plan does.

Forearm plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoForearm plankIntermediate · No equipment

3 holds of 20 to 45 s, ending each hold when your hips start to sag · Our plank challenge workout's dose (editorial). Elbows padded on a mat

Easier: Stomach vacuum (drawing-in) · Harder: Plank walk-up

Knee side plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKnee side plankBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 holds of 15 to 30 s each side, on the forearm · Our plank challenge workout's dose (editorial)

Harder: Side plank

3D demoDead bugBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 6 to 8 each side · As in our sit-ups guides (editorial): core work with your hands free

Easier: Dead bug heel taps · Harder: Forearm plank

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

2 or 3 slow reps of each movement at a time, every hour or so, adding 1 or 2 every few days, then sets of 8 · NHS inform's pacing for hand exercises, as in our wrist lifting and front squat guides

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Reverse wrist curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

If the back or little-finger side is sore: 5 holds of 30 to 45 s, once a day, palm down, wrist level, forearm supported · As in our wrist lifting and front squat guides (editorial): pain-free still holds first, halving the effort if they hurt, as a Cambridge NHS leaflet advises

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Forearm planks pass the pain rule, gripping a cup or a bag and pushing up from a chair are comfortable, and your wrist is no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Weight back through the hands, step by step

About weeks 2 to 6: forearm strength in every direction, and weight back through a bent-back wrist the way NHS wrist programmes bring it back.

Wall push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall

First as holds: hands flat on a table, then a wall, leaning 5 to 10 s with about a quarter, then a half, three-quarters and all of the weight you can put through them; then 2 to 3 sets of 10 push-ups · The Oxford NHS wrist booklet's weight-bearing steps, then our push-up wrist guide's dose (editorial), as in our front squat wrist guide

Harder: Push-up

Quadruped wrist rocks demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoQuadruped wrist rocksBeginner · No equipment

10 slow rocks in each of 4 hand positions, leaning in only as far as the pain rule allows · As in our push-up wrist guide (editorial); the floor step of the Oxford booklet

Easier: Wrist flexor stretch

Wrist curls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

10 slow reps, holding each for a count of 5, with a weight that tires the wrist by the tenth; building to 3 sets of 10, every other day · The Oxford NHS wrist booklet's dose, written for after a broken wrist (borrowed)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

The same: 10 slow reps with a 5-count hold, building to 3 sets of 10, every other day · The Oxford booklet's dose (borrowed)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Dumbbell forearm rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell forearm rotationBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 sets of 10 · As in our push-up wrist guide (editorial)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Incline push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoIncline push-upBeginner · A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, with a 20 to 30 s high plank hold at the top before each set · Our push-up wrist guide's dose; the hold is editorial. Hands on a bench or worktop lower the load on them

Easier: Wall push-up · Harder: Push-up

Move on when: 3 sets of 10 wrist bends both ways pass the pain rule, full weight through flat hands on a table or wall is comfortable, quadruped rocks pass on the floor, and your wrist is fine the next morning, for a week (editorial, from the Oxford progression).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to high planks and side planks on your hands

From about weeks 4 to 6, often later: your usual planks back one change at a time, from fists or handles to flat hands, then longer holds, then side planks on your hand. No study has tested a return to planks after wrist pain, so the order is editorial; the written steps below bring back yoga, classes, handstands and daily life.

Straight-arm plank (high plank) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStraight-arm plank (high plank)Intermediate · No equipment

3 holds of 15 to 30 s, on fists or handles first, then flat hands · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point); the move page says use fists or the forearm plank if your wrists hurt

Easier: Knee hover (Pilates tabletop hover) · Harder: Leg pull front (Pilates leg pull down)

Side plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment

3 holds of 20 to 30 s each side on the forearm; last, the same holds with your hand flat under your shoulder · Editorial. With little-finger-side pain, stay on the forearm (our push-up wrist guide)

Easier: Knee side plank · Harder: Side plank with leg lift

Plank walk-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoPlank walk-upAdvanced · No equipment

3 sets of 6 to 10, swapping the leading arm · Our plank challenge workout's dose (editorial)

Easier: Forearm plank · Harder: V-sit

Bear crawl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBear crawlIntermediate · No equipment

4 crawls of 8 to 10 metres, forwards and back, resting as needed · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point)

Easier: Knee hover (Pilates tabletop hover) · Harder: Spider crawl (low push-up knee drive)

3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 6 to 10, fists or handles first, then flat hands · As in our push-up wrist guide (editorial)

Easier: Wall push-up · Harder: Close-grip push-up (close triceps position)

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 sets of 10 to 15, twice a week, with wrist curls the same, kept up for a few months · Editorial, as our wrist guides keep forearm work going

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Your usual plank sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. If a session flares it, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your plank for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show where the weight sits in your hand. No trial has tested these changes for wrist pain; each step names its source or says it's our suggestion.

1. Forearms: a forearm plank takes the bend out of the wrist, and it's the version the core muscle studies measured.
2. Fists, push-up handles or hexagonal dumbbells keep the wrist straighter (lab and cadaver studies). Pad your knuckles and build up gradually, and expect a little more work for your shoulders.
3. A clicking or clunking wrist after a fall: get it checked before switching to fists, because the straight position may load an injured ligament more (a cadaver study).
4. Hands on a bench or worktop, or knees down, to lower the load on your hands (a push-up lab study).
5. Side planks on the forearm, especially with little-finger-side pain (our push-up wrist guide).
6. Shorter holds spread through the week, ending each hold when the wrist starts to ache rather than at failure (our suggestion; in young gymnasts, more training went with more wrist pain).
7. Hand position: hands under your shoulders, fingers spread, pressing the floor away through the base of your fingers rather than sinking into the heel of your hand, with the fingers turned out a little if the wrist feels pinched (coaching advice, not tested).
8. Warm-ups, braces and blocks: try them for comfort if you like; in a survey of handstand practitioners, none was linked with less wrist pain.

Sources 30, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2, 27, 28

Today: what the NHS suggests (written steps)

These come from the NHS and NHS inform.

1. Rest your wrist when you can, and stop or cut down the activities that cause the pain (the NHS).
2. An ice pack, or a bag of frozen peas, in a towel on your wrist for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours (the NHS).
3. Keep your hands and wrists moving with gentle exercises, and wear a splint at night if it helps (the NHS).
4. Don't rest a repetitive strain for more than a few days, because the area becomes weaker and less flexible (the NHS).
5. In the first day or two, move the area gently for 10 to 20 seconds every hour, then use your hand more, and avoid sports or heavy lifting until you have less discomfort and good movement (NHS inform).

Sources 37, 41, 39

Back to yoga, classes and daily life (written steps)

No study has tested how planks come back after wrist pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. Yoga: dolphin pose and forearm versions for now; downward dog, chaturanga and arm balances come back after high planks on flat hands pass the pain rule (our push-up wrist guide's order).
2. Classes and circuits: forearm planks, and fists or handles for push-ups and mountain climbers, until stage 3 is comfortable; burpees last, because every rep lands on your hands.
3. Handstands, crow and calisthenics skills: last, over padding, in short attempts. In growing athletes, no weight through a sore wrist: a growth plate stress injury is a known problem in young gymnasts.
4. Daily life: push up from a chair on your fists or the arms of the chair if a flat hand hurts, kneel on your forearms or a low stool for gardening and floor jobs, and carry shopping with your wrist straight. The NHS says keep your hands and wrists moving.
5. Keep forearm work twice a week for a few months, and build plank time over weeks, not days.

Sources 37, 25

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
High planks on flat hands while the wrist is sore	A big share of your weight on a wrist bent near the end of its range, with pressure moving to the back of the wrist in a cadaver study.	A forearm plank, then fists or handles.Try: Forearm plank
Side plank on your hand, or a push-up to side plank, with little-finger-side pain	It leans on a wrist bent towards the little finger, and the move page says leave it out with wrist pain.	Side plank on the forearm.Try: Side plank
Long holds to failure	The ache builds with time under load, and in young gymnasts more training went with more wrist pain.	Shorter holds and more sets, ending each when the wrist starts to ache.
Sinking into the heel of your hand with your shoulders behind your wrists	It bends the wrist back further (coaching advice, not tested).	Shoulders over wrists, pressing the floor away through the base of your fingers.
Knuckle push-ups and planks every day on a hard floor	Daily knuckle push-ups caused hand stress fractures in one soldier.	Pad your knuckles, or use handles or hexagonal dumbbells, and build up gradually.
Switching to fists when your wrist clicks or clunks after a fall	In a cadaver study, the straight position opened the gap at an injured scapholunate ligament more.	Get it checked first; forearm planks meanwhile.Try: Forearm plank
Downward dog, chaturanga, crow and handstands while it hurts	More time near the end of the wrist's bend (our reading).	Dolphin pose, on the forearms; they come back last.Try: Dolphin pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)
Reverse planks with your fingers pointing back	The wrist bends back under load the other way (our reading).	Turn your fingers out to the sides, or a glute bridge instead.Try: Glute bridge
Kneeling wrist stretches with your body weight	The move page says skip it with a recent injury or carpal tunnel symptoms.	The wrist flexor stretch against a wall.Try: Wrist flexor stretch
Training through tingling in your fingers	That is a nerve, not a strain, and the pressure in the carpal tunnel rises with the wrist bent back.	A forearm plank, and see a GP if it lasts.Try: Forearm plank
Resting your wrist completely for weeks	The NHS says resting a repetitive strain for more than a few days makes the area weaker and less flexible.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Wrist & forearm flow
Training through pain at the base of the thumb after a fall	A broken scaphoid can hide on the first X-ray.	Stop and get it checked the same day.

Routines to follow

Plank challenge workout

A 12-minute plank session for the 30-day plank challenge: front planks that get harder, not longer, plus side planks and bird dogs for the whole trunk.

12 minBeginner12 movesNo equipment

Wrist and forearm routine

Wrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbell

Yoga for wrists: a 20-minute class that warms, strengthens and slowly loads the wrists

A 20-minute yoga class for wrists: a gentle warm-up, poses with the hands free, then weight through the hands in stages, from a wall to all fours to the forearms.

20 minBeginner18 movesA wall, Other / check instructions

Beginner core workout

A 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.

15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipment

Push-up progression workout

Work up to full push-ups: wall, incline and knee push-ups, then the floor push-up and harder variations.

15 minBeginner8 movesA wall, A bench or box

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why do my wrists hurt when I plank?

A high plank holds a big share of your weight on a wrist bent back close to the end of its range. In push-ups the hands take a peak of about two thirds of body mass, and in a cadaver study the bent-back position moved the pressure to the back of the wrist. Most of it is load your wrist isn't used to yet, so change the position first and build back up.

Should I do forearm planks instead?

Yes, while your wrist is sore. The forearm plank keeps your wrist straight, and it's the version the core muscle studies used; you give up some arm and shoulder work, not core work as far as anyone has measured.

Can I plank on my fists or use push-up handles?

Yes, they keep the wrist straighter, which lowered joint pressure in lab studies. Pad your knuckles and build up gradually, and if your wrist clicks or clunks after a fall, get it checked first.

Why does my wrist hurt in a side plank?

On your hand, one wrist takes the whole upper-body share, often bent towards the little finger. Pain on the little-finger side can come from the cartilage cushion or a tendon there, so do side planks on your forearm for now.

What does pain on the top of my wrist in a plank mean?

A sharp pain in the middle of the back of the wrist at the end of the bend is often a pinched joint lining or a small hidden ganglion, the commonest findings in one MRI study of people with this pain. It usually settles over 2 to 3 months once you change the load. A painful click or a weaker grip needs checking.

How do I plank without hurting my wrists?

Use your forearms, fists or handles, or put your hands on a bench; keep holds short and stop when the ache builds; and build back with the stages on this page. In push-ups, hands raised on a box cut the load on them from about 64% to 41% to 55% of body mass.

Do wrist warm-ups or wraps help?

They may feel better, but in 321 handstand practitioners, warm-ups, braces and grip blocks weren't linked with less wrist pain. Strength work had better support in a small trial.

Should I stop planking?

Change it rather than stop. Forearm planks and side planks on the forearm keep your core training while your wrist settles, and the NHS says keep your hands and wrists moving.

Could my wrist be broken?

After a fall on your hand, pain at the base of the thumb needs checking the same day, even if the wrist moves well: about 1 in 11 such wrists with a normal first X-ray had a hidden scaphoid fracture. A wrist that is out of shape, numb or cold needs 999 or A&E.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not at first: the NHS starts with looking after it at home and a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks. A fall, a central ache that keeps coming back, or a wrist that clicks or feels unstable are the exceptions.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. NHS inform says new wrist pain should begin to settle within 6 weeks, and an NHS trust says some soft tissue injuries take 3 months or longer.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 or go to A&E for a wrist that is out of shape, numb, white or cold after an injury. Get a same-day check for pain at the base of the thumb after a fall, a hot, swollen wrist with a high temperature, or lost feeling in your hand, and see a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks or you have tingling. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.