Training guide
Your wrist has no muscles of its own: the muscles in your forearm move it, bending it forward and back, turning your palm up and down, and gripping. Strengthening your wrists means training those muscles, your grip, and your wrists' tolerance for taking weight, as in push-ups, planks and handstands. Two or three short sessions a week cover all three.
In small trials, adding wrist and forearm work built more wrist strength than general lifting alone, and grip rose by about 9 to 14% in 8 weeks. This guide covers the muscles, the evidence, the wrist strengthening exercises with doses, how to build up to push-ups, yoga and handstands, boxing and racket sports, straps and wraps, how long it takes, and when wrist pain needs its own plan first.
The flexors on the palm side and the extensors on the back of your forearm bend the wrist, the forearm turns it, and the finger muscles grip. Strengthening your wrists means three things: forearm strength, grip, and getting used to weight through your hands.
Teenage baseball players who added wrist and forearm exercises to the same 12-week programme gained more wrist and forearm strength, though not more grip. A forearm block raised grip by 12 to 14% in 8 weeks in inactive young men. The trials are small and short.
A bent-back wrist under load raised pressure in the joint in a cadaver study, and loaded the ligaments more in volunteers. Build weight through your hands in stages, and use fists or handles while you build up.
Wrist curls palms up and palms down, 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15, light and slow, as our wrist curl guide says; forearm rotations, a carry, and the weight-through-the-hands ladder if you do push-ups, yoga or handstands.
Each 5 kg lower grip went with about a 16% higher risk of death in large studies. That's a link, and no trial has shown that training your grip changes it. Train it for what it lets you do.
For carpal tunnel syndrome, exercise has only very low-certainty evidence and doesn't improve long-term outcomes. After a fall, a tender spot at the base of the thumb or numb fingers, see the warning signs below.
The wrist joins the two forearm bones to eight small wrist bones. It bends forward and back, tips side to side and, with the forearm, turns palm up and palm down, as our wrist and hand page explains.
No muscle sits in the wrist itself. The wrist flexors start at the inner elbow, on the palm side, and the wrist extensors at the outer elbow, on the back of the forearm. The finger flexors and extensors cross the wrist to the fingers, so gripping works the wrist too. Our forearm flexors and forearm extensors pages have the anatomy.
Forearm strength: bending the wrist both ways, turning the forearm and tipping the hand side to side. Grip: crushing, holding on and pinching, as our grip strength guide describes them. And load tolerance: taking your weight through a wrist bent back to about a right angle, as in push-ups, planks, yoga and handstands, which is built in stages rather than by curls alone (our reading of the wrist programmes).
In 49,964 people in Britain, grip peaked at a median of 51 kg in men aged 29 to 39 and 31 kg in women aged 26 to 42, held until midlife and then declined. By 80, 23% of men and 27% of women had weak grip.
Source 10
Hand-focused training raised grip more in older adults than in younger ones. Growing gymnasts have a growth plate at the wrist that hand loading can injure (see the warning signs). If you're heavier, push-ups and planks put more load through your hands, so start higher on the ladder below (our suggestion). With loose joints, our exercise for hypermobility guide covers the same graded approach.
Source 11
Most trials here are small and short, in young adults, athletes or older women. We found no trial of wrist strengthening to prevent wrist injuries.
In 43 high school baseball players on the same 12-week, 3-day lifting programme, the group that added wrist and forearm exercises gained more in every wrist and forearm strength measure except grip. In 30 amateur table tennis players, 6 weeks of home wrist work with a water-filled bucket raised wrist flexor and extensor strength, but not grip or stroke performance.
In 13 people, holding a wrist extension at 70% of their maximum, 30 times a session, 5 days a week for 8 weeks, raised wrist extension force and grip on the trained side, and in 23 adults, training one wrist raised strength in both.
In 16 students with one forearm in a cast for 4 weeks, maximal lowering (eccentric) wrist flexion on a machine called a dynamometer, 3 times a week, raised the trained arm's wrist flexor strength by 30.8% (against a 7.4% loss without training) and muscle thickness by 7.1% (against a 3.7% loss). It also limited the casted arm's strength loss to 2.4%, against 21.6%. That ordinary dumbbell wrist curls do the same is our inference; no trial has tested it.
Source 2
Across 22 trials of 1,017 healthy adults, hand-focused training raised grip by a small to moderate amount, more in older adults, though nearly half the trials were at high risk of bias. In 36 women over 65, balls and grippers twice a week for 8 weeks (4 to 6 sets of 8 to 15) raised grip by 9 to 10%. In 30 inactive young men, wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, reverse curls and farmer's walks twice a week raised grip by 12 to 14%.
Across 24 trials of 3,018 older adults, general exercise programmes raised grip by a small amount.
Source 16
In 139,691 adults in 17 countries, each 5 kg lower grip went with a 16% higher risk of death over about 4 years, but not with falls or fractures. In 502,293 UK Biobank adults, the figures were 20% for women and 16% for men, and the authors warn the link may not be cause and effect. We found no trial in which training grip changed these risks.
In 8 wrists from donors, a push-up with the wrist bent back raised peak pressure where the scaphoid (the small bone at the base of the thumb side) meets the forearm, against a knuckle push-up. In 14 volunteers, the researchers judged push-ups on a straight wrist likely safer, because the ligaments take more load when the wrist is bent right back. These are lab studies, not trials in people with pain.
Pooled across 9 studies, about half of adolescent artistic gymnasts (53%) had wrist pain, more with more training hours. In a survey of 321 adult handstand practitioners, 56.7% reported chronic wrist pain, and wearing braces or grip devices wasn't linked with less of it. In 181 calisthenics athletes, wrists were 15% of injured body parts.
Professional golfers had 3.33 times the lifetime rate of hand and wrist injury of amateurs. In elite boxers, hand and wrist injuries happened at a far higher rate in competition than in training. In tennis, wrist risk factors have barely been studied. Across 55 studies of preventing arm and hand injuries in women and girls, only shoulder programmes could be pooled, and only 3 studies looked at the wrist or hand.
A Cochrane review of 16 trials found only limited, very low-quality evidence for exercise and mobilisation. Across 22 trials, nerve glides eased pain and function a little in the short term, on very low certainty, with no effect on grip. A US surgeons' guideline lists exercise among treatments that don't improve long-term outcomes. The NHS says there's a small amount of evidence that hand exercises help, and advises cutting down on frequent wrist bending and hard gripping.
For hand osteoarthritis, exercise eased pain by about half a point out of 10, and the gains had faded at later follow-up. For tennis elbow, exercise beat passive treatments across 30 trials, but the effect was small. After a broken wrist, home exercise after instruction did about as well as routine therapy, though the evidence is thin.
Lifting straps reduced grip fatigue and allowed more deadlift reps in single sessions, and a 2026 review found no evidence either way on long-term effects. Wrist wraps didn't change grip strength in 54 CrossFit athletes or bench press strength in 18 trained lifters, who felt more stable in them. We found no study of straps or wraps causing weakness.
On days apart, as our grip strength guide suggests. Our wrist and hand pain guide's strength stage uses every other day.
Two or 3 sets of 12 to 15, lowering slowly, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, as our wrist curl guide says. Start very light: a tin of beans is enough, as our wrist pain guide puts it. Reverse wrist curls (palms down) need a lighter weight.
Forearm rotations, 2 sets of 10 each way, and hammer curls, 2 or 3 sets of 10, as in our wrist pain guide's last stage. Side-to-side wrist work has no move on our 3D figure yet: the hammer curl and the wrist roller are the nearest.
Ball squeezes, 10 with 5-second holds, building towards 4 to 6 sets of 8 to 15 as in the older women's trial; band finger extensions, 15 reps; farmer's carries, 3 walks of 20 to 30 m; and hangs of 10 to 20 seconds if you need grip for sport or climbing (our wrist pain and grip guides).
Source 15
The last set of small moves like these can go to 0 to 2 reps in reserve (RIR: how many more reps you could have done), with 60 to 90 seconds' rest, as our plans' notes say. Add reps to the top of the range, then the smallest weight step; dumbbell jumps are big for small muscles, so use reps, slower lowering or a longer carry first.
Wrist strength rose within 4 weeks in a small trial, and grip within 8 weeks in two others. Treat 8 weeks as a first block, then keep two short sessions a week going (our suggestion).
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.
Tingling and numbness are different: stop and get advice if an exercise brings them on and they don't fade quickly, or if your grip or thumb gets weaker.
Our editorial order, from our wrist pain guide's stages, our wrist curl guide and our wrist and forearm routine. Our wrist curl guide teaches both curls in full.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Reverse wrist curl
Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls at 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15 (our wrist curl guide), forearm rotations at 2 sets of 10 each way and hammer curls at 2 or 3 sets of 10 (our wrist pain guide). The wrist roller's move page gives 2 or 3 rounds of winding the weight up and lowering it slowly, resting about a minute between.
3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment
3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoDumbbell forearm rotationBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoHammer curlBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoWrist rollerBeginner · Other / check instructions + Weight plates
3D demoZottman curlIntermediate · A dumbbellBall squeezes of 10 with 5-second holds, band finger extensions of 15, farmer's carries of 20 to 30 m and hangs of 10 to 20 seconds (our wrist pain guide and wrist and forearm routine). The plate pinch's move page gives 3 or 4 holds of 10 to 30 seconds with each hand; skip it with a sore thumb base. Our grip strength guide covers grip in full.
3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions
3D demoBand finger extensionBeginner · A band
3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoSuitcase carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoBar hangIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step
3D demoPlate pinchIntermediate · Weight platesPush-ups, planks, downward dog and handstands put your body weight through a wrist bent back to about a right angle. A straighter wrist loaded the joint less in lab studies, so fists, push-up handles or dumbbells are a sensible way in while you build up.
The ladder below is our editorial plan, built from the weight-bearing stages of an NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet (as our wrist pain guide gives them) and those two lab studies. No outcome trial has tested it.
Once the current step passes the wrist and hand pain rule for 2 weeks, as our push-up wrist pain guide sets out. If it's worse, go back a step for a few days.
"Wrist pain in push-ups means weak wrists, so push through it." A push-up with the wrist bent back loaded the wrist more than a straight-wrist position in a cadaver study. Change the position first, then build back up.
Our wrist pain in push-ups guide has the swaps and a staged plan back.
Our editorial ladder, built from an NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet's weight-bearing stages, as our wrist pain and push-up wrist pain guides give them, and two lab studies of push-up wrist position. No outcome trial has tested it. Doses are from those guides.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Quadruped wrist rocks
Use them in this order, one step at a time. The straight-arm plank's move page gives 3 holds of 15 to 30 seconds, and the bear crawl's 4 crawls of 8 to 10 metres, forwards and back, resting as needed. Forearm planks and dolphin pose are the swaps while your wrist is sore.
3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall
3D demoQuadruped wrist rocksBeginner · No equipment
3D demoIncline push-upBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoKnee push-upBeginner · No equipment
3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoStraight-arm plank (high plank)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoBear crawlIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoForearm plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoDolphin pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHalf handstand at the wall (Ardha Adho Mukha Vrksasana)Intermediate · A wall
3D demoWrist flexor stretchBeginner · A wallIn the Great Britain Olympic boxing squad, hand and wrist injuries happened at a far higher rate in competition than in training. Technique, hand wraps and gloves, from your coach, matter most; forearm and grip work twice a week sits alongside. Our boxing page has the rest.
Source 21
Wrist curls both ways, forearm rotations and grip work suit them, but no trial has tested wrist strengthening to prevent their wrist injuries. Professional golfers had 3.33 times the lifetime rate of hand and wrist injury of amateurs.
Wrist pain is common, so build hand loading slowly with the ladder above, and keep the forearm work going. In growing gymnasts, wrist pain that builds with training needs checking (see the warning signs).
Grip and finger strength matter most; our climbing page and grip strength guide cover hangboards and antagonist work.
Straps reduced grip fatigue and allowed more reps in single sessions, and no study has tested whether they weaken grip over time. Use them on your heaviest sets and train your grip on the rest, as our grip strength guide suggests.
Wrist wraps didn't change grip or bench press strength in single sessions, and braces weren't linked with more or less wrist pain in handstand practitioners. They're fine as a short-term aid while you rebuild wrist strength, as our wrist pain in push-ups guide says.
The wrist and forearm routine covers wrist curls both ways, finger extensions and ball squeezes in 10 minutes; the grip strength workout adds rotations, carries and hangs; the forearm workout builds size. Yoga for wrists loads the wrists slowly in a class, and the handstand progression takes you to the wall.
Wrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbellA 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.
20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A bandA 25-minute forearm size workout with dumbbells: hammer, reverse and Zottman curls for the big muscle on the thumb side, then wrist curls and a carry.
25 minBeginner7 movesA dumbbell, A kettlebellA 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 instructionsBuild toward a handstand: wrist prep, dolphin pose, pike push-ups, crow, the wall handstand and freestanding holds.
25 minAdvanced9 movesA wallA 45-minute strength and power workout for boxers: jumps and chest throws, squats and single-leg hinges, push-ups, rows, rotator cuff, carries and grip.
45 minIntermediate18 movesA band, Medicine ballA 30-minute antagonist workout for climbers: push-ups and presses, band rotations, Y-T-W raises and face pulls, wrist and finger extensions, and a side plank.
30 minBeginner13 movesA band, A dumbbellPlans that load your hands along the way: push-ups, carries and swings.
A 12-week calisthenics plan for beginners: three bodyweight sessions a week with push-up, pull-up, squat and dip ladders, and a bar if you have one.
3 training days40 minBeginner3 days a weekA free 30-day push-up challenge, from wall to archer push-ups: 3 short sessions a week, optional practice days and a push-up test at each end.
3 training days15 minBeginner3 days a weekAn 8-week kettlebell plan for beginners: two strength sessions and a swing-interval day each week, with how to choose a bell and swing safely.
3 training days35 minBeginnerThat pattern, often worse at night, points to carpal tunnel syndrome. The NHS says to cut down on anything that makes you bend your wrist often or grip hard, so leave wrist curls and heavy grip work out until it settles, as our forearms guide says. Our carpal tunnel syndrome guide has the plan.
Source 25
Pain on the thumb side of the wrist when you move your thumb or grip is often de Quervain's; an ache at the base of the thumb when you pinch, thumb arthritis. For de Quervain's, a splint with an injection ranked best across 21 studies, and exercise has been tried in only one small feasibility trial. Skip plate pinches and hammer curls for now, and see our de Quervain's and thumb arthritis guides.
Pain on the outside of the elbow when you grip is often tennis elbow, and on the inside golfer's elbow. Exercise helps them, modestly; bring reverse wrist curls back last and light, and see our tennis elbow and golfer's elbow guides.
Source 27
Change the position first, then build back up: our wrist pain in push-ups guide and wrist pain when lifting guide cover the swaps.
Follow your fracture clinic's plan; our broken wrist guide sets out the stages.
Source 28
Our hand exercises for rheumatoid arthritis follow the SARAH programme: ask your rheumatology team before you start them.
Squeeze softly and within comfort; exercise eases hand arthritis pain a little, and our hand arthritis guide has a plan.
Source 26
Carpal tunnel syndrome and de Quervain's are both more common in pregnancy and after the birth. Our wrist pain in pregnancy guide covers splints, lifting your baby and a plan.
Hand training raised grip most in older adults. Start light, and our exercise for older adults guide covers strength and balance alongside.
Wrist pain in a growing gymnast needs checking, not pushing through: see the warning signs and our gymnast's wrist guide.
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.
Source 36
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: 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: you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand.
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.
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.
An ache on the back or thumb side of the wrist, just above the crease, in a growing gymnast (or cheerleader or diver) that builds with training and may still hurt the next day: possibly gymnast's wrist, a stress injury of the growth plate. Stop weight-bearing on the hands and get it checked: it needs weeks to months off hand loading, not a few days.
A sudden pop at the front of the elbow during a heavy pull, with bruising, a gap at the front of the elbow or a bulge in the upper arm, can be a torn biceps tendon. Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E (in the US, urgent care or the emergency department), and don't wait for it to settle: repair is best done within the first 2 to 3 weeks.
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.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.
You're over 50 and have broken your wrist: ask about a fracture liaison service to check your bone health.
Source 36
If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise.
For chest pain that comes on suddenly and doesn't go away, feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; severe difficulty breathing; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining, or comes with numbness or weakness, difficulty speaking or loss of vision. The NHS says a bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for a headache that's triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.
Stop straight away if you feel any pain or become unwell, the NHS says, and contact 111 if your symptoms worry you or don't go away.
A dull ache in your muscles for a day or two after something new is normal. Joint pain that's sharp, gets worse during a set or lingers into the next day means switching to the easier option, and seeing a GP or physiotherapist if it carries on (our plans' rule). Our muscle soreness guide has more.
Don't rest the hand completely for long, either: for repetitive strain, the NHS says resting for more than a few days makes the area weaker and less flexible. If a joint becomes hot, red and swollen, stop and get it checked.
Speak to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns, as the NHS advises. Get advice before heavy lifting or hard straining work if your blood pressure is uncontrolled, or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists. After a recent shoulder dislocation or shoulder surgery, follow our shoulder dislocation guide or your surgical team first.
After heart surgery through the breastbone, or a heart or lung transplant, follow your surgeon's advice before pushing, pulling or lifting with your arms.
Source 37
We found no study of it. Straps reduce grip fatigue in a session, and a 2026 review calls any long-term effect untested. Wraps didn't change grip or bench press strength, and braces weren't linked with more or less wrist pain in handstand practitioners. Use straps on your heaviest pulls and train your grip on the rest.
No trial has tested wrist strengthening for prevention: the arm injury prevention evidence is for the shoulder, and wrist pain is common even in highly trained gymnasts. Strength helps you cope with load; building the load gradually matters too.
Grip predicts health in huge studies, but that's a link: no trial has shown that raising your grip lowers your risk.
Nerve and tendon glides have very low-certainty evidence of a small, short-term benefit, and a US guideline found exercise doesn't improve long-term outcomes. A night splint and the NHS's advice come first.
Your wrist is mostly bone, tendons and ligaments, and the forearm muscles sit nearer your elbow, so training thickens the forearm more than the wrist, as our forearms guide says. We found no study that measured wrist size after training.
Two or three times a week, do wrist curls palms up and palms down, forearm rotations and a carry. If you do push-ups, yoga or handstands, build up weight through your hands in stages too. Added wrist and forearm work built more wrist strength than general lifting in a 12-week trial.
Mostly, yes. A tin, a water bottle or a bucket works for wrist curls, and wall and floor push-ups train weight through your hands. A light dumbbell makes it easier to keep progressing.
Build weight through your hands step by step: a wall, then all fours, then hands on a bench, then the floor, on fists or handles at first. A bent-back wrist under load raised pressure in the joint in a lab study, so straighter wrists are a sensible start.
Train forearm strength and grip twice a week alongside your boxing. In elite boxers, hand and wrist injuries happened far more often in competition than in training, so technique, hand wraps and gloves from your coach matter most. No trial shows wrist exercises prevent those injuries.
Weight through your hands, built up over weeks, plus forearm strength. Wrist pain is common in handstand practice, reported by more than half in one survey, and braces weren't linked with less of it. Our yoga for wrists guide has the swaps.
Wrist curls both ways, forearm rotations and grip work, alongside your sport. Wrist injuries are common in professional golfers, but no trial has tested wrist strengthening to prevent them.
Wrist strength rose within 4 weeks in a small trial, and grip by about 9 to 14% in 8 weeks in two others. Keep two short sessions a week going after that.
Often just because most training never loads the wrist directly. Numbness, tingling or a weak thumb can be carpal tunnel syndrome, and pain on the outside of the elbow when you grip is often tennis elbow, so see a GP if they don't settle.
We found no study showing it. Straps reduce grip fatigue in a session, and wraps didn't change grip or bench press strength. Use them for your heaviest sets and train your grip on the rest.
A little, at best, in the short term: the evidence is very low certainty, and a US guideline found exercise doesn't improve long-term outcomes. A night splint and the NHS's advice come first, and our carpal tunnel syndrome guide has the plan.
Light: a weight you can lift 12 to 15 times slowly, stopping 2 or 3 reps short. In the first weeks a tin of beans is enough.
Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury if your wrist has changed shape or your hand is numb, pale or cold. Get same-day help for severe pain, or a tender spot at the base of your thumb after a fall. See a GP if it hasn't improved after 2 weeks or you have tingling.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
