Handstands are great–they’re fun to practice and they actually have some health benefits. Practicing handstands, however, can put some serious stress on your wrists. Putting your entire bodyweight on such a small muscle takes skill and strength, but there are some extra tips to help prevent straining or injuring your wrists while practicing those handstands!
Warm Up Your Wrists
Just as you would warm up the rest of your body before a workout, your wrists need love too! You can start with some simple stretches and movements to prepare them for the rest of your workout.
Wrist Strength Training
Most people don’t naturally have the strength in their wrists to hold their full bodyweight for long (or at all), so it’s a good idea to work on your wrist strength before beginning your handstands. There are various exercises you can do to build this strength including barbell wrist curls and yoga poses like downward dog and pike.
Parallel Bars for Handstands
If you’re able to buy paralettes, these mini parallel bars are great for changing the angle of your wrist during handstands. It eases some of the stress put on the wrist because your hands aren’t kept at a right angle against the ground. Instead, you can naturally grip the bars and say goodbye to wrist pain!
