Stretch & Strength: Wrists & Forearms – Mobility That Lasts

Tight wrists and forearms can limit grip strength, reduce comfort during lifts, and cause discomfort with daily activities like typing, carrying, or pushing. Over time, this can even lead to elbow or shoulder strain if your body compensates for the lack of mobility.

Stretching can ease the tension, but lasting results come from pairing it with activation (engaging the muscles) and integration (training them in a movement that mimics real-life use).

Choose one of each, and you’ll keep your wrists and forearms strong, stable, and ready for everyday tasks.

Activation: Banded Wrist Flexion/Extension

Purpose: Strengthens the forearm muscles that control wrist movement.

How: Anchor a light resistance band. Hold the other end in your hand with your forearm supported on a bench or thigh. Move your wrist up and down slowly against resistance, keeping the movement controlled.

Why It Works: Improves strength and stability at the wrist, helping maintain flexibility after stretching.

Integration: Bear Crawl (Regression or Full)

Purpose: Trains wrist stability, forearm strength, and shoulder engagement in a functional, full-body movement.

How: Start on hands and knees, knees hovering an inch off the ground. Move opposite hand and foot forward, keeping hips low and core engaged. Adjust weight on the hands if needed for comfort.

Why It Works: Integrates wrist and forearm strength into coordinated, weight-bearing movement patterns.

How to Use This

After your stretching session (or at home), do:

• Banded Wrist Flexion/Extension: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps per side

• Bear Crawl: 2–3 sets of 20–40 seconds

These exercises can be scaled back to make them easier or progressed to give your body a bigger challenge. Reach out to me to learn how.

Consistently pairing your stretches with these moves helps you turn short-term relief into lasting wrist and forearm strength.

Have questions or want to schedule your next stretch or strengthening session? Reach out—I'm happy to help.