Preventing Pilates Wrist Pain

Pilates is all about the burn. Working your muscles with ninja precision to sculpt a leaner, meaner body.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between good and bad discomfort. Booty on fire? Triceps screaming? Safe practice can make agony thy friend. 

So what about that niggle in your wrist? 

Most of us think its normal. Something you just deal with. It’s not. 

Unlike other areas of the body, the wrist joint doesn’t have strong muscles to support it. This can leave the joint quite vulnerable to pressure. Untreated wrist injury can lead to chronic pain or disability. 

Luckily there are ways to decrease the risk and enjoy Pilates safely. 

It’s in your hands

Our bodies aren’t entirely designed to support our full weight in our wrists. 

When you hold yourself up on your hands in plank, it can be easy to ‘sink’ into the move. The little bones in your wrist compress. That’s the niggle. 

One way to reduce the pressure, is to shift the weight. Round up your wrist’s support crew. With surrounding muscles in tow, hands are much better placed to support you. 

Create space between the floor and your palm. Imagine you are holding a basketball. Push down on the length of your fingers to create a small space beneath your hand.

This press calls on your hand, arm and shoulder to lift you. As these muscles engage, you should feel the heaviness shift. 

Don’t forget your forearms

Strengthening your forearm muscles will help too. Wrist curls are a great way to wake them up. 

To do this, hold a light weight in your hand. Curl your hand up toward your forearm and back. Keep your forearm level for the duration of the lift.

Gripping a stress ball can also help. When you push in on the ball you activate a bunch of fine muscles.  

This is a great trick for those of us who are time poor. Keep a stress ball at your desk as a reminder.  It could even help you reassess THAT email you were about to send. 

Customise your workout 

Have you heard the old saying ‘there are many paths to the top of the mountain’? Well, this is true of Pilates. 

Regardless of whether you prefer mat or reformer variations, Pilates is great for strengthening muscles and preventing injury. 

Why not make this regenerating power work for your wrists too? 

Something as simple as shifting your weight from your hands to your forearms in ‘plank’ can make a world of difference. 

Not only does it minimise the pain, but you’ll get an effective workout. 

Speak with your trainer or Physio for advice on other variations.

Get the right support

It can take time to get muscle conditioning right. You can still enjoy your Pilates practice, pain free with the right equipment. 

Yoga blocks or a rolled towel can offer some relief but can easily slip or lose their shape. 

Wrist Assured™ Gloves are your workout’s best friend. 

The contoured gel pad inside the gloves distributes pressure. You will be impressed by how comfortably you can support your weight on your hands.

Suffering from pain related to carpal tunnel, tendonitis or arthritis? WAGs has you covered.

With four unique designs, there is a glove to support all abilities and levels of discomfort. 

Starting with the WAGs Flex and WAGs Fusion gloves. Designed for mild discomfort, these gloves have a slim wedged gel pad. They provide support, whilst still giving you flexible range of motion. 

For moderate to severe discomfort, try the WAGs Pro or WAGs Ultra designs. Both provide a thicker gel pad with extra cushioning for sore wrists. The WAGs Ultra comes with an adjustable wrist strap, for the ultimate level of stability and support. 

Find out more about WAGs technology HERE.