{"id":18696,"date":"2013-02-14T22:55:58","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T03:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/?p=18696"},"modified":"2014-10-29T11:09:42","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T16:09:42","slug":"work-for-weak-wrists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/work-for-weak-wrists\/","title":{"rendered":"Work for Weak Wrists"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Wrist

Photo Credit: Akeeris<\/p><\/div>\n

We lift dumbbells to work on our biceps, we squat to define our quads and hamstrings, but what about you wrists?\u00a0 Do you ever really focus on this small yet vital muscle area in the weight room?\u00a0 If not, you definitely should reevaluate.\u00a0 As you age, small motor skills can become increasingly difficult if proper strength isn\u2019t maintained.\u00a0 Opening jars, holding onto certain objects, or even opening a heavy door can become issues if you don\u2019t properly maintain your wrist muscles.\u00a0 Try adding the following exercises to your workouts to grow or retain your wrist strength.<\/p>\n

Hammer Rotation<\/b> \u2013 Take a hammer from your toolbox or shed and grip with one hand at the bottom, with the mallet side straight in the air.\u00a0 Rotate your wrist to the right side, stopping when the hammer is parallel to the ground.\u00a0 Slowly rotate your wrist back to the starting position.\u00a0 Now rotate your wrist the opposite way (left), and stop again with the hammer is parallel to the ground.\u00a0 Return back to the starting position.\u00a0 Repeat this exercise several times with one wrist, and then with the other.<\/p>\n

Rice Pit<\/b> \u2013 Fill a medium-sized bucket with dry rice.\u00a0 Dry rice can usually be bought in an extra-large bag at the grocery store for a reasonable cost.\u00a0 Once the dry rice is in the bucket, dig both of your hands into the rice covering your whole hand.\u00a0 Start by making the twisting motion, rotating both hands in as if you were turning off a sink faucet.\u00a0 Leave your hands fully submerged the entire time you are twisting.\u00a0 After one minute, change the direction of your twists, and rotate your hands out for a full minute.\u00a0 For the last two exercises, take your hands out of the rice but still keep your nails and fingertips submerged.\u00a0 Pretend that you are playing the piano and flick the rice with \u201cpiano fingers\u201d for one minute.\u00a0 Finally, squeeze your four fingers to your thumb repeatedly for a full minute.\u00a0 Each exercise should be done with good tempo and leave your wrists feeling the burn!<\/p>\n

Wrist Winders<\/b> \u2013 Take a short piece of PVC pipe and tie a 4-foot rope around the PVC pipe with a 5 pound weight attached to the bottom.\u00a0 Start with the device\/rope totally unwound, and the weight touching the ground.\u00a0 Holding the contraption out in front of you at shoulder height with your arms straight, grip the PVC pipe with an overhand grip (like you are about to do a pull-up) and twist your hands back and forth.\u00a0 Alternate which hand holds the PVC pipe and which hand is rotating around to wind up the device.\u00a0 The rope and weight should start to slowly wrap around the PVC pipe, eventually reaching the top. \u00a0Your arms will feel like Jell-O after just one rep!<\/p>\n

Working these different wrist exercises into your regular exercise routine will get you the strongest wrists muscles you\u2019ve ever had!\u00a0 So instead of struggling or becoming frustrated with everyday tasks, keep your wrists healthy and ready for the daily wear and tear of activities.<\/p>\n