Wrist & Forearm Relief
Wrist and forearm tightness builds up so gradually from typing and mouse use that most people ignore it until it's a real problem. This routine takes five minutes to release that tension before it turns into something worse — no equipment, works right at your desk.
The Workout
Wrist Flexor Stretch
45 sec each sideExtend one arm in front of you, palm up. Use your other hand to gently pull the fingers back toward you until you feel a stretch along the inside of your forearm. This is the muscle group that does most of the work when you're gripping a mouse or curling fingers to type.
Wrist Extensor Stretch
45 sec each sideExtend one arm in front of you, palm down. Use your other hand to gently press the back of your hand down and toward you. This targets the opposite muscle group from the flexor stretch — the one that extends your wrist upward, which fatigues from hours of hovering over a keyboard.
Prayer Stretch
30 secBring your palms together in front of your chest like a prayer position, fingers pointing up. Slowly lower your hands toward your waist while keeping your palms pressed together, until you feel a stretch through both wrists at once.
Finger Spreads & Fist Clenches
30 secSpread your fingers as wide as you can, hold for two seconds, then clench into a tight fist and hold for two seconds. Repeat continuously. This pumps blood back into the small muscles of your hand that stay in a fixed grip position all day.
Forearm Shake-Out
30 secLet your arms hang loose at your sides and shake your hands out like you're flicking water off them. Simple, but it resets circulation through the whole forearm after the static stretches before you.