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Former Indian tennis player Neha Uberoi knows a thing or two about keeping your wrists injury free. She has travelled the world playing a sport that puts your wrists to the test every single time your racquet makes contact with the ball.
In this video, Neha shows us exercises that help you build strength and increase range of motion.
EXERCISE I – Wrist Curls
All you need for this exercise are a pair of dumbbells. If you do not have them, don’t worry. You can do this exercise with water bottles or anything that has even weight.
a. Lean over a flat surface and let your wrists hang off the surface.
b. From that position, curl up. Do not concentrate on how far you can extend those wrists. It is all about the range of motions. You can curl up at a speed that is comfortable to you and do 10 reps.
EXERCISE II – Wrist Curls Inverse (Extension)
This is just a modification of the first exercise. You now invert your hands. The front of your forearms are lying flat on the surface. Make sure that your elbows are not up and your weight is concentrated on your back.
a. Roll the dumbbell on your hand and come up. You can repeat it a couple of times.
b. You can make this exercise a little more challenging by controlling the dumbbell in only two fingers. You can reduce the weight to ensure that you are not spraining your finger or any of the ligaments.
c. Grab the dumbbell with two fingers (thumb and the little finger to start with). You can then repeat the exercise by rolling through other fingers with thumb still holding on to the dumbbell at all times. You can do 10 reps.
d. Repeat the exercise with the other hand.
EXERCISE III – Radial or Ulnar Flexion
a. Place the dumbbell in your right hand. Make sure that your hand stays parallel to the ground and doesn’t drop.
b. Move your hand slowly to the right (moving out).
c. Now repeat the above movement, this time to the left (moving in).
d. If you get used to the exercise, you can do it with both hands simultaneusly.
EXERCISE IV – Tennis Ball Squeeze
Take a soft tennis ball.
a. Squeeze the ball for five seconds and release.
b. Hold the ball in the other hand. Squeeze and release.
EXERCISE V – Kneeling (Forearm Stretch)
a. Place the palms of your hands with fingers pointing towards your body on the mat. Now sit back on your hunches. Hold this position for 15 seconds.
b. Repeat the exercise with the back of your hands in front of you.
Variation of the exercise:
a. Place your right hand in front and grab the fingers of your right hand with your left hand and pull them back to your face.
b. Repeat the exercise with your right palm facing you. Grab the fingers and pull it back to your face with left hand. The elbows should be straight at all times.
EXERCISE VI – Ulnar Nerve (Owl Stretch)
a. Connect your thumb and the index finger to form a loop.Now flip your hands so that palms are on your cheek.
b. Make owl eyes using the hand formation. Move your elbows back and down keeping your back straight. Hold this position for about 10 seconds.
You can read Neha Uberoi’s blog here, and you can check out her YouTube channel here.
