It's technique tip time! This week I'll be offering up some tips to increase your wrist mobility and decrease discomfort. When it comes to aerial and handstands our hands play quite a big role. They're a rather intricate part of our body and are made up of the wrist, palm, and fingers and consist of 27 bones, 27 joints, 34 muscles, over 100 ligaments and tendons. Wowie, that's a lot! It's important prior to gripping with them or balancing on them we give 'em the proper love and care that they deserve! When it comes to improving mobility it's beneficial to work both flexion, extension and lateral movement. Wrist flexion is the action of bending your hand down at the wrist so that your palm faces in toward your arm and extension is the opposite. Lateral is moving in a sideways direction.
Below are a few of my favorite wrist mobility exercises to warm-up for both aerial and handstands.
1) Wrist Circles with clasped & open hands 10x each way 2) Wrist Extension Stretch 10x - Kneeling with fingers pointing back toward your knees and palms flat on the floor. Bend your elbows toward your knees to stretch your fingers, forearms and wrists. Press palms down and repeat 10x. 3) Wrist Flexion Stretch 10x - kneeling with fingers pointing back toward your knees and back of your hands on the floor - make fists and slowly open your hands.
4) Wrist Rocks 10x - Kneel and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Rock your shoulders as far past your wrists as possible without letting the palms of your hands lift up. Keep elbows straight throughout.
5) Lateral Wrist Stretch - From a kneeling position - make fists and press your knuckles together. Place the back of your hands on the floor. Slowly begin to straighten your arms. Hold 20-30 seconds. 6) Pike With Hands Under Feet - Standing with legs hip-distance apart - fold forward into a pike and slide your hands under your feet with palms facing upward. Lengthen your spine, allow your neck to relax, shift your weight forward and breathe. Hold 20-30 seconds. Tada! You did it! A little extra care can go a long way! Oftentimes body parts get cranky because we didn't give them the attention they need. We just expect them to cooperate on command! Adding wrist mobility as part of your warm-up (and even cool down) can make a big difference! A reminder there's still time to grab your spot in our new online course The Handstand Method!
Enrollment is open until this Thursday, August 5th at 8pm PST. Inside is your complete roadmap to achieving your press handstand and beyond! Aerialists and aspiring hand-balancers from around the world have already joined and are starting to make progress. If balancing on your hands with ease is a desire of yours click here to grab your spot.
