3 Forearm Stretches that Instantly Unlock your Wrists.

Do your wrists bother you when you do push-ups? Do your forearms feel funky after a long day of typing?

I used to feel this too and I’m sure I still would if I didn’t integrate the forearm stretches I will share with you below.

If you’re like me, your forearms are busy doing a lot of scrolling and clicking most of the day. This is how we feed ourselves and our families so let’s not go blaming technology just yet.

Instead, I encourage you to recognize that your upper limbs likely don’t get much movement variety, which explains why they may not always feel the way you want them to.

You don’t need to avoid anything. You just need to integrate some maintenance work to open up your forearms so they move and feel better.

How to Stretch the Forearm

You can stretch the forearms just like any other muscle in the body. All the same general principles apply.

You can stretch them dynamically, passively or isometrically. To know what your body responds to best, it is wise to experiment with different methods and then evaluate how your wrists and arms feel afterwards.

Before you do any traditional stretching however, I recommend you integrate some mobility drills for your wrists.

For many people, joint mobility alone will make a profound difference on how your arms feel on a daily basis.

There are a few factors to consider when deciding how much stretching your forearms actually need. The first is how does your body respond to just the mobility exercise above?

If things start feeling smoother then maybe all you need is some joint mobility everyday. If I had to pick one movement modality that I think every person can benefit from it would be joint mobility exercises.

It’s an easy and efficient way to get the joints moving through their full ranges of motion. I personally do some version of them everyday.

The second factor to consider are your goals in your movement practice. Are you banging out a bunch of push-ups?

Are you working toward a back-bridge or handstand? Or are you more into traditional bodybuilding type exercises like bench pressing and curls?

The more you practice movements that require loading your hands (Iike push-ups and handstands), the more value you will get out of stretching the forearms.

The World’s Best Forearm Stretch

If you’re an office junkie like me, then your wrists are likely in flexion most of the time. This is the position our hands must be in to type and click.

Daily life does not demand much of the opposite movement - wrist extension. But many gymnastic and flexibility-type movements require a ton of extension in our wrists.

Even the push-up, which is probably the most popular bodyweight exercise on the planet, requires the wrists to extend in the bottom position.

This is why the forearm stretch I recommend you work on first is the wrist extension stretch.

You will get a great stretch with this one but even more importantly, you will be practicing a movement you are likely limited in.

Don’t think of it as just a stretch. Think of it as a way to get better at wrist extension. The better you get at this movement, the easier it will be to perform more challenging dynamic full-body movements.

2 more Stretches for the Forearm to try

When you perform the wrist extension stretch on the floor, even the initial position can be challenging for some of you.

If that’s the case for you, I recommend you experiment with the standing version.

When you perform the stretch from the standing position, you have more control over the intensity. Pull the hand back only as much as feels comfortable for you.

You never want to go into discomfort. Start with a light stretch for a few weeks and once you get more confident, you can go deeper into the stretch sensation.

Another stretch you can try is the standing wrist flexion stretch. This stretch targets wrist flexion which, as you learned, is a movement most of us already use quite often in modern day adulthood.

But most is not all. After coaching hundreds of people over the years I’ve learned a very important lesson. Every body is different and will respond to exercise differently.

For that reason, I never coach in absolutes. I don’t recommend you approach your movement practice with absolutes either. Avoid dogma and remain curious in your pursuit of better movement.

Are there any Special Forearm Stretches for Pain?

It is never wise to chase pain-relief through exercise. I always recommend students focus on movement capacity rather than pain reduction.

Joint pain, especially if it’s chronic, is complex. Tight or limited muscles are a factor but so is weakness, balance and the state of your nervous system.

Stretching is a small piece of a much larger puzzle when it comes to less pain during movement. I’ve seen too many people become dependent on stretching to help them feel better.

When the stretch of choice no longer works, they find another one. When the new stretch doesn't work, they move on to strengthening or fixing their posture.

It’s similar to losing weight. Working out will help but it won’t do much if you eat junk food all the time. Stretching can help your pain pattern but not if the rest of your lifestyle is junk food for the brain and body.

Closing Thoughts

The longer I work on my movement, the more I realize that the hard part is not figuring out which exercises I need but which ones I don't need. 

Do less, better. Reflect on what your goals are and then experiment to see if the above stretches help you get there.

The way our technology-driven lives are set up, many of us think more is better. But when it comes to movement, the exact opposite is true.

Find an exercise you’re not good at and stick with it for months or even years until you get better at it.