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Exercises

Exercises for Broken Wrist Bones

Stretching, strengthening and arm exercises after a distal radius and ulna fracture, once your doctor says you can start.

Exercise 1: Wrist Backward Stretch

  1. With your elbow straight and your palm up, pull your fingers back to the floor using the opposite hand.
A forearm held straight out with the hand pulled backward by the other hand.
Repeat
3 times
Hold
10 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 2: Wrist Forward Stretch

  1. With your elbow straight and your palm down, pull your fingers back to the floor using the opposite hand.
A man holding one arm straight out with the palm down and pulling the fingers back with the other hand, with a teal arrow showing the direction.
Repeat
3 times
Hold
10 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 3: Bending Your Wrist Back

  1. Rest your arm on a table with your elbow bent like an "L." Let your hand hang off the edge of the table with your palm facing down.
  2. While holding a weight, slowly lift your hand up toward the ceiling, then lower it back down.
Two pictures of a forearm resting on a table, palm down, with the hand off the edge holding a pink weight and lifting it.
Repeat
5 times
Hold
3 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 4: Bending Your Wrist Forward

  1. Rest your arm on a table with your elbow bent like an "L." Let your hand hang off the edge of the table with your palm facing up.
  2. While holding a weight, slowly lift your hand up toward the ceiling, then lower it back down.
Two pictures of a forearm resting on a table, palm up, with the hand off the edge holding a pink weight and lifting it.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
1 second
Sets
3
Per day
2 times

Exercise 5: Turning Your Palm Down

  1. Have your forearm supported on a table with your wrist in a neutral position.
  2. Using a weight, roll your wrist so that your palm faces downward. Hold for 2 seconds and return to the starting position.
Two pictures of a forearm resting on a padded bench with the hand holding a weight, showing the wrist rolling so the palm faces down.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
2 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 6: Turning Your Palm Up

  1. Have your forearm supported on a table.
  2. Using a weight, roll your wrist so that your palm is now facing upward. Hold for 2 seconds and return to the starting position.
A forearm resting on a table while the hand grips a red resistance bar and twists it, with the other hand holding the forearm still.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
2 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 7: Palm Press

  1. Hold the web with your unaffected hand.
  2. Place your palm on the center of the web and then press forward and hold.
Two pictures of a man seated at a table pressing his palm into a red mesh hand exerciser.
Repeat
5 times
Hold
3 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 8: Kettlebell Carry

  1. Hold a weight (a kettlebell or free weight) at your side.
  2. Walk 20 feet, turn, and then walk 20 feet back.
  3. Keep your back straight and hold your shoulder steady.
  4. Repeat holding the weight in the other hand.
A man walking with a small weight hanging from one hand at his side.
Repeat
3 times
Per day
2 times

Exercise 9: Elbow Bend

  1. Support your elbow on a table and use your other hand to bend your elbow back.
Two pictures of a woman with her elbow supported on a rolled towel, using her other hand to bend her elbow back.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
5 seconds
Sets
2
Per day
1 time

Exercise 10: Bicep Curl

  1. Stand with your arm straight at your side.
  2. Slowly bend your elbow to curl your arm up. Squeeze your bicep as you lift.
  3. Begin with no weight, then use a light weight (3–5 pounds) when you're ready.
A woman curling a red dumbbell toward her shoulder.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
2 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
2 times