Wrist Pain in Teens: How to Protect Your Wrists When Working Out

Push-ups. Planks. Weights. Gym workouts. TikTok challenges. Home workouts.

There are more ways than ever for teenagers to exercise and get stronger — and that is a really positive thing.

But at BodyRight Physiotherapy Drogheda,  we are also noticing more teenagers presenting with wrist pain, often after starting their own exercise routines.

Sometimes it is from doing lots of press-ups or planks. Sometimes it is from lifting weights without being shown the best technique. And sometimes it is simply from doing too much, too soon.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to get stronger or feel fitter. In fact, strength training can be a fantastic part of growing up.

The important thing is learning how to train with your body, rather than against it.

Why are teenagers getting wrist pain?

The wrist is a complex joint made up of several small bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

When you put weight through your hands — as you do in a push-up or plank — your wrist is held in a position of extension while also supporting a significant proportion of your body weight.

If you suddenly start doing lots of repetitions, or spend a long time exercising in this position, the tissues around the wrist can become irritated.

This is particularly relevant for teenagers who may have recently started exercising more frequently.

For example:

• “I'm going to do 50 press-ups every day.”

• “I'll hold a plank for as long as I can.”

• “I'll do a workout every evening.”

• “I'll start lifting weights.”

• “Everyone else at the gym is lifting more than me.”

The problem isn't the exercise itself.

It is often the combination of repetition, load, technique and insufficient recovery.

Overuse injuries happen when repetitive stress exceeds the body's ability to recover. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights overuse injuries as an important issue in young people, particularly when training loads increase without enough recovery.

But isn't strength training good for teenagers?

Yes!

There is an important distinction between sensible strength training and pushing the body beyond what it is currently prepared for.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children and adolescents can safely participate in resistance training when programmes are appropriately designed, technique-focused and supervised. Bodyweight exercises such as press-ups are included within resistance training.

Strength training can help young people develop:

• strength and muscular endurance

• coordination and body awareness

• confidence in movement

• sporting performance

• bone health

• physical literacy

• resilience and injury prevention

So our message isn't “don't lift weights” or “don't do press-ups.”

It's:

Learn how to do them well, build gradually, and listen to your body.

Why might press-ups and planks irritate the wrist?

During a traditional press-up or high plank, the wrist is usually bent backwards while the hand is firmly planted on the floor.

For some people, this is absolutely fine.

For others, particularly if they suddenly increase the amount of exercise they are doing, it can place quite a lot of stress through the wrist.

Technique can also make a difference.

For example, if the hands are positioned too far forward, the elbows flare excessively, the shoulders aren't well controlled, or the person is simply fatigued, the wrist may end up taking more load than it needs to.

And remember — being able to do one good press-up doesn't necessarily mean your wrists are ready for fifty.

Your wrists need training too

One of the things we often forget about exercise is that the body needs time to adapt.

If someone has never done much upper-body strength work and suddenly starts doing daily press-ups, planks and weights, the muscles may feel like they are getting stronger — but the tendons, joints and other tissues also need time to adapt to the new workload.

This is particularly important during adolescence, when the body is still developing.

A good training programme starts with a level that is appropriate for the individual and gradually increases the challenge. The AAP recommends starting with little or no load while technique is being learned, and only increasing resistance when good form can be maintained.

Five ways to look after your wrists when exercising

1. Don't ignore wrist pain

A little muscle fatigue after exercise is normal.

Persistent or increasing joint pain is different.

If your wrist hurts during press-ups, planks or weight training, don't simply keep pushing through it because you think you need to “get stronger”.

Try modifying the exercise and see whether the symptoms settle.

Pain that continues, worsens, starts affecting everyday activities or is present even when you are not exercising should be assessed.

2. Check your wrist position

When doing exercises with your hands on the floor, think about keeping your wrist comfortable and your hand well supported.

Spread your fingers and distribute your weight through the whole hand rather than collapsing into the heel of your palm.

Your wrist should feel supported rather than jammed.

Small changes in hand position, shoulder position or the angle of the exercise can sometimes make a surprisingly big difference.

3. You don't have to start with a full press-up

There is absolutely nothing wrong with making an exercise easier while you build strength.

For example, you could begin with:

Wall press-ups → incline press-ups → knee press-ups → full press-ups

The same principle applies to planks.

You can start with a shorter hold, or choose an alternative position, and gradually build up.

The goal isn't to prove how hard you can make an exercise.

The goal is to become stronger.

4. Don't suddenly increase everything

If you've started exercising recently, you don't need to train every day.

Y

our body needs recovery time.

The AAP recommends incorporating rest and recovery into young people's training programmes, particularly when resistance training is combined with other sports and activities.

Remember that your total training load includes everything:

Gym sessions + sport + PE + running + home workouts + weekend training.

Your wrists don't know whether the load came from a gym workout or a YouTube video!

5. Get your technique checked

This is particularly important if you're starting to use weights.

You don't need to lift the heaviest weight possible to get stronger.

In fact, learning good movement patterns with a lighter load is an excellent place to start.

A teenager who understands how to position their wrist, grip a dumbbell, control their shoulder and maintain good technique is developing skills that will serve them for life.

Current youth resistance-training guidance emphasises appropriate technique, gradual progression and qualified instruction rather than maximal lifting.

What if my wrist already hurts?

First, don't panic.

Wrist pain doesn't automatically mean that something is seriously wrong.

Often, reducing the irritating activity for a short period and modifying the way you exercise can help settle an overloaded wrist.

You might temporarily swap:

Full press-ups → incline press-ups

Long planks → shorter holds

Hands-flat exercises → an alternative exercise

Heavy weights → lighter weights with better control

You can usually continue exercising other parts of the body as long as it doesn't aggravate your symptoms.

However, if pain isn't settling, is getting worse, is affecting schoolwork or everyday activities, or followed an injury such as a fall onto the hand, it is worth getting it assessed.

Teenagers can also experience injuries involving the growth areas of developing bones, so persistent pain shouldn't simply be dismissed as “growing pains.”

And one more thing: you don't have to change your body

We see more and more young people becoming very conscious of how their bodies look.

Social media can make it seem as though everyone else has the perfect stomach, bigger muscles, smaller waist, defined arms or a particular body shape.

That can create pressure to exercise harder and harder.

Exercise is wonderful.

But exercise should be about what your body can do — not punishing your body for how it looks.

Getting stronger, learning new skills, improving fitness, playing sport and feeling confident in your body are all worthwhile goals.

You don't need to do hundreds of press-ups because someone online told you that you should.

And you certainly don't need to exercise through pain to earn food or change your appearance.

Your body is still growing and developing. It deserves fuel, sleep, recovery and sensible training.

At BodyRight Physiotherapy

If your teenager is experiencing wrist pain from press-ups, planks, gym training, weights or sport, a physiotherapy assessment can help identify what may be contributing to the problem.

We can look at the wrist itself, but also at the bigger picture — including the hand, forearm, elbow, shoulder and how the exercise is being performed.

Sometimes the solution isn't stopping exercise altogether.

It may simply be changing the exercise, improving technique, reducing the load and building back up gradually.

Because getting stronger shouldn't mean getting sore.

Look after your wrists now, and you'll be able to keep using them for all the things you love doing.

If your teen has wrist pain

If wrist pain is persistent, worsening or stopping your teenager from doing the activities they enjoy, contact BodyRight Physiotherapy Drogheda for an assessment.

Our physiotherapists can help your teen understand their pain, modify their training and return to exercise safely and confidently.