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Poses that load the wrists

Poses that put weight through the hands. Useful to know as a group — both for building tolerance and for knowing what to avoid on a bad wrist day.

What this page is, and is not

  • This is a filter over the pose library. A pose appears here because of the muscles it works or the position it holds — nothing more.
  • It is not a treatment, a protocol or a therapy for anything, and nothing on it should be read as one.
  • If you have pain, an injury, or a diagnosed condition, the right next step is a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you — not a page that has never met you.

General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.

35 poses that work the wrists and forearms

Sorted from the most accessible upwards. Each page lists its own cautions.

Cow Pose Bitilāsana Beginner · backbends · 8–12 rounds with Cat spinal erectorschest Downward-Facing Dog Pose Adho Mukha Śvānāsana Beginner · inversions · 45–90 seconds hamstringsshoulders Eight-Limbed Pose Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra Beginner · balance · 1 breath in a flow, or 3–5 breaths held tricepschest Plank Pose Phalakāsana Beginner · balance · 20–45 seconds abdominalsshoulders Reverse Tabletop Pose Ardha Pūrvottānāsana Beginner · backbends · 20–30 seconds, 2 rounds gluteshamstrings Crow Pose Kākāsana Intermediate · balance · 3–8 breaths shouldersabdominals Four-Limbed Staff Pose Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana Intermediate · balance · 1–3 breaths tricepschest Hand Under Foot Pose Pādahastāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds hamstringscalves One-Handed Arm Pose Eka Hasta Bhujāsana Intermediate · balance · 3–8 breaths each side shoulderstriceps Pendant Pose Lolāsana Intermediate · balance · 3–8 breaths shouldersabdominals Side Plank Pose (Feet Stacked) Pārśva Phalakāsana Intermediate · balance · 20–40 seconds each side obliquesshoulders Side Plank with Lifted Leg Vasiṣṭhāsana Intermediate · balance · 15–30 seconds each side obliqueship abductors Upward Plank Pose Pūrvottānāsana Intermediate · backbends · 15–30 seconds, 2 rounds gluteshamstrings Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana Intermediate · backbends · 15–30 seconds spinal erectorschest Wild Thing Camatkārāsana Intermediate · backbends · 10–20 seconds each side gluteschest Crane Pose Bakāsana Advanced · balance · 3–8 breaths shouldersabdominals Destroyer of the Universe Pose Kāla Bhairavāsana Advanced · balance · 3–5 breaths each side obliquesshoulders Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths each side tricepsobliques Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths hip flexorsabdominals Flying Pigeon Pose Gālavāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths each side shouldersabdominals Frog Pose Bhekāsana Advanced · backbends · 10–20 seconds quadricepship flexors Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana Advanced · inversions · 10–40 seconds shouldersabdominals Lotus Peacock Pose Padma Mayūrāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths forearmsabdominals One-Legged Sage Pose I Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I Advanced · balance · 3–5 breaths each side obliquestriceps One-Legged Sage Pose II Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana II Advanced · balance · 3–5 breaths each side tricepsshoulders One-Legged Upward Bow Pose Eka Pāda Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana Advanced · backbends · 5–10 seconds each side glutesquadriceps Peacock Pose Mayūrāsana Advanced · balance · 3–8 breaths forearmsabdominals Rooster Pose Kukkuṭāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths shoulderstriceps Scales Pose Tolāsana Advanced · balance · 5–10 breaths shoulderstriceps Shoulder-Pressing Pose Bhujapīḍāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths shouldersabdominals Side Crane Pose Pārśva Bakāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths each side obliquesshoulders Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II Advanced · inversions · 20–60 seconds shoulderstriceps Two-Legged Sage Pose Dvi Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana Advanced · balance · 3–5 breaths each side obliquestriceps Upward Bow Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana Advanced · backbends · 10–20 seconds, 2–3 rounds glutesquadriceps Upward Rooster Pose Ūrdhva Kukkuṭāsana Advanced · balance · 3–6 breaths shouldersabdominals

Questions

Which yoga poses work the wrists and forearms?

35 poses on this site do, 5 of them at beginner level. They are listed below, sorted from the most accessible upwards. Note what this page is: a filter over the library by the muscles a pose works, not a treatment plan.

Can yoga fix a problem here?

That is the wrong question for a web page to answer. Pain and injury have causes that need a person, not a list — a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you. What this page can honestly offer is a set of poses that move the area in question, which is a reasonable thing to do for general wellbeing and a bad substitute for a diagnosis.

How often should I practise these?

Range and strength both respond to frequency far more than to duration. Three short sessions across a week move more than one long one, and ten minutes daily beats an hour on Sunday by a wide margin. Start with the beginner poses in the list and add the harder ones only when the easy ones have become uninteresting.

Asana names are traditional. Every step, benefit and caution on this page is written for YogaPath rather than reproduced from any book, studio or other library — see how this site is written. Energy figures derive from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.

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