week 7 and dealing with wrist pain

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Irina M
Posts: 3
Joined: 19 Feb 2021, 14:27

Hello Natalie,

I started the 7 week course late January/ early February and today I did my 4th practice to video of week 7. Please help my gain some clarity on a few things.

1. Wrist pain. I am used to being sore in different parts of my body and I mean the type of pain that doesn't feel like 'gains'. You mentioned in the video for week 7 the positioning of the palms when pressure is shifted towards fingers. I was playing with it, and it makes the pain less noticable but I can't make it consistent.

Any advise on how to help it?

2. The second thing that frustrates me a lot is that I'm not able to hold free handstand as long as the recommended exercise requires. Not even close to have a little 'injection' of dopamine. For example, I can't achieve 3-5 seconds hold after a kick-up once per training session, I can't hold for 3 seconds at face to wall off-balancing exercise and 10 seconds when in L-shaped exercise.
Is the step-up on week 7 is too much for my level? Would you advise repeat another week 6?
or shall i just keep kicking-up and 'fight' for every second of balance?

You said in the video 7 that it's time to desing our own plan but I don't trust myself. If I knew how to achieve a handstand, I would have done it 2 years ago!

And overall massive thank you! I really hoped to be able to free-handstand by the end of the course and unfortunatelly I still can't but I progressed massively with your programme. This new awareness of my own body when being upside down and shoulders' strength feel amazing!
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Irina,

Thank you for posting your question and well done for making it all the way until week 7! It takes a lot of determination.

Regarding the wrist pain: where is the pain? It may be that you need to rest the wrist for a while or that you need additional strengthening. It is hard to tell from a distance. In my expereience if the pain is towards the outside of the wrist then it is caused by bad weight distribution in which case you need to shift more weight towards the thumb, like you said. Stretch your wrists gently before and after training. Massage them after training. and here are the wrist strengthening exercises I give to my students in the online coaching program additional to the ones you have in the 7 week course:

In regard to the freestaning handstand: I would suggest you rest a week and then come back to trying. Also yes, do fihgt for every second of balance in the kick-up, it is an essential process.
Would you like to send me a video here, on Instagram or per email and then I can have a look if there is anything that can be improved in terms of alignment?

Training plan: Each of the Episoed is an example of a plan, or possible training session. You can keep doing week 6 as a blueprint, or mix and match the exercises from the program.

For example:
- Your warm up should be 10 minutes and inlcude: wrist warm-up, leg stretches, some shoulder mobility like the shoulder rolls we did in the beginning and shoulder opening stretches
- Then do 5 minutes of plank holds, or core exercises to activate the core stability muscles.
- Then practice kick-ups, for example 2 sets of 10 of the sharp closing of the legs exercise
- Then try to find balance, take 5 minutes to "fight for every second"
- Then take 10 minutes to find balance with the wall
- finish with an endurance set for example 3 x 50 seconds
- then do a stretch and cool down for 5 minutes including, arm stretches and wrist stretches /wrist massage

I hope this gives you an idea. A good guideline for choosing exercises is: Which ones feel good for you? Which ones do you like to do? They will suit your body best.

Do send me a video and feel free to ask more questions,
Best wishes,
Natalie
Irina M
Posts: 3
Joined: 19 Feb 2021, 14:27

Hello Natalie,

The hammer exercise! :) My husband gor very confused when I tried it yesterday.
My pain is the narrowest part of the wrist, more on the inside of the arm and outside of the palm. No idea what it means so I go both ways: I'm taking a week off handstand practice and then will add wrist exercises three times per week.

Thank you for suggesting to have a look at my videos. I made a few on my last training. If you could advise what's my weakest link on the way to balance for a few more seconds, I would be beyond happy. I didn't manage to find a way to post the videos here though, can I ask for you email address? Or let me know which channel would be most convinient for you?

Thank you for the course!

P.S. In your Vimeo library there is a video 'Finding your balance off the wall'. Do you think it will be usefull for me at his stage?
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Hello Irina,

Yes I can iamgine the hammer exercise looks funny :)

Please send me videos to my instagram direct messages.

The finding balance video in the Vimeo lirbary is useful too I am sure. It explains the balancing process in more detail.

If the pain is more towards the outside of the hand, then it may be because there is too much weight on the outside prat of the palm. Try pushing more through the L-shaped part of the hand.

I hope taking a week off was useful and feel free to send me the videos.

Best,
Natalie
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