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Mobility Gentle ~2 min

Gentle wrist flexor stretch (palm up)

With the forearm supported and palm up, ease the wrist toward extension to stretch the front of the forearm — common after typing or gripping.

Equipment: No special equipment

Rest the forearm on a table, palm facing the ceiling, wrist just past the edge.

Ready when you are

We'll guide you through 5 short steps — about 26 seconds of guided motion. Pause or stop anytime — nothing is uploaded.

Have ready: No special equipment

Contraindications & stop if…

When not to do this

  • Acute wrist tendinitis flare without clearance
  • Recent distal radius fracture before bone healing milestones

Stop if

  • Sharp pain at the wrist crease
  • New numbness in thumb or index
  • Popping with pain
How does the hand feel right now?
No painWorst pain

Prefer a quick pacing gate before the timer? Use full guided session — it asks for pain, stiffness, and fatigue in a few taps first (education only, not clearance).

Guided session

Full-screen steps and timer below — same exercise. For vertical reel mode, use the clapper icon next to Save at the top of the page.

Why it helps

Short, gentle extensor-biased positioning can balance tissues stressed by repeated wrist flexion and gripping — when cleared for stretching.

What it should feel like

A broad pull along the inner forearm. Never sharp or burning.

Target area

Forearm, wrist

Stop if you notice

  • Sharp pain at the wrist crease
  • New numbness in thumb or index
  • Popping with pain

Get clearance first if

  • Acute wrist tendinitis flare without clearance
  • Recent distal radius fracture before bone healing milestones

Watch a curated demo

Patient education · Gentle wrist flexor stretch (palm up)
Watch on YouTube

Your practice loop

Pause where you want, then tap A for where the loop starts and B for where it ends. Turn Autoloop off anytime — your A/B times stay saved for this video.

Now 0:00 · Loop 0:00 → end of video

Full video. Native YouTube controls stay in the player frame.
Forearm flexor stretch · NHS University Hospitals Plymouth Physiotherapy · verified 2026-04-24Patient education only — not a replacement for advice from your clinician.

More demos & readings (editorial catalog)

Extra YouTube, PDF, and hospital links gathered for this exercise cluster. The top embed above remains the oEmbed-verified pick when present; treat these as adjacent education — confirm fit with your clinician.

  • Best 5 Hand, Wrist & Forearm exercises for 70+ (No Pain)

    Bob & Brad · 2026-02-28

    Includes supination and pronation in a gentle mobility sequence.

    Useful for older adults or low-pain mobility work.

    Catalog ids: pronation_supination, wrist_stretching

  • Hand exercises for strength and mobility

    Unknown / YouTube · 2020-02-04

    Covers hand and wrist range of motion exercises for stiffness and mobility.

    Useful for gentle home mobility.

    Catalog ids: wrist_range_of_motion, wrist_stretching

  • Occupational Therapy Hand Exercises

    Unknown / YouTube · 2015-09-29

    Includes tendon gliding and forearm rotation work that may accompany nerve-mobility programs.

    Useful as related upper-limb rehab content.

    Catalog ids: nerve_glides, pronation_supination, wrist_range_of_motion

  • Wrist and Finger Mobility Exercises for Stiffness: Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2024-05-02

    Virtual Hand Care guided mobility session — adjunct education alongside clinician-directed median nerve glides.

    Gentle wrist and finger warm-up.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

  • 16 Types of Nerve Gliding and Flossing Exercises

    Verywell Health · 2020-03-03

    Explains median nerve gliding with step-by-step upper-extremity positioning.

    Useful for nerve mobility education.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

    Open resource

  • Hand therapy exercise videos

    South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · 2022-01-13

    Includes ulnar nerve gliding, median nerve gliding, and radial nerve gliding exercises.

    Best when nerve-specific glides are prescribed.

    Catalog ids: nerve_glides

    Open resource

  • Simple Nerve Gliding Exercises for Pain Relief and Better Mobility

    The Aeon Clinic · 2025-01-29

    Includes median nerve glide movement patterns and progression.

    Helpful for guided nerve flossing.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

    Open resource

Catalog fact-check source list

Education sources

HandTherapy.app summarizes common home-program elements used in hand therapy and surgery recovery education. These links are for learning — they do not replace your clinician's instructions.

Explainer

How to do it well

Goal, setup, dose, and the things therapists most often have to repeat. This is education — not a replacement for your clinician's plan.

Before you start

  • Warm tissues tolerate stretch better — try after a shower or light movement.
  • If your therapist prefers a brace or block protocol, follow that first.

Today's dose

Reps
4
Sets
1
Hold
15s
Sessions / day
2
Rest
60s
Pain ceiling
2/10

Common mistakes

  • Cranking the wrist instead of micro-range changes
  • Lifting the forearm off the table
  • Holding the breath

Easier version

  • Skip the assist; only use gravity
  • Hold half the time

Harder version

Only if your phase allows progression.

  • Only if cleared: add 5° range with the same light pressure

How did this feel?

One tap. Saved as a question for your next visit when relevant — never auto-shared.

Jump toSession playerWhy & safetyForm cues & doseKeep going
Continue your rehab

What to do next — not a dead end

Suggestions use shared goals, tags, and difficulty — not your medical record. Always defer to your clinician’s plan after surgery or a flare.

Estimated time

~2 min this exercise

Add a second exercise below for a fuller block.

Equipment

None required — bodyweight / table surface only

Pain-level guard

Explainer ceiling: 2/10 — back off before you reach it.

When to stop

Sharp pain at the wrist crease

New numbness in thumb or index

Full stop rules ↑

Common mistake to watch

• Cranking the wrist instead of micro-range changes

More form cues ↓

Get clearance first if

  • • Acute wrist tendinitis flare without clearance
  • • Recent distal radius fracture before bone healing milestones

Movement library — same skills, smaller steps

Movements are the building blocks therapists combine into exercises.

Keep momentum without overdoing it

Log on TodayShort on time?Bad hand day?Tune recommendationsGuided sessionSafety hubLearn library
In-session scaling: Easier — Skip the assist; only use gravity · Harder — Only if cleared: add 5° range with the same light pressureFull explainer ↓