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Mobility Gentle ~2 min

Wrist Flexion & Extension

With a closed fist, slowly bend the wrist down and back up to restore wrist flexion and extension range.

Equipment: No special equipment

Rest your forearm on a table with the hand off the edge.

Ready when you are

We'll guide you through 3 short steps — about 22 seconds of guided motion. Pause or stop anytime — nothing is uploaded.

Have ready: No special equipment

Contraindications & stop if…

When not to do this

  • Recent hand or wrist surgery without clinician clearance
  • Acute fracture before bone-healing milestones

Stop if

  • Sharp or increasing pain
  • New numbness, tingling, or pins-and-needles
  • Sudden swelling or color change in the hand
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

Moving the wrist through flexion and extension keeps the joint supple and supports grip after injury or casting.

What it should feel like

A gentle stretch across the front and back of the wrist.

Target area

Wrist

Stop if you notice

  • Sharp or increasing pain
  • New numbness, tingling, or pins-and-needles
  • Sudden swelling or color change in the hand

Get clearance first if

  • Recent hand or wrist surgery without clinician clearance
  • Acute fracture before bone-healing milestones

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

    Shows a wrist stretching sequence designed for low-pain mobility.

    Suitable for gentle stretching routines.

    Catalog ids: wrist_stretching

  • Hand Exercises For Every Stage of Stroke Recovery

    Unknown / YouTube · 2024-09-19

    Demonstrates movement progressions for stiff hands.

    Useful as a recovery progression reference.

    Catalog ids: joint_mobilization_strap

  • 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 wrist flexion and extension as part of a home hand program.

    Good for wrist mobility and basic recovery.

    Catalog ids: wrist_range_of_motion

  • Hand therapy videos

    The Royal Melbourne Hospital · 2023-01-16

    Shows a strap used to improve joint motion.

    Appropriate for guided home rehab.

    Catalog ids: joint_mobilization_strap

    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

  • Sit comfortably with your forearm supported.
  • Remove rings and tight jewelry.
  • Move only into comfortable range — never force.

Today's dose

Reps
5
Sets
2
Sessions / day
2
Rest
20s
Pain ceiling
3/10

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the movement instead of moving slowly and smoothly
  • Pushing into pain rather than a gentle stretch

Easier version

  • Do fewer reps and rest more often
  • Reduce the range of motion until it feels comfortable

Harder version

Only if your phase allows progression.

  • Add a gentle 5-second hold at the end of each rep

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: 3/10 — back off before you reach it.

When to stop

Sharp or increasing pain

New numbness, tingling, or pins-and-needles

Full stop rules ↑

Common mistake to watch

• Rushing the movement instead of moving slowly and smoothly

More form cues ↓

Get clearance first if

  • • Recent hand or wrist surgery without clinician clearance
  • • Acute fracture before bone-healing milestones

Next recommended exercises

Often the next intensity or a logical pairing.

Commonly paired with

Different goal, shared tags — typical clinical pairings.

Keep momentum without overdoing it

Log on TodayShort on time?Bad hand day?Tune recommendationsGuided sessionSafety hubLearn library
In-session scaling: Easier — Do fewer reps and rest more often · Harder — Add a gentle 5-second hold at the end of each repFull explainer ↓