by Bear Gibbs
Not just for arm balances, but for everyone else too! Wrist pain has become more common than ever. And it’s not just when you get old as young adults are having cases of nerve impingement CTS, ulnar nerve, or just joint numbness too!
I remember when I worked part-time at a circus school in Atlanta. I became friends with one of the circus artists who is also a professional hand balancer. He taught me wrists techniques and exercises for handstands. A year or so later he came by the school while on a break from performing. I asked him how things were going and whether he had been training anything new? I notice he had a brace on his hand. I asked him what happened and he said, “It’s not too good and well it looks like they will have to open me up.” He told me his hand has been bothering him from overusing various one-arm handstand work during circus season. I learned to be more mindful and aware on doing more prehab and rehab for my joints.
Having these techniques are useful and important in achieving a safe arm balance practice. Check out my YouTube video on more wrists exercises. For yogis, fitness, and acrobats make sure applying these techniques in arm balances like plank, crow, and handstand will help avoid wrist injuries in the future. Also, make sure you check out Mark Stephens' Yoga Therapy book. A section in his book discusses and shows pictures of the hand dances. In this video I incorporated what I was taught and what I read in his book. I got mine at Amazon. Have fun and enjoy!
