Prayer Stretch

MobilityBW

Simple bilateral wrist flexor stretch performed with palms pressed together in front of the chest, then lowered to increase wrist extension stretch.

Demo: Wrist mobility demo channel

Sets

1

Reps

30-45 sec hold, or 10 slow reps

Rest

15s

Contraindications

Carpal tunnel flare — reduce range and avoid forcing extension.

Setup

Press both palms together in front of the chest, fingers pointing up, elbows out to the sides.

Execution

  1. 1Slowly lower the hands toward the waist while keeping the palms pressed together
  2. 2Stop when a comfortable stretch is felt in the forearms/wrists
  3. 3Hold and breathe, keeping palms in full contact
  4. 4Return to the start and repeat for reps or hold statically

Key cues

  • Keep the palms fully pressed together throughout
  • Lower slowly, don't drop quickly
  • Keep the elbows relatively still, let the wrists do the work
  • Breathe steadily through the stretch

Common faults

  • Letting the palms separate to fake more range
  • Lowering too fast without control
  • Shrugging the shoulders during the movement
  • Forcing through pain instead of stopping at a stretch sensation

Tweaks

  • Add gentle pulses at the deepest comfortable point
  • Rotate the pressed hands side to side for added variation
  • Combine with reverse prayer stretch for full wrist coverage

Progressions

Reverse Prayer Stretch

Muscles

Primary: Wrist Flexors, Forearm Flexors

Notes

Fast, portable stretch — good for quick relief during desk work or between lifting sets.

Sources

Attribution: Standard physical therapy / yoga hybrid stretch