Should I wear a wrist support in the gym?

If you have a significant pain, then rest and seek professional advice. Do not train in pain. This is especially true if your injury is acute or traumatic, for example if you fell onto an outstretched arm or suspect a fracture.

However, if you need a little support, your wrist is weak or you are coming back from injury then wearing an appropriate support can help.

Best wrist supports for gym training

Selecting the best gym wrist support for you depends on a number of factors including:

• The type of activity (lifting, CrossFit, calisthenics, push exercises)
• Whether you’re preventing injury or supporting an existing issue
• The level of support required (light compression vs firm stabilisation)
• Comfort and flexibility needed during movement
• Fit and adjustability, especially for different wrist sizes
• How often you train and the loads you place through the wrist

Neoprene Wrist Wrap

The best wrist support for gym training for most people is the Neoprene wrist wrap. It wraps around the wrist and secures with velcro fastening. You can easily vary the amount of support and compression by adjusting the tension in the strap.

It is ideal if you need a extra protection and support for your wrist whilst weight training. It is also great for bodyweight exercises and Calisthenics.

If your wrist pain is chronic, or long term for example wrist tendonitis/tendinopathy, then keeping your tendons warm helps them heal and work better. Neoprene is a rubber based material that retains body heat well.

Reusable Elastic Bandage

Another popular option is the Reusable Elastic Bandage. Simply wrap this around your wrist adjusting the compression to suit. This has an unstretched length of 70cm which means you can wrap it around multiple times.

It provides a very high level of support whilst still allowing you to exercise. However, it is bulkier and not as convenient to apply. The best choice if you want to push heavier weights.

Cohesive Tape

Cohesive tape is an elastic bandage which sticks to itself, not the skin. Very easy to tear and apply, it probably gives you the maximum level of wrist support possible whilst weight training. Be careful not to apply it too tightly. It is single use only and cannot be reused.

Splint type wrist supports for gym training

If you have a more severe wrist injury and are unable to grip or put weight on your arm, then you should not attempt to train on it. Rest and seeking professional advice is essentail.

However, you may be able to rest 'actively'. For example, weight training might be out of the questions, but you could comfortably use the exercise bike, treadmill or cross trainer.

Advanced Ultimate Compression Wrist Brace

In this case you should wear a wrist supports for gym training to restrict the range of movement of your wrist. As a result your wrist joint stays in a neutral, pain free position. The Advanced Ultimate Compression Wrist Brace is ideal.

This has a removable solid metal spoon to fix your wrist in position as well as an additional wrap around strap for compression. As your injury improves, take the spoon out to allow movement but still retain compression support.

Wrist taping/supports for gym training

As an alternative to wearing a wrist support for gym training, another option is to tape your wrist using non stretch zinc oxide tape. The advantages are that you can restrict wrist movement exactly how you want it and apply a high level of support.

The disadvantages are that you probably need some training to apply the tape correctly, the level of support reduces as the tape naturally stretches then it needs to be reapplied.