How long have you been typing today? This week? This month? How are your hands and your wrists feeling?

With long periods of time spent sitting typing on a computer or on our phone, it’s important to spend some time caring for our hands and wrists. Take the next five minutes to show them some love with these five exercises…

1. Clenched fists – extend your arms out straight in front of you, palms facing each other. Make a fist with each hand and then slowly bend at the wrists, drawing your knuckles towards your body. Bend the wrists in as far as you can comfortably and hold for 15-20 seconds.

2. ET hand – make a fist with one of your hands and then using the thumb and index finger of the other hand, grip your wrist and gently draw the skin down as you slowly rotate your wrist. Move in this way for as long as feels comfortable before switching to the other side.

3. Palm stretch – extend your arm straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palm facing away. With your free hand, very gently pull your fingers back until you feel a stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other wrist.

4. Seagull – open your arms wide to the side, with the palms facing the back of the room. Now bring the back of the hands to your armpits, keeping your fingers to the back of the room. Snuggle your hands backwards a bit more. Add more juice by lowering your elbows. Hold for a minute or so, then release your hands and shake out your wrists.

5. Palm stretch variation- bring your palms together at the heart centre in Anjali mudra, actively press the palms together, elbows left to right. Slowly draw fingers to face down in a reverse prayer pose, keep actively pressing the palms together. Draw the fingers to face up again and move the hands from side to side with active palms and elbows out. Release and shake your wrists out. Repeat these exercises as much as necessary, ideally once a day, to help keep your hands and wrists healthy and prevent injury.

Louise is a yoga teacher and an experienced brand manager and creative producer. She has more than 10 years of experience working both in-house for lululemon and Red Bull as well as agency side for Apple, to name a few.  She is a certified vinyasa yoga teacher, teaching public and private classes (currently online) and also collaborates and consults wellbeing and lifestyle brands. Louise also writes a weekly email called ‘Purpose Break’ where she offers ideas for how to spend a break that’s more than just a caffeine hit. To keep up with what Louise is up to, follow her on Instagram or check out her website.