If your wrists give out before the rest of you does, you're not alone.
Wrist pain during pilates is one of the most common complaints among regular practitioners — from beginners to people who have been on the reformer for years. It shows up in planks, pikes, bear crawls, and any weight-bearing position where your hands are on the mat or the carriage. It's why we built The Marnora Gloves — but more on that later.
The frustrating part: your core is ready, your legs are ready, but your wrists are already done.
Here's why it happens — and what you can actually do about it.
Why pilates puts so much pressure on your wrists
Your wrist is not designed to be a primary load-bearing joint. It's built for mobility — rotation, extension, flexion. When you plant your hand flat on a mat and shift your bodyweight forward, you're loading a joint that has very little muscular support around it.
In pilates specifically, the problem is compounded by the repetitive nature of the movements. You're not doing one plank — you're cycling through bear crawls, pikes, push-ups and plank holds across a 50-minute class. The cumulative load adds up fast.
Add sweat (which reduces grip and causes micro-adjustments in hand position) and the reformer's moving surface, and it's clear why wrists are a weak point for so many people.
What doesn't help
Pushing through it. If you're collapsing your wrists or compensating in your form to avoid the discomfort, you're creating new problems — in your shoulders, elbows, and wrists themselves.
Taking a complete break from pilates is rarely necessary either. Wrist discomfort during training is usually a load management issue, not an injury.
What actually helps
1. Wrist mobility work before class
Spend three minutes before your session on wrist circles, flexion and extension stretches, and loaded wrist rotations on all fours. Cold, stiff wrists loaded suddenly is a fast track to pain.
2. Redistribute the load
Focus on pressing the full surface of your hand into the mat — not just the heel of your palm. Spread your fingers, press your thumb down, engage your forearm muscles, and think about actively pushing the floor away rather than just resting on it.
3. Use wrist support during weight-bearing exercises
A wrist wrap or support glove can help by adding light to medium compression around the joint during the exercises where load peaks — planks, pikes, bear crawls. The compression doesn't restrict your range of motion, but it gives the joint a degree of external stability your muscles alone can't always provide mid-class.
This is especially useful if you're coming back from a rest period, training more frequently than usual, or simply have naturally hypermobile wrists.
4. Build wrist strength progressively
Wrist strength is trainable. Exercises like reverse wrist curls, rice bucket training, and loaded carries build the supporting muscles over time. It's slow, but it works.
When to see someone
If you have sharp or persistent pain (not just fatigue), pain that doesn't resolve within a day or two after training, or any tingling or numbness in your fingers — see a physiotherapist. This article is about training discomfort, not injury management.
The bottom line
Wrist pain during pilates is common, manageable, and in most cases not a reason to stop training. Prep your wrists before class, distribute load correctly, and consider support during your most demanding exercises.
Your wrists shouldn't be the thing that ends your set. Your abs should be.
The Marnora Gloves are designed specifically for pilates — adjustable wrist compression, full range of motion, neoprene-feel fabric. Shop here.
