Wrists and Shoulders Ready for Inverted Work

A targeted warm-up that gets wrists, elbows and shoulders ready before rolls, cartwheels or inverted balances. Load on the hands builds up gradually while each pair watches for discomfort to prevent injuries.

How to play

1. In pairs on one mat, on all fours: rock forward and back over the hands, circle the wrists and press lightly onto the backs of the hands (2 min).
2. Lying face down, lift the arms into Y, T and W shapes, then do scapular push-ups in a high plank (2 min).
3. Move slowly from high plank to downward dog and back, 8 reps, bringing the shoulders over the hands (2 min).
4. Walk the hands out from standing to a plank and back, 5 reps, keeping the legs as straight as possible (2 min).
5. Low donkey kicks on the hands: the partner checks that the elbows stay locked and asks about any wrist pain (2 min).

Rules

• If a wrist hurts, switch to fists or forearms and tell the teacher.
• Donkey kicks stay low: this warm-up is not about reaching a handstand.
• Keep mats at least 3 feet apart so nobody falls onto another pair.
• Partners watch and give feedback; nobody pushes or holds the other person's legs.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wrist injury: do the whole block on the forearms and add shoulder mobility with a resistance band.
• Wheelchair user: wrist and shoulder circles while seated, and scapular push-ups with hands on the armrests.
• Autism: gets a card with pictures of the five blocks and a heads-up before each change.

Learning goals

• Prepare the joints that bear weight in gymnastics skills in a targeted way.
• Recognize signs of joint discomfort and adjust support in time.
• Gradually increase load on the arms in a safe way.

Equipment for a class of 25

• mats: 13

Teacher tip

Run this warm-up before any session with inverted support. Watch for students who lift their fingers when they push: they usually lack wrist mobility and do better with a wedge under the palms.

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