How to Exercise With a Broken Hand

Factors to Consider

Safe Cardio and Strength Training

• Go for a brisk walk or jog outdoors.
• Go for an easy to moderate hike — nothing in which your balance may be tested or that requires scrambling or climbing rocks.
• Walk or jog on a treadmill.
• Ride a recumbent stationary bike.

Strength training is where things become a bit more difficult. For your lower body, use body weight exercises and exercise machines with weight stacks and pins that are easy to maneuver. Do body weight squats and lunges on a stable surface. Use the leg press, leg extension and seated hamstring curl machines. You can also do glute bridges and body weight hip thrusts.

Upper body exercise options are more limited. You may be able to use one or two machines that don't require you to grip anything, such as shoulder extensions with pads that rest on your forearms, or a pec deck machine where you push against pads with your forearms. Go for lower weight and higher repetitions.

Exercises to Try

These exercises won't be appropriate for everyone with a broken hand. It depends on the severity of your injury and what you are physically able to do. Never do an exercise that causes pain or that your doctor has not approved.

‌Move 1: Resistance Band Fly‌

1. Anchor a resistance band at chest height.
2. Step away from the anchor point with the resistance band handles looped around your forearms.
3. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, bring your forearms in toward each other as you contract your chest muscles against the resistance.

‌Move 2: Resistance Band Reverse Fly‌

1. Turn to face the anchor point.
2. Loop the handles around the backs of your forearms and open your arms against the resistance as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.

‌Move 3: Forearm Push-Up‌

1. Place a foam pad or pillow under your forearms so that your hand with the cast hangs over the edge and is not in contact with the floor.
2. Align your forearms parallel to each other with your shoulders directly over your elbows.
3. Lift your knees off the ground so your body is in one straight line.
4. Push through your forearms to lift and round your upper back slightly; then depress your shoulders and lower your body closer to the mat without moving your forearms.
5. Press back up to a slightly rounded back and repeat.
   

Remember to warm up before each workout by doing 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio. Spend a few minutes before and after your workout doing shoulder and mobility exercises, such as arm circles, shoulder rolls, and a doorway chest stretch. Improve elbow mobility by flexing and extending the elbow and rotating your forearms in and out. It’s also important for healing in the hand to maintain healthy shoulder mobility. Ask your doctor for recommendations on exercises to encourage healing and mobility while you're wearing a cast. If the exercises are causing you more pain, stop and contact your doctor.

The Takeaway

• Working out with a broken hand may be challenging, but you can safely do many cardio and strength training exercises.
• Factors like your injury’s severity and whether you’re wearing a cast may impact the types of exercises you can do.
• Generally, aerobic exercises like walking or jogging and strength training exercises involving your core and lower body are best when you have a broken hand.
• Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to determine what exercises are appropriate based on your needs.