Stand up, hold your arm straight out, point your fingers at the floor, and use the other hand to pull them gently toward you. Hold for fifteen seconds. Then flip your hand over and repeat. That is the starter stretch, and it takes less than a minute.

I ignored my wrists for years of desk work until typing started to ache. Now I do a two minute routine every morning and again at lunch.

The full routine

1. Wrist flexor stretch: fingers down, pull gently, 15 seconds per side.
2. Wrist extensor stretch: fingers up, pull gently, 15 seconds per side.
3. Make a fist, open wide, spread the fingers. Ten times.
4. Roll each wrist in slow circles, ten each way.

Why before work, not after

Warming up before you type is like warming up before a run. The tendons and muscles are ready to move instead of starting cold. Stretching after a full day helps, but it is a repair, not a prevention.

Keep your desk honest

Stretches help, but if your wrist rests on a sharp desk edge all day, no stretch saves you. Level your keyboard, keep your elbows near 90 degrees, and let your wrists float, not bend. A cheap wrist rest fixes the pressure point.

When to see someone

If your hand goes numb, tingles at night, or the pain does not ease after a week of stretching, talk to a doctor. Numbness and tingling are signs of nerve pressure, not just tight muscles. I caught my own issues early because I paid attention.