Proper hand care is crucial to prevent painful hand rips and tears, looking after your hands is important for longevity in your training. This article provides essential tips to help you maintain healthy hands and outlines steps to take if you do experience a hand rip.
Hand Care Tips for CrossFit:
Maintain proper hygiene:
Wash your hands regularly with mild soap and water to remove sweat, dirt, and bacteria that can contribute to infections.
Dry your hands thoroughly after washing to prevent excessive moisture, which can weaken the skin.
Moisturize regularly:
Apply a high-quality hand cream or lotion to keep your skin hydrated and prevent dryness.
Look for products that contain ingredients like natural bees wax, shea butter, coconut oil, or vitamin E. These are common ingredients in lip balms.
Protect your hands:
Some athletes could benefit with a gymnastics style grip that helps take off pressure off your body weight. Keeping your hands dry during a WOD could help, avoid excess chalk use and rather dry your hands with a shirt or towel.
Gradually build calluses:
Calluses can provide some protection for your hands, but they need to be maintained to avoid them becoming too raised which is where the rip occurs.
You can use a callus shaver to remove the raised area followed with a good moisturizer. You could even use a file or pumice stone. Avoid shaving the callus too much.
Proper grip technique:
Learn and practice the correct grip technique and use of the grips to minimize excessive strain on your hands.
What to Do If Your Hands Rip:
Stop the activity:
If you feel a rip or tear occurring during a workout, stop the activity immediately to prevent further damage, make use of floor based movements to keep moving and keep intensity up.
Cleanse the area:
Wash your hands with mild soap and water to clean the affected area and remove any debris or bacteria. It will sting like a M$@#^&r but its important to keep it clean. Trim any excess dead skin with a scissor or nail clipper.
Moisturize the rip and protect the area:
Cover the rip with a sterile bandage or non-stick gauze pad to provide a protective barrier and promote healing, apply a beeswax balm on the area as often as possible – the more frequent the better. Beeswax is natural and helps heal the rip quickly. Bonus Vitamin E promotes healing.
Allow healing:
Give your hands time to heal by avoiding activities that put excessive pressure or strain on the affected area.
Consider modifying your workouts to focus on other body parts while your hands recover.
Proper hand care is essential for CrossFit athletes to maintain healthy hands and prevent painful rips and tears. By following these hand care tips, practicing good hygiene, using protective gear, and implementing correct grip techniques, you can minimize the risk of hand injuries. However, if a rip does occur, taking prompt action by cleansing, protecting, will aid in a quicker and more effective recovery.
Richie Mc Wade CFT L 3, Head Coach