Recently I was diagnosed with nerve damage similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm not allowed to lift weights or do push-ups. Now I'm not sure how to keep my arms toned. Any suggestions?

--KBMLC97

A lot of these ailments are caused by excessive extension of the wrists, like when you type on a computer keyboard for hours on end. One of the difficulties caused by carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive strain injuries is that you have to avoid gripping objects tightly, and flexing and extending your wrist. This makes it almost impossible to do any work with free weights and most weight machines.

Ask your doctor if it's OK to try some resistance work as long as you don't grip a dumbbell or weight machine handle tightly. For example, you should be able to use a pec deck without holding on to anything, just by pushing with your forearms and elbows against the pads. That will allow you to get some chest work done. On some pec decks you can reverse your position, facing away from the pads. If you can manage to get into that position, you can hold your arms horizontally, with your elbows bent and push backwards on the pads with your elbows. You can work your rear deltoids and upper back in this manner.

If you don't need a lot of resistance (10 pounds or less), you can put ankle/wrist weights around your wrists and do lateral raises (flies) for your shoulders also. You can do triceps extensions or kickbacks with the wrist weights and curls also. The important keys to remember are to keep your fingers open, palm relaxed, and to keep your wrist in a neutral position, neither flexed or extended. You can also try using elastic bands for some resistance exercises.

Since your wrist needs rest, for now you will have to avoid all pulling and pressing exercises like rowing and bench pressing. Another approach would be to work with a therapist or trainer who can give you manual resistance with the proper precautions. Swimming may be OK, ask your therapist or doctor. The great thing about swimming is that you can work your upper body muscles and get an aerobic workout at the same time.

Usually, good ol' rest is prescribed during the early stages of these injuries; when the appropriate time comes, strengthen your wrists to prevent a recurrence of the syndrome. Ask a therapist about wrist curls and extensions, squeezing a rubber ball, and doing hammer curls to help strengthen the muscles of your wrists and forearms. Use a wrist rest when working at a computer keyboard, and switch to a slightly bigger grip on all racquets and clubs. Use an extra roll of tape on bicycle handlebars.

While you're getting better, don't stop your leg strengthening exercises. You can do squats and lunges with your own body weight. In a gym, you can use a leg press with a selectorized weight stack, and the leg extension, leg curl, and abductor/adductor machines, all without holding on. Working your leg muscles will also help keep you from losing too much muscularity overall.

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