I've been training boxing 3-4 times a week for about 6 months now and my wrists have been bothering me for the past month even when I'm not at the gym. I wrap them before every session and use decent gloves, but the pain is getting worse instead of better. Should I take time off or is there something I'm doing wrong?
Don't just push through this thinking it'll sort itself out - persistent wrist pain that's getting worse is telling you something's actually wrong, and boxing will only make it worse. You need to stop training and see someone who can properly assess what's going on, whether that's a physio or doctor, because it could be anything from poor wrapping technique to an actual strain or alignment issue that needs fixing before you get back to it.
Taking a full break might not be the right move if it's something fixable with better form or equipment - but you're right to take this seriously since it's getting worse instead of stabilizing. A month of persistent pain that doesn't improve with rest days is worth investigating properly. Have you checked whether your wraps are actually supporting your wrists the right way? A lot of people wrap too loosely or in a way that doesn't stabilize the joint properly, which puts stress in the wrong places. You might also be gripping the gloves or holding your hands in a way that's straining your wrists - sometimes it's about how you're making contact, not just how often.
The smart move here is probably to scale back intensity while you figure out what's actually happening. Skip the heavy bag work for a bit and focus on pad work or shadowboxing where you control the impact yourself. But honestly, if this doesn't improve in another week or two of modified training, you should get it looked at by someone who knows hand/wrist injuries - could be something like tendinitis that needs actual attention and not just guessing at solutions. Wrists are finicky and they don't heal well if you keep reaggravating them.
The thing folks often miss is that wrapping and gloves only *support* your wrists - they don't fix underlying issues with how you're throwing punches or holding your hands, and bad form just gets reinforced every session until something really goes wrong. Before you decide between taking time off or pushing through, get someone who actually knows boxing mechanics to watch your technique, because wrist pain that's worsening suggests either you're loading them wrong on impact, your hand position is off, or your wraps aren't tight enough to actually stabilize anything (most people wrap way too loose).
If the form checks out and wraps are solid, then yeah, a break's probably necessary - but it might be just a week or two of modified training (heavy bag work without full power, focus mitts with lighter contact) rather than stopping completely. The real pitfall is waiting it out thinking rest alone will fix it when you go right back to the same movement that caused it.
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