Wrists ache the day after push-ups, is this something beginners just get Training Around Pain

Common, and mostly it's the extension angle rather than the load. A flat-hand push-up puts your wrist at roughly 90 degrees of extension, which is near end range for most desk workers whose wrists spend all day at neutral. The joint isn't damaged, it's just being asked for a range it never uses.

What to do:

• push-ups on parallettes, dumbbells or even the edge of a book, so the wrist stays neutral
• if you want to keep them flat, spread your fingers wide and actively grip the floor — that shifts load off the heel of the hand
• two minutes of wrist prep before training: gentle rocking on hands and knees forward and back, palms down then palms up, no forcing

The ache should fade over a few weeks as the range becomes normal. If it turns sharp or starts appearing during the set rather than the next day, get it looked at.

Also check hand position. Hands should be roughly under the shoulders or slightly wider, fingers pointing forward or very slightly out. A lot of beginners creep the hands up toward the head, which increases wrist extension and shoulder strain at the same time.

Cheap fix if you don't want to buy parallettes — do them with your hands on the edge of a solid step or two thick hardback books. Same neutral-ish angle, costs nothing.

Desk work is relevant here. Six hours of typing plus loaded wrist extension in the evening is a fair amount of total wrist stress. The training is probably fine and the day job is what makes it linger.

Six weeks in, some new aches in joints that aren't used to being loaded are ordinary. The rule I use: dull and next-day is adaptation, sharp or during the movement is a problem. Yours sounds like the first one but keep an eye on it.