Upper body stretching exercises

Guidelines to follow

1. Hold each pose for 15 – 20 seconds or do 3 sets of 6-8 seconds.

2. Stretching can be unpleasant especially if you haven't done it before. It's not supposed to be painful though. If you feel pain – you should stop immediately.

3. Use full range of motion in jour joints, but don’t put too much pressure on them.

4. Never perform a stretching routine when your muscles are cold. You should perform a stretching exercises routine in the end of a warm-up routine and/or after a workout.

Neck stretching exercises

1. Slowly bend your head to one side. Try to touch your shoulder with your ear but don't lift your shoulder up. Look straight forward and don’t drop your chin down. Don’t overdo it or you may experience a very unpleasant burning feeling in your neck muscles. Repeat this exercise for both sides.



2. Duck your head forward. Try to touch your manubrium with your chin. Place your hands on the back of your head and push gently for extra resistance you can . If your back muscles are tense you may experience stretching sensation not only in your neck but also in your upper back muscles.



3. Slowly raise your chin up and tilt your head backwards. The front of your neck should be fully stretched. Try not to lift your shoulders up.



4. Slowly turn your head to one side as far as you can. Don’t bend your head backwards, keep it straight. Repeat with the other side. This exercise is great for joint mobility.



5. Gently strain your neck muscles and use your hands to provide resistance in forward, backward and side bending movements. These are isometric neck exercises that wil strengthen your neck a little bit too.

Shoulder stretching exercises

Shoulders tend to be very sensitive so be gentle

1. Stand straight and raise both arms up. Bend one arm in the elbow and slide it behind your back with the palm facing down. Use the hand of the other arm to push it down a little bit more.



2. Bend one arm and reach with it to the opposite side of the neck. Place your other hand on the elbow and push it towards your neck.



3. Put one arm behind your back at the waist line. Grab it with the other hand on the other side of your body and gently pull.

Chest stretching exercises

1. Stand in a doorway. Place your hand flat against the door frame. Bend your elbow to approximately 90 degrees. Keep your back straight and core region tight. Your lower arm remains in a constant contact with the door frame. Slowly push your upper body forward. This exercise provides very isolated chest stretch. Vary the hand placement (high and low) to get a better stretch from different angles.



2. Hold on to a vertical surface like a door frame. Keep your arm straight and parallel to the ground. Rotate your upper body outwards. Stop the rotation when you feel a stretch in your chest muscles and bicep.

Arm stretching exercises

Some of the following exercises are the ones that you already did for different muscles you don't have to necessary do them again. Just remember to do them correctly so that all of the needed muscles get a good stretch.

1. Keep your arm completely straight with palm facing away from you. Grab the fingers with your opposite hand and pull them towards your body.



2. Keep your arm completely straight with palm facing down. Grab the fingers with your opposite hand and pull them towards your body.



3. This is the same exercise you did for shoulder stretching. It stretches triceps also.



4. This is the same exercise you did for chest stretching. It's a good stretching exercise for biceps too.

Upper back stretching exercises

1. Hold on to something that is approximately at the height of your waist line with both hands and let your upper body fall backwards. Arch your back and flex your legs till you feel your back muscles stretching. This exercise will stretch upper back muscles and lats.

2. Grab an edge or a door handle with one hand and lean backwards keeping the upper body almost parallel to the ground. Rotate your upper body a little bit to get a better stretch in the lower back region.



3. Stand under a pull-up bar or any other horizontal bar or edge which is at least at the same height as you are. However, make sure that your feet are in contact with the ground when you hold on to the bar. Hold on to the bar with one arm. Lower your body down and rotate your upper body towards the stretch side.



4. Get down on all fours. Keep your head down and arch your back up as high as you can.

Lower back stretching exercises

1. Bend down and try to touch your toes with your fingers or even place your palms on the ground. Keep your legs straight. You can increase this stretch by either holding dumbbells in your hands or holding on to your calves and pulling you head down to your knees.

2. Lie on the ground. Raise your legs up while holding them completely straight. Slowly lift your legs over your head as far as you can comfortably go. If you feel the stretching more in the upper back or neck, be careful how far you go. If it feels ok try to touch the ground with your toes. If you want to go further slightly bend your knees and try to place them just behind your head.



3. Stand straight. Hold your arms by your shoulders or cross them on your chest. Rotate your shoulders to one side as far as you comfortably can. Pause and slowly rotate to the other side. Don’t use any rapid movements and never perform this stretching exercise while your muscles are cold. Remember to keep your legs in place.