Exercises for stretching the shoulder girdle. Flexible body. Bridge with clasped hands

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    We have prepared for you the most effective exercises for stretching the muscles of the arms, forearms and shoulder girdle. Remember, the key to stretching is to not do the exercise until it hurts. You always need to know when to stop and progress gradually.

    For the front of the shoulders

    Stretch the front deltoid:

  1. Standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Hands behind your back, one clasping the other's wrist.
  2. Raise your wrists as high as possible and bend your elbows. The chest needs to be arched forward. Shoulders tense. You will feel the front of your shoulder stretch.

For the middle part of the shoulders

This exercise allows you to stretch your middle deltoids:

  1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Press one hand to the body in a position as in the photo below. With the fingers of your other hand, grab your elbow and pull it to the side and down. Do not move the shoulder itself to the side; it should be fixed in one place.
  3. Repeat with the other hand.

For the back of the shoulders

The exercise is aimed at stretching rear deltoid and rotator cuff:

  • The body position is the same.
  • Raise one arm until it is parallel to the floor and, without bending, reach across your chest to the other shoulder. Use your other hand to help at the elbow at the end of the movement. The body remains motionless.
  • Repeat the movement for the other hand.

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Triceps stretch

You can stretch the triceps brachii muscle in the following way:

  1. Stand straight, bend your knees slightly.
  2. Place your arm bent at the elbow behind your head. The shoulder should be perpendicular to the floor.
  3. With your other hand, grab your working elbow and press, trying to bring it even further behind your head. The elbow of the hand you are pulling should be bent as much as possible, the palm reaching towards the shoulder blades (towards the spine). The torso remains straight.
  4. Switch hands.

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Exercise for the biceps brachii muscle:

  1. Hook your fingers on a door frame or other similar surface with your elbow facing up and thumb looked down. The hand is parallel to the floor.
  2. Move your body forward slightly.
  3. Repeat for the other hand.

Triceps and Shoulder Stretch

This complex exercise, which allows you to stretch both the triceps and shoulders at once:

  1. Feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bent.
  2. The hand of one hand is placed behind the back from below. The palm turned outward is pressed to the back.
  3. The other hand also goes back, but over the top. The elbow looks up, with our fingers we reach the tips of the fingers of the second hand. Try to close your fingers into a lock. This may not work at first; a simple touch will be enough. If this doesn’t work, use a rope and “crawl” along it with your fingers towards each other. Over time you will be able to touch them.
  4. Switch hands and repeat the movement.

© bnenin - stock.adobe.com Wrist flexor stretch

Now let's stretch inner surface forearms:

  1. Stand straight, knees slightly bent. The exercise can also be performed while sitting.
  2. Extend your straight working arm in front of you. Make a “stop” gesture with your palm. Raise your palm as high as possible (namely the palm, not the whole arm).
  3. With your other hand, grab your palm and pull it towards you.
  4. Do an exercise for your second hand.

Stretching is an exercise aimed at developing flexibility and mobility in the joints. Its name comes from the English word “stretching” - stretching. Stretching harmoniously and naturally develops and strengthens the systems and functions of your body.

Most of us have to hold a towel in our hands at least once a day. Towel or elastic bandage- good tools for stretching the muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle and chest. Take the towel by the two ends so that with outstretched arms you can freely carry it behind your back over your head. Don't strain or twist your arms. They should be far enough apart that you can lift them up above your head and behind your back with relative ease. Breathe slowly. Don't hold your breath.

The Best Stretches for the Upper Body

To increase the load, reduce the distance between your hands and repeat the movement without bending your elbows. Don't overexert yourself. If you can't do the exercise with your arms straight, it means your arms are too close. Grasp the towel towards the ends.

You can hold the stretch in any phase of the movement. This way you will be able to stretch the muscles of a given area of ​​the body in various combinations.

For example, if you feel increased stiffness and soreness in your chest muscles, you can focus the load on them by pausing the movement with your hands behind your back at shoulder level, as shown in the figure above.

Hold for 10-15 seconds.

Stretching muscles is not a competition. You don't need to compare your results to other people's because we are all different. Moreover, even we ourselves feel differently on different days: on some days our body demonstrates a much greater degree of mobility than on others. Stretch for pleasure, without trying to jump over your head, and you will see for yourself that proper stretching provides a huge influx of physical energy.

Here's another exercise using a towel.

Raise the towel above your head without bending your elbows. Take away left hand back and down to shoulder level and at the same time bend your right arm at the elbow at an angle of approximately 90°.

Now straighten your right arm and lower it to the same level as your left, then lower both arms down at the same time.

This exercise can be performed slowly, as one movement, or you can stop at any phase to focus the load on a specific area. Repeat the movement in the other direction, lowering your right hand first.

As you increase muscle elasticity and joint flexibility, you will be able to reduce the distance between your hands.

The main thing is not to overexert yourself.

In my opinion, good mobility in the arms and shoulder girdle really contributes to success in sports such as tennis, running, walking and, of course, swimming (not to mention many others that also require flexibility).

Stretching the muscles in the chest area reduces their tension, increases elasticity, increases blood circulation and makes breathing easier. Stretch top part

body and maintaining its flexibility is very easy if you do it regularly. Note.

If you have (or have been injured) your shoulder; be very careful. Perform the movements slowly and if painful sensations appear, stop stretching immediately. published.

If you have any questions, please ask

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet
Of the five pairs of movements mentioned here, lifting and lowering, adduction and abduction of the shoulder joints are usually classified as stabilizing actions. Most of the muscles involved in movement and stabilization of the shoulder are located on the back. TO posterior group muscles include infraspinatus, supraspinatus and subscapularis muscle, teres major and minor, levator scapulae, deltoid and triceps brachii, subclavius, latissimus dorsi, trapezius and rhomboid muscles. The anterior group of muscles includes the pectoralis major and minor muscles, the anterior serratus muscle, deltoid, biceps (biceps) and coracobrachialis muscles.
Muscle spasms and pain in the neck area (middle and upper bands trapezius muscle), shoulders (trapezius, deltoid and supraspinatus), upper back (rhomboids and levator scapulae) and chest, surprisingly, are usually the result of tight antagonistic muscles. In other words, tight upper chest muscles cause upper back pain. Strained chest muscles (such as the pectoralis major muscle) cause a constant, mild strain in the muscles of the upper back. To prevent this, it is best to work the front bundles of the chest and shoulder muscles. In this regard, before training a specific muscle group and immediately after it, it is recommended to stretch the antagonist muscles. By doing this at least three times a week, you will improve muscle elasticity and build strength.
Many of the exercises here involve stretching one side of the body (left or right). The same movements must be performed for the other half of the body.

Execution: Stand in the doorway. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with one slightly in front of the other. Raise your arms straight to shoulder level and place your palms on the wall on either side of the doorway. Thumbs hands facing up. Lean forward with your whole body.
Muscles worked:
To a greater extent: large pectoral muscle, anterior deltoid muscle, coracobrachialis muscle, biceps.
To a lesser extent: infraspinatus muscle, latissimus dorsi muscle, subclavian muscle, lower trapezius muscle.

Recommendations: Elbow joint must be turned off. The back is straight. The more you lean forward, the better the stretch will be. The degree of tilt depends on how far your leg is forward, so the distance between your legs should be such that you can maintain balance. At the same time, you can perform stretching exercises for the neck extensor muscles. However, in this case it will be somewhat less effective, since the hands do not rest on the back of the head.


When you raise your arms above shoulder level, additional muscles are activated.
Performance
Stand in the doorway. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with one slightly in front of the other. Raise your straightened arms above head level and place your palms on the wall on either side of the doorway. Thumbs pointing up. Lean forward with your whole body.
Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: pectoralis major muscle, anterior deltoid muscle, coracobrachialis muscle, biceps, pectoralis minor muscle.
To a lesser extent: latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius muscle, subclavian muscle.

Performance
Stand in the doorway so that your right shoulder is opposite the right jamb. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other. Grasp the right jamb with your left hand at shoulder level; thumb facing down. Rotate your torso to the right until you feel the muscles in the back of your left shoulder stretch.

Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: posterior and middle bundles of the left deltoid muscle, left latissimus dorsi, left triceps, middle bundle of the left trapezius muscle, left rhomboid muscles.
To a lesser extent: left teres major and minor, left supraspinatus, left serratus anterior.
Recommendations
The elbow joint should be turned off. Over time, as the muscles become more flexible, you will need to hold the joint below shoulder level to disengage the joint. Higher hand position does not reduce value this exercise, however, as you ascend, the degree of stretch of the rhomboid muscles decreases, and the anterior serratus muscle increases.

Performance
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your left hand as far as possible to your right hip. With your right hand, grab the elbow of your left hand. Pull it down and to the right.
Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: the posterior bundle of the left deltoid muscle, the left latissimus dorsi, the left triceps, the lower and middle bundles of the left trapezius muscle.
To a lesser extent: left teres major and minor muscles, left supraspinatus muscle, left muscle levator scapulae, left rhomboid muscles.
Recommendations
Don't raise your shoulders. The spine should maintain its natural curve.

If you raise your arm, the muscles that lift and adduct the shoulder joints will be stretched to a greater extent.
Performance
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your left hand and press it to your head. With your right hand, grab your left elbow and pull it behind your head.
Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: left posterior deltoid, left latissimus dorsi, left triceps, left lower trapezius, left serratus anterior.
To a lesser extent: left teres major and minor, left supraspinatus and rhomboid muscles, left pectoralis minor.

Performance
Stand up straight (or sit on a chair without a backrest). Place your left arm behind your back and bend your elbow at a 90-degree angle. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other. Grab your left elbow with your right hand. Pull it to the right and up.
Muscles being worked

To a greater extent: the left pectoralis major muscle, the anterior and middle bundles of the left deltoid muscle.
To a lesser extent: left levator scapulae, left pectoralis minor, left serratus anterior, left supraspinatus and coracobrachialis.

Recommendations
If you can't reach your elbow, grab your forearm. It is easier to pull the arm horizontally, but the greatest effect can be achieved if you also pull it up. The elbow joint should be firmly fixed at an angle of 90 degrees. Changing the position of your back also affects the degree of stretching. If you can't keep your back straight, lean forward a little. Be careful: it is easy to lose your balance in this position.

Performance
Take a half squat position in front of the doorway so that your right shoulder is opposite the left jamb. Grasp the left jamb at shoulder level with your right hand. Keeping your arm straight and your feet flat on the floor, squat deeper, lowering your pelvis down.

Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: posterior bundle of the right deltoid muscle, middle bundle of the right trapezius muscle, right triceps, right major teres muscle, right rhomboid muscles, right infraspinatus muscle.
To a lesser extent: right latissimus dorsi, right teres minor, right and supraspinatus, right serratus anterior.
from the floor, squat deeper, lowering your pelvis down.
Recommendations
How deeper squat, the stronger the stretch, but try not to squat so much that you feel pain in your legs. To reduce tension, change where you grip the joint. But in this case, the muscle groups undergoing stretching will also change. No matter what level you are holding on to the door frame, your spine should maintain its natural curve. To achieve better stretching, you can turn your torso to the left.

Option

Changing the position of the hand on the jamb also changes the muscle groups being worked.
Performance
Take a semi-squat position in front of the doorway so that your right shoulder is opposite the left jamb. Grab the left door frame with your right hand above head level. Keeping your arm straight and without lifting your feet from the floor, squat deeper, lowering your pelvis down.
Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: right posterior deltoid, right latissimus dorsi, right triceps, right teres major, right infraspinatus.
To a lesser extent: right teres minor, right supraspinatus, middle fascicle of right trapezius muscle.

Performance
Sit on the floor with your legs straight. Place the palms of your straightened arms (fingers facing back) on the floor at a distance of 30 cm from the pelvis. Without bending your arms, lean back.
Muscles being worked
To a greater extent: pectoralis major muscle, anterior deltoid muscle, coracobrachialis muscle, pectoralis minor muscle.
To a lesser extent: latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius muscle, subclavian muscle, rhomboid muscles.
Recommendations
Keep your arms straight while performing the exercise. If you have difficulty, move your hands closer to your pelvis. The further the hands rest, the stronger the stretch. To keep your body still, you may need to press your feet against the wall. It is better to sit on the mat, resting your hands on a hard surface.

Movements that involve the muscles of the shoulders, back and chest

To be stretched a certain muscle, it is necessary to perform a movement opposite to the one in which she is participating. If the muscle is very tight, you need to do simple moves. As muscle elasticity increases, additional counter movements can be added.

There are many hand stretches that can help relieve tension and increase flexibility. Most of the sitting and standing exercises can be done anywhere.

The tension in the upper body that many people suffer from is due to the constant stress of everyday life. Upper body muscle stiffness is a common problem for many athletes who do not pay enough attention to stretching this area.

Hand exercises No. 1

While kneeling, bend over and reach with outstretched arms floor, and then, lightly pressing your palms to the floor, move back. This stretch can be done with one or both hands together. The one-arm option allows you to more effectively control the amount of load and train each side of the body separately. You should feel a stretch in your shoulders, arms, latissimus dorsi or sides of your torso, upper back, and even your lower back. When performing the exercise for the first time, you may only feel a stretch in your shoulders and arms, but as you become more comfortable with the movement, you will learn to stretch other areas of the body; By moving your pelvis slightly to the right or left, you can increase or decrease the stretch. Don't tense up. Relax. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.

Exercise for forearms and wrists No. 2

Place your knees and palms on the floor. Your toes should point outward and your fingers should point toward your knees. With your palms flat on the floor, lean back to stretch the front of your forearms. Hold a gentle stretch for 10-20 seconds. Relax and then stretch again. You may be surprised at how tense your muscles are in this area.

When performing upper body stretches, bend your knees slightly.

With your arms extended above your head and your palms together as shown in the figure, stretch your arms up and slightly back. Inhale as you stretch. Hold the stretch for 5-8 seconds without holding your breath. This is a great exercise for muscles outside arms, shoulders and chest. It can be performed anytime and anywhere to relieve tension, achieve a feeling of relaxation and well-being.

Remember: When doing the exercises, breathe deeply and relax your lower jaw.

To stretch your shoulder and mid-shoulder girdle, gently draw your elbow toward your opposite shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds.

Hand exercises No. 3

Stretching using the PNS method: contraction - relaxation - stretching.

Take a standing position with your knees slightly bent. With your left hand, grasp the outer surface of your right arm just above the elbow. Move your right hand to the side, overcoming the resistance of your left hand. Hold your hand in a state of static contraction for 3-4 seconds (Fig. 1). After a moment of relaxation, gently pull your right hand towards your left shoulder until you feel a pleasant stretch in the outer part of the shoulder and the right half of the shoulder girdle (Fig. 2). Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat the exercise for the other hand.

I offer you a simple stretch for the triceps and upper shoulders. Raising your arms above your head, grab your elbow with one hand and the other. Gently pull your elbow behind your head, creating a slight stretch. Perform the movement slowly. Hold for 15 seconds. Don't hold your breath.

Stretch both sides. Do you feel a difference in their mobility? This good way developing flexibility in the shoulders and arms. This stretch can be done while walking.

Hand exercises No. 4

Stretching using the PNS method: contraction - relaxation - stretching.

Take a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Grasp your right elbow with your left hand. Try to move your right elbow down, overcoming the resistance of your left hand. Hold the static contraction of the arm for 3-4 seconds (Fig. 1). After relaxing for a second, gently pull your elbow behind your head until you feel a slight stretch in the back of your shoulder, much the same as in the previous exercise (Fig. 2). Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat for the other hand.

Take a standing position with your knees slightly bent. Bend your right arm at the elbow and place it behind your head. Grab your right elbow with your left hand. To stretch your axillary and shoulder muscles, tilt your head back toward your right forearm until you feel a pleasant stretch. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Do the exercise for both sides.

Hand exercise option

Take a standing position, legs slightly bent at the knees (2-3 cm). Gently pull your elbow behind your head while leaning to the side. Hold a gentle stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat for the other side. To maintain balance, your legs should be slightly bent at the knees. Don't hold your breath.

Hand exercises No. 5

Another shoulder exercise

Place your left hand behind your head as far as possible and, if possible, reach the fingers of your right hand, placed behind your back from below, palm facing out. Interlock your fingers and hold the position for 5-10 seconds. If you can't clasp your hands, try one of the following options.
Have someone help you pull your arms toward each other until you feel a slight stretch and hold them there. Don't stretch too much. Quite a sufficient stretch can be achieved without joining the hands. Stretch according to your capabilities.

Try throwing a towel held in one hand behind your back. With your other hand, grab the bottom of the towel. Gradually grab the towel higher and higher, pulling the hand behind your head down. Do this exercise every day, stretching further and further. Over time, you will be able to perform these stretches without assistance. Exercise reduces tension and develops flexibility. In addition, it helps get rid of fatigue.

Interlock your fingers in front of you at shoulder level. Turn your palms outward while straightening your arms forward to feel a stretch in your midsection, shoulders, forearms, hands, fingers, and wrists. Hold the gentle stretch for 15 seconds, then relax and repeat.

Hand exercises No. 6

One shoulder shrug

Start the exercise with your relaxed shoulders down. Raise your left shoulder up towards your left earlobe. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Relax your shoulder and lower it down, then repeat the movement with the other shoulder. This stretch is great for relieving shoulder tension.

Hand exercises No. 7

Shrug

Raise your shoulders toward your ears until you feel a slight tension in your neck and shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds. Then relax your shoulders and lower them down.

Say to yourself: “Shoulders up, shoulders down.”

Now gently lower your right shoulder down and at the same time tilt your head towards your left shoulder. Hold a nice stretch for 5 seconds, then repeat with your left shoulder. Interlock your fingers above your head and, with your palms facing upward, extend your arms up and slightly back. Feel the stretch in your arms, shoulders and shoulder girdle. Hold for 15 seconds. Don't hold your breath. This stretch can be done anywhere, anytime. It's great for relaxing your shoulders.

Breathe deeply. Stand with your knees slightly bent and place the palms of your hands, fingers down, on your lower back, just above your hips. Gently push your lower back forward to create a stretch in that part of your body. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat the movement twice. Use this stretch after sitting still for a long time. Don't hold your breath

To stretch the side of your neck, tilt your head toward your left shoulder and at the same time with your left hand, pull your right arm down and to the left behind your back. Hold the gentle stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat for the other side.

Stand in the doorway and place both hands on the door frames at shoulder level. Move your upper body forward until you feel a pleasant stretch in your arms and chest. While performing the exercise, keep your chest and head upright and your legs slightly bent at the knees. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

The following exercises are performed with the fingers locked behind the back.

The first stretch is performed by slowly turning your elbows inward. This way you stretch your shoulders, arms and chest. Hold for 10-15 seconds. If you find this exercise too easy, raise your arms behind your back until you feel a stretch in your arms, shoulders, or chest. Hold the gentle stretch for 5-10 seconds. This workout is very useful for people prone to slouching. The chest should be pushed forward as much as possible and the chin should be tucked back. Performed at any convenient time.

SCHEME OF EXERCISES FOR STRETCHING THE BACK, SHOULDERS AND ARMS

Exercises can be performed in the specified order, as a single complex.

Understretching is always better than overstretching. Each time, try to leave some reserve of painless movement, without trying to reach the limit of your capabilities. At the same time, it is advisable to perform hand exercises as often as possible.

Shoulder stretches, including stretching the front of the shoulder, chest, triceps and latissimus dorsi.

Stretching the front of the shoulder

There are several ways to stretch the muscles at the front of the shoulder.

Variations:

Place your palms on bottom part backs.
Try to bring your elbows together behind your back.

Muscles involved:
deltoid pectoralis major muscle

Stretching is a training complex methodology, which stretches the limbs of the body and muscles. Its original name“stretching” she received due to the fact that she began to practice separately from aerobic exercise, in order to improve the health of the body and give it flexibility.

Stretching the front of the shoulder. Option No2

For this shoulder girdle training exercise, you can use furniture, a doorway and other stable objects, as shown in the picture

Muscles involved:
deltoid
Pectoralis major muscle

Chest stretching

Muscles involved:

Pectoralis major muscle
Pectoral muscles

Stretching the pectoral muscles and shoulder girdle with the help of a partner

Exercises done with the help of a partner can be quite effective. The main thing is to control the process and tell your partner when you need to stop the stretching exercise.

  1. Stand straight and clasp your hands behind your back, raising them slightly.
  2. Your partner should stand behind you and hold your hands.
  3. Ask your partner to apply gentle pressure on your hands around the wrists.
  4. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.

Muscles involved:

Pectoralis major muscle
Pectoralis minor muscle

Triceps stretching: exercises in pictures and video

When it comes to arm muscles, triceps are often overlooked. Stretching your triceps arms, especially after weight training, will help eliminate or reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.

Triceps stretching warm-up

Muscles involved:
Three-headed

Watch the video on how to properly perform triceps stretches:

Triceps stretching is recommended to be performed after strength training, because Stretching relaxes the muscles. When you perform strength exercise, then after the end the muscles remain compressed. Recovery occurs during rest. Stretching allows you to reduce this time to a minimum.


Stretching the latissimus dorsi muscle

Not difficult exercise for triceps stretching, which can be included in any workout

Variations:

You can pull one shoulder at a time.

Muscles involved:
Latissimus muscle backs

Back Shoulder Stretch

Stretching the muscles of the back of the shoulder will be effective in treating shoulder injuries, as well as tension in the muscles of the upper back and neck, and stretching the triceps.

Muscles involved:
Posterior deltoid muscle
Supraspinatus muscle
Subosseous muscle
Rhomboid major muscle

Stretch the back of the shoulder. Option No2

Muscles involved:
Supraspinatus muscle
Subosseous muscle

Stretching exercise for the periosteum muscle

Muscles involved:
Periosteum muscle

Forced stretching of the triceps arm with the help of a partner

  1. The partner supports the elbow and holds the wrist with the other hand.
  2. The hand moves towards the shoulder until the athlete feels a stretch.

Muscles involved:
Triceps shoulder

Repeat after the instructor as shown in the video:

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