Middle Back Relief Stretches
This is for you if you have pain between the shoulder blades or if your mid-back is tight, sore or achy. Click on each arrow to reveal pictures and instructions.
DISCLAIMER:
1. These stretches are not designed to be medical advice. First consult a medical professional to ensure you don’t have an issue that requires medical attention (ie. break, infection, tumor, tear or organ involvement.)
2. If any of the stretches cause pain, stop doing it and move on to the next one.
1. Do the stretches at least once daily until the pain is gone for a full 24 hours. For faster results, repeat the sequence as much as 10x/day in the order given. If any stretch causes discomfort, skip that stretch for now and reintroduce it later.
2. Once the tension, aches and pains are gone, use the daily warm-up exercises to stay feeling young and active.
If Sitting, Do Theses - Takes 2 Mins
HOW: CLASP ARMS BEHIND BACK TO EMPHASIZE GOOD POSTURE. LOOK UP AND SQUEEZE KNEES.
HOW: ELBOWS BENT WITH ARMS RAISED IN A “STICK’EM UP” POSITION. CIRCLE ELBOWS UP AND BACKWARD.
HOW: WITH FOCUSED BREATHING, BLOW OUT AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE WHILE PULLING YOUR BELLY IN AS CLOSE TO YOUR SPINE AS YOU CAN. NOW REACH OVERHEAD TO TOUCH THE BACK OF YOUR SHOULDERS. HOLD THE VACUUM FOR 5 SECONDS.
HOW: HANDS ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD. SQUEEZE SHOULDER BLADES LIGHTLY TOGETHER. PRESS LIGHTLY WITH YOUR HEELS INTO THE FLOOR. PUSH YOUR BELLY FORWARD. HOLD THIS POSITION WITHOUT STANDING.
Add this whenever sitting
HOW: SIT IN A CHAIR WITH YOUR BUTTOCKS AS FAR BACK AS POSSIBLE. NOW ROLL UP A TOWEL AND PLACE BETWEEN YOUR SHOULDER BLADES. RELAX IN THIS POSITION.
If Lying Down, Do These - Takes 4 Mins
HOW: GET ON ALL FOURS. KNEES HIP WIDTH APART. WHILE KEEPING ARMS STRAIGHT, DIP BELLY, DROP HEAD AND SQUEEZE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER. LEAN WEIGHT INTO YOUR HANDS. HOLD POSITION.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. NOW WITH ARMS OUT 45 DEGREES FROM YOUR SIDE, PRESS ELBOWS INTO GROUND TO FEEL SHOULDER BLADES PRESS TOGETHER. THEN PLACE HANDS FLAT ON GROUND AND PRESS ELBOWS. THEN PALMS UP AND PRESS.
HOW: CLASP HANDS AND LOWER ARMS OVERHEAD TO TOUCH THE GROUND AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR STOMACH, ARMS STRAIGHT OVERHEAD. PIGEON-TOE FEET TOWARD EACH OTHER. REST FOREARMS ON PILLOWS AND HOLD POSITION. THEN MOVE ARMS TO REST ON PILLOWS AT 45 DEGREES, THEN AT 90 DEGREES STRAIGHT OUT FROM THE BODY.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK. PRESS YOUR HEELS INTO THE GROUND TO RAISE UP YOUR BUTTOCKS UNTIL YOUR HIPS ARE STRAIGHT WITH YOUR TORSO. HOLD POSITION FOR 2 SECONDS, THEN LOWER BUTT TO THE GROUND.
Add this whenever resting
HOW: LIE ON BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. ARMS REST WITH PALMS UP. RELAX AS HOLD POSITION. FOCUS ON BREATHING.
If Standing, Do These - Takes 4 Mins
HOW: CLASP FINGERS TOGETHER AND RAISE ARMS OVERHEAD WITH PALMS OUTWARD. LOOK UPWARD TOWARD HANDS. PRACTICE GETTING HANDS AS FAR STRAIGHT OVERHEAD WITHOUT DEEP SWAYING OF YOUR BACK. HOLD THIS POSITION FOR 4 SECONDS EACH REPETITION.
HOW: ARMS POINTING UPWARD, ELBOWS BENT 90 DEGREES. LEAN BACK INTO WALL AND TOUCH ELBOWS AND WRISTS TO THE WALL. GLIDE ARMS UP AND DOWN THE WALL.
HOW: PIGEON-TOE FEET. STRAIGHT ARMS OVERHEAD WITH, PALMS FACING BEHIND, THUMBS TURNED TO POINT AS FAR OUTWARD TO THE SIDES AS POSSIBLE. HOLD POSITION. THEN MOVE ARMS TO 45 DEGREES, THEN AT 90 DEGREES STRAIGHT OUT FROM THE BODY.
HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.
HOW: WITH STRAIGHT ARMS, HINGE AT YOUR HIPS, PRESSING BELLY TOWARD THE GROUND SO AS TO CREATE A TABLETOP WITH YOUR BACK. NOW WITH VARIOUS FOOT POSITIONS, FIRST PIGEON-TOED, HOLD POSITION. THEN DUCK-TOED. THEN FEET LINED UP.
