Upper Back Relief Stretches
This is for you if you have a hunched forward rounding back, 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 Lying Down, Do These - Takes 3 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 WITH LEGS STRAIGHT UP WALL. GET BACK OF THE THIGH AS CLOSE TO THE WALL AS YOU CAN. FLEX FEET TOWARD YOUR BELLY. 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: LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH LEGS STRAIGHT UP WALL. GET BACK OF THE THIGH AS CLOSE TO THE WALL AS YOU CAN. FLEX FEET TOWARD YOUR BELLY. NOW CLASP HANDS AND LOWER THE ARMS OVERHEAD TO TOUCH THE GROUND AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE.
HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH LEGS STRAIGHT UP WALL. GET BACK OF THE THIGH AS CLOSE TO THE WALL AS YOU CAN. FLEX FEET TOWARD YOUR BELLY. NOW WITH ARMS OVERHEAD, GRAB FLOOR & HOLD. THEN GRAB FLOOR AT 45 DEGREES OUT, THEN GRAB FLOOR OUT TO THE SIDES.
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 4 SECONDS, THEN LOWER BUTT TO THE GROUND.
If Sitting, Do These - Takes 3 mins
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: 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 BREATH FOR 5 SECONDS, THEN RELAX AND REPEAT.
HOW: CLASP HANDS TOGETHER AND PLACE ON THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD. PRESS YOUR HEAD INTO YOUR HANDS.
If Standing, Do These - Takes 3 mins
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: PUSH DOWN ON SHOULDER USING OPPOSITE HAND. LOOK DOWN AT THE GROUND OPPOSITE THE SHOULDER PUSH DOWN. HOLD POSITION.
HOW: ELBOWS BENT WITH ARMS RAISED IN A “STICK’EM UP” POSITION. CIRCLE ELBOWS UP AND BACKWARD.
HOW: HOLD ONTO DOOR FRAME. BEND KNEES, HINGE HIPS, ARCH LOWER BACK FORWARD. KEEP TORSO STRAIGHT AND VERTICAL. ARMS STRAIGHT. HOLD POSITION.
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.
*SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO FACE THE WALL WITH THIS STRETCH. 
