The upper back stretch is a bodyweight exercise designed to stretch and mobilize the upper back and shoulders. It is performed by extending the arms, interlacing the fingers, and raising the arms overhead while squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Also Works
Shoulders
How to Perform
1
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2
Extend your arms straight in front of you, parallel to the ground.
3
Interlace your fingers and rotate your palms away from your body.
4
Slowly raise your arms overhead, keeping them straight and parallel to each other.
5
As you raise your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
6
Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, then release and repeat.
Pro Tips
•Interlace your fingers and push your palms away from your body while rounding your upper back to maximize the stretch between the shoulder blades.
•Drop your chin toward your chest as you push forward to add a stretch along the posterior neck and upper traps.
•Hold the stretch for a full 20-30 seconds and focus on breathing into the area between your shoulder blades.
Common Mistakes
•Lifting the arms overhead without rounding the upper back, which stretches the shoulders but misses the upper back entirely.
•Holding the stretch for only a few seconds, which is not long enough for the muscle fibers to release.
•Tensing the shoulders up toward the ears during the stretch instead of keeping them relaxed.