You can try these arm, shoulder and chest stretches any time your upper body feels sore.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative The 30-Day Push-Up Challenge helps you perfect your form, discover new variations and build up to doing 60 push-ups in one day. Click here for all the details on the challenge. Biceps and triceps, high-intensity and recovery, warm-up and cooldown: You need opposites for a balanced workout. If you’ve been doing a bunch of reps for our 30-Day Push-Up Challenge (or doing a lot of upper-body work on your own), you need to stretch the muscles you’ve been strengthening.
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To give your arms, shoulders and/or chest muscles a little relief, below, Maillard Howell, personal trainer, CrossFit level 2 coach and owner of Dean CrossFit in Brooklyn, NY, demonstrates some of the best upper-body stretches you can do to ease muscle soreness after doing daily push-ups.
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1. Wrist Stretch Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
15 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Grab the fingers of your right hand with your left hand. Extend your right arm straight, palm facing out and fingers pointing down, then gently pull back on your fingers. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Flip your palm to face you. Gently pull and hold in this position for another 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other wrist.
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Tip You can also do this stretch with your fingers pointing up.
Wall Chest Stretch Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time 30 Sec Type Flexibility Body Part Chest
Stand about a foot away from a wall, pole or other immovable surface. Place your right hand on the wall (or grab the pole) and twist away, keeping your hand in place. Keep twisting away from the wall until you feel the stretch through your chest and into your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Show Instructions
3. Chest and Shoulder Stretch Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Grab your hands behind your back. Keep your arms straight (but don’t lock your elbows) as you lift your hands up until you feel a gentle stretch in your chest and shoulders. Play around with the position and height of your hands until you feel the stretch where you feel the soreness. Hold for 30 seconds.
Show Instructions
4. Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Shoulders
Pull your right arm across your chest and hold it in place with your left hand. Use your left hand to gently pull it closer to your chest and further to the left. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Show Instructions
5. Triceps Stretch Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Raise your right arm overhead and bend at the elbow so that your right hand touches your back. Use your left hand to pull your elbow further to the left so that you feel a stretch in the back of your right upper arm (triceps). Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Show Instructions
6. Wrist Mobility Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Hold your hands out in front of you and roll your wrists in circles that move out to the side. Switch to make circles going inward. Flex and extend your wrists. Keep moving your wrists around in ways that feel good and put them through their full range of motion.
Show Instructions
7. Foam Rolling Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Activity
Mobility Workout
Region
Upper Body
Though some people may consider the foam roller more of a modern torture device than a recovery tool, as long as you're feeling discomfort and not pain, this humble piece of equipment can help ease muscle soreness and prep you for your next batch of push-ups.
Place the body part where you’re feeling sore — upper back, chest, obliques — on the roller and apply gentle pressure as you roll it out, staying put on any spot that feels particularly tender.
Show Instructions
Related Reading Everything You Need to Know to Start Foam Rolling Your Tight Muscles
Explore More Upper-Body Stretches
6 Simple Chest Stretches You Can Do Every Morning to Loosen Your Upper Body
by
Bojana Galic
The 5 Best Biceps Stretches for Tight Arms
by
Lynette Arceneaux
3 Triceps Stretches to Complement Your Upper-Body Workouts
by
Keri Mikulski
The 13 Best Shoulder Stretches, According to Physical Therapists
by
Bojana Galic
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You can try these arm, shoulder and chest stretches any time your upper body feels sore.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative
The 30-Day Push-Up Challenge helps you perfect your form, discover new variations and build up to doing 60 push-ups in one day. Click here for all the details on the challenge.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative
The 30-Day Push-Up Challenge helps you perfect your form, discover new variations and build up to doing 60 push-ups in one day. Click here for all the details on the challenge.
Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
15 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Grab the fingers of your right hand with your left hand. Extend your right arm straight, palm facing out and fingers pointing down, then gently pull back on your fingers. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Flip your palm to face you. Gently pull and hold in this position for another 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other wrist.
Show Instructions
Image Credit: @monica_dzik/LIVESTRONG.com
Time
15 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
You can also do this stretch with your fingers pointing up.
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Chest
Stand about a foot away from a wall, pole or other immovable surface. Place your right hand on the wall (or grab the pole) and twist away, keeping your hand in place. Keep twisting away from the wall until you feel the stretch through your chest and into your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Show Instructions
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Chest
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Grab your hands behind your back. Keep your arms straight (but don’t lock your elbows) as you lift your hands up until you feel a gentle stretch in your chest and shoulders. Play around with the position and height of your hands until you feel the stretch where you feel the soreness. Hold for 30 seconds.
Show Instructions
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Shoulders
Pull your right arm across your chest and hold it in place with your left hand. Use your left hand to gently pull it closer to your chest and further to the left. Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Show Instructions
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Shoulders
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Raise your right arm overhead and bend at the elbow so that your right hand touches your back. Use your left hand to pull your elbow further to the left so that you feel a stretch in the back of your right upper arm (triceps). Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Show Instructions
Time
30 Sec
Type
Flexibility
Body Part
Arms
Hold your hands out in front of you and roll your wrists in circles that move out to the side. Switch to make circles going inward. Flex and extend your wrists. Keep moving your wrists around in ways that feel good and put them through their full range of motion.
Show Instructions
Activity
Mobility Workout
Region
Upper Body
Though some people may consider the foam roller more of a modern torture device than a recovery tool, as long as you’re feeling discomfort and not pain, this humble piece of equipment can help ease muscle soreness and prep you for your next batch of push-ups. Place the body part where you’re feeling sore — upper back, chest, obliques — on the roller and apply gentle pressure as you roll it out, staying put on any spot that feels particularly tender.
Show Instructions
Activity
Mobility Workout
Region
Upper Body
Place the body part where you’re feeling sore — upper back, chest, obliques — on the roller and apply gentle pressure as you roll it out, staying put on any spot that feels particularly tender.
Everything You Need to Know to Start Foam Rolling Your Tight Muscles
6 Simple Chest Stretches You Can Do Every Morning to Loosen Your Upper Body
by
Bojana Galic
The 5 Best Biceps Stretches for Tight Arms
by
Lynette Arceneaux
3 Triceps Stretches to Complement Your Upper-Body Workouts
by
Keri Mikulski
The 13 Best Shoulder Stretches, According to Physical Therapists
by
Bojana Galic
