Stretches:
- Side of Neck Stretch:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, pelvis square to the ground, hips under shoulders.
- Keep ears over shoulders and nose straight ahead.
- Tilt your right ear to your right shoulder without letting your nose point down.
- Aim for a 45-degree tilt.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Back of Neck Stretch:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, pelvis square, slight pelvic tilt optional.
- Shoulders over hips, ears over shoulders.
- Rotate your face to the right, keeping the jaw parallel to the ground.
- If there’s sharp pain or dizziness, back off a little.
- Move into a side stretch by tilting ear to shoulder, keeping the nose straight ahead.
- Rotate the nose up to the left to stretch the front left side of the neck.
- For more stretch, hold your arms behind you.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Front of Chest Stretch:
- Right arm perpendicular and parallel to the ground, hand hooked onto a wall for support.
- Extend fingers backward to stretch the forearm and hand.
- Feet planted square on the ground, rotate your body away from the side you’re stretching.
- Turn your face and torso to the left if your right hand is on the wall.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Rotator Cuff and Posterior Shoulder Stretch:
- Right arm across the body, parallel to the ground.
- Grab the elbow with your left hand, pull it close to your body.
- Turn your torso, face, and neck in the direction your fingers are pointing.
- Repeat on the other side.
- For an additional stretch, reach around with the left hand on the back of the right one, push away, but keep the back straight.
- Tricep Stretch:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips.
- Right arm reaches up and bends to 90° over the back of the head.
- Keep the head up, do not drop it forward.
- Left arm grabs the right elbow and pulls to the left side.
- Lean more to the left to stretch the latissimus and tricep.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Wrist Extensor and Flexor Stretch:
- Hold the arm straight with the elbow locked.
- Push the wrist down and use the other hand to pull the forehand toward the body, keeping fingers straight.
- Hold until the stretch or burn goes away.
- To stretch the flexors, keep the arm straight, pull the fingers up, push the palm forward, and pull fingers back toward your shoulder.
- Hold for 30 seconds or until the burn in the flexor muscles goes away.
- Contract and open the hand repeatedly for 30 seconds.
- For a deeper stretch, use a prayer position to stretch flexor tendons, then invert hands to stretch extensor tendons.
