To improve the flexibility of muscles and joints, and also reduce shoulder pain, stretching exercises for the arms and shoulders will be the best remedy. However, keep in mind that if you have injured your shoulder, you should consult your doctor or physical therapist before starting any stretches!
Many athletes believe that stretching not only helps reduce pain after physical activity, but also improves the technique of performing strength exercises, as it increases the range of motion.
Benefits of Muscle Stretching
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the entire body—no other joint travels through such a large range in each direction. But despite this, tightness of the shoulder muscles easily develops when receiving constant force load. These exercises will help bring the muscles to a normal physiological state, increase flexibility and reduce shoulder pain that occurs when there is a lack of muscle elasticity, performing a certain range of motion.
Improper and excessive stretching of muscles during stretching exercises can lead to further damage, such as injury, muscle or tendon rupture. If you want to do stretches for your deltoids and arms because you have tightness in your shoulders, it's important to first figure out why the problem exists. This may be a defense mechanism to prevent further damage. In any case, it may be more appropriate to start with a combination of gentler stretches after a good warm-up to improve mobility, stability and strength of the shoulder muscles, or after finishing a workout.
There is a lot of debate about the best way to perform stretching techniques after an arm and shoulder workout, with some people preferring a high number of repetitions, each with a short hold time, and others doing small springing movements at the end of the stretch. But the most effective way to perform a set of stretches is when you focus on lengthening the muscles and holding the position for thirty seconds, performing three to five repetitions. This may not be possible at first, in which case you can shorten the hold time.
Shoulder and arm stretching in pictures:
Below you can see a description of some exercises.
Shoulders
Cornerwall stretch
In this exercise, a shoulder stretch is performed, the muscles of the front surface of the shoulder are stretched simultaneously on both sides.
- Starting position: stand facing a corner or doorway and place your palms on the wall, spreading your arms out to the sides at shoulder level. Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees;
- Step one foot forward and bend your front knee until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
- You can shift the location of the stretch—where you feel the stretch—by changing the height of your arms. Try moving them up or down a short distance to find the best position for you;
- Control the amount of stretch by bending or straightening your front knee;
- If you want to stretch one shoulder a little more, rotate your body away from that arm.
Lying shoulder extension
The exercise affects the flexibility of the shoulder joints and is intended for greater extension of the back of the shoulders.
- Starting position: Lie on your left side, tilt your head toward your left shoulder, resting it on a small pillow or bolster, and place the arm you want to stretch under you. Your elbow should be bent. The forearm should point towards the ceiling;
- Using your free hand, gently pull your forearm toward you, feeling the stretch in your shoulder. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch to the other side and repeat 3-5 times.
Shoulder rotation
The exercise is designed to improve rotation in the shoulder joint.
- Starting position: Stand on the edge of an open doorway and place your right palm at the edge of the wall. Your elbow should be bent at a right angle and rest against your waist;
- Keeping your arm steady, slowly turn your body away from the door, turning your head toward your left shoulder, feeling a stretch on the front of your shoulder as you twist. Hold for 15-30 seconds, feeling a slight rotation in the shoulder blades, repeat on the other side 3-5 times.
Shoulder lock
Develops joint flexibility and stretches the front part of the deltas.
- Stand straight, clasp your palms behind your back, keeping your elbows straight;
- Raise your palms higher to enhance the stretch, control the position without causing pain.
Biceps
When doing stretching, do not forget to stretch all the muscles that worked after training. The following arm stretches improve the flexibility of the biceps brachii muscle.
Standing biceps stretch
- Starting position: stand with your side to the wall and place your palm on the wall at a distance between your shoulder and waist. Your fingers should point backwards;
- Step forward until your elbow is completely straight, then gently rotate your body away from the wall and pull your biceps, feeling the stretch from the front of your shoulder to your elbow. Switch hands and hold each position for 15-30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
Triceps
Triceps exercises for each arm should be performed at the same time, hold the position for a few seconds and repeat for the other side.
Triceps extension behind the head
- Starting position: sitting or standing, raise your arm, extending it towards the ceiling, bend your arm at the elbow. Bend your elbow so that your palm rests on the back of your shoulder, closer to your shoulder blade;
- Grab your elbow with your free hand and gently pull your elbow back, you should feel a stretch in your triceps. If you experience pain, hold for 10 seconds. When you feel comfortable, stretch the muscle for up to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Repeat 3-5 times.
You can also watch an interesting video about stretching your arms and shoulders:
Inelastic, tight muscles can be susceptible to injury caused by overstretching or tearing tissue in the muscle or tendon. These injuries can occur during sudden, violent movement. Symptoms of muscle strain include pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and limited movement. Several nutrients play an important role in the healing of your injured muscles.
Amino acids
The amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Protein helps repair damaged muscle tissue and build new one. Insufficient protein intake can slow muscle growth and lead to fatigue. Athletes are advised to add additional amino acids to their diet.
Vitamins
Vitamin A helps repair tissue and is an essential nutrient for muscle healing. It is recommended that adult men consume 900 units of vitamin A and women 700 units per day. Vitamin C is essential in the production of collagen, an important substance that allows your cells to form new tissue. In addition to healing damaged muscles and tendons, this vitamin helps strengthen your bones and other tissues.
Minerals
Various minerals help in muscle recovery. Your cells require iron to help them take in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide. This mineral helps your body produce myoglobin, which is an important element for muscle health. The recommended amount of iron is 8 mg for men and 15 milligrams for women. Magnesium is a mineral that helps the body use protein. It helps maintain the tone of your muscles, which can affect their ability to contract and relax. It is recommended that men consume at least 400 milligrams and women consume at least 310 milligrams of magnesium per day. Calcium, found in dairy products, vegetables and fortified foods, works closely with magnesium to relax muscles.
Summary
When stretching your shoulders and arm muscles, if there is no sharp pain, you should feel a tolerable and comfortable stretch. But any discomfort after exercise should pass quickly, of course no later than thirty minutes after stopping the exercise. If it still hurts after this, you probably overdid it.
Keep in mind, if you endure the pain of an arm stretch that results in injury rather than flexibility, you may be doing more harm than good. Always follow the directions of your doctor or trainer.
Muscle stretching exercises are very effective and are very popular among professional athletes, and this speaks for itself. Often beginners, and even people with experience, do not pay much attention to stretching; this is a grave mistake. Why warming up and stretching muscles is a very important stage of effective training, we have already discussed in this article:. Now we’ll just talk about the main aspects that should be followed and, of course, about the exercises themselves.
Why do you need stretching exercises? First of all, to warm up and stretch the muscles well. In particular, stretching before training allows you to avoid all kinds of injuries, improves the effectiveness of the exercises performed, and also increases the elasticity of muscles and ligaments. These are not all the advantages that can be noted. Also, I would like to add stretching and, in particular, warm-up before training, as it helps to tune in to strength training, so to speak, increase mental concentration.
1. Exercises to stretch the neck and trapezius muscles
Let's start stretching with the neck muscles. Press your chin to your chest, stay in this position for a few seconds, then tilt your head back, repeating the hold in this position for a few seconds, then do the same, tilting your head to the left side, then to the right. You can help stretch the neck with your hands (as shown in the picture), increasing the stretch of the muscle (this is not necessary, especially if you are not prepared). You should not make sudden movements, turns or bends, especially when the head is tilted backward (this way you can seriously injure yourself).
In addition, you can perform circular rotations with your head, first to the left, then to the right. Perform the exercise at a slow pace, smoothly.
2. Exercises to stretch the muscles of the shoulders, back and chest.
Exercise one
Let's start with the chest muscles. The first exercise should be done like this:
Stand in a doorway with your feet shoulder-width apart so that one foot is slightly further than the other. Your arms should be raised shoulder-width apart and your palms should be resting on the wall (fingers should be pointing upward). Bend both elbows 90 degrees. When you are in the starting position, bend your whole body forward, smoothly and hold at the peak point for 10 seconds. The elbows should not be involved in the work, the back should be straight. The more you bend, the greater the stretch. Do not try too hard; if you feel pain in the shoulder joint, you should either reduce the level of inclination or stop doing the exercise altogether.
You can also do this exercise with each hand separately.
Second exercise
Feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. Raise your left hand up, pressing it to your head, then take your elbow with your right hand 
left hand and gently pull his head. You should hold this position for 10-15 seconds. Then repeat the same with the other hand. The movements should be repeated several times.
As you can see in the picture, the exercise works a fairly large number of muscle groups. It is very effective.
Third exercise
The back is straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left arm behind your back and bend it at a 90-degree angle. Then with your right hand you need to take your left arm, as close as possible to the elbow joint and pull it to the right and up. You need to stay in this position for 10-15 seconds. Then you should repeat the same with your right hand.
If the stretch does not allow you to reach the elbow of your left hand (or right), it’s okay, you can grab your forearm. For greater effect, you should pull your hand not only in a horizontal direction, but also slightly upward.
3. Stretching exercises for the muscles of the arms and wrists.
First exercise
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left arm behind your head and bend it at the elbow. With your right hand, grab your elbow and pull it until you feel a stretch in the triceps at the back of your shoulder. Stay in this position for 10-20 seconds and repeat the same with your right hand.
Second exercise
Get on your knees, to make it as comfortable as possible, you need to lay down a mat. Place your palms on the floor with your fingers facing your knees. The thighs almost touch the feet. Arch your back and slowly lean back slightly (feel the stretch in your biceps, forearm and wrists). Hold this exercise for 15-20 seconds, then relax and repeat the exercise several more times.
3. Exercises to stretch the abdominal muscles.
First exercise
Stand near the wall with your left side at arm's length. Feet together. Place your right hand on your thigh, and rest your left palm on the wall, exactly at shoulder level. Then slowly turn your pelvis towards the wall, help bend your pelvis with your right hand. Do the same with the other side.
Watch your balance when performing this exercise, it is very easy to lose it. To increase the level of stretching of the lateral abdominal muscles, you should place your feet a little further from the wall itself.
Second exercise
Lie on the mat on your stomach. Place your hands in front of you. Raise the top 
torso (chest and head), while arching your back until you feel a stretch in the area of the abdominal muscles and oblique muscles. You should stay in this position for 20-25 seconds, then rest and perform a few more approaches.
4. Exercises to stretch the muscles of the legs and lower back.
Exercise one
Get on your knees. Place your right foot forward with your knee at a 90-degree angle. As you lunge your right leg, you should feel a stretch in the quadriceps of your left leg. You need to stay in this position for 20-25 seconds, then repeat the exercise with the other leg. Perform the exercise several approaches.
An arched back will help increase the stretch on the quadriceps.
Exercise two
Sit on the mat with your legs together and extended in front of you. Start reaching for your socks. If you don't like stretching 
allows you to hold on to your socks, it’s not scary, just try to reach them.
Shoulder stretches are an important part of training your arms, shoulders and back. The Kalutsky brothers will tell you which exercises effectively stretch the shoulder muscles.
Multiple record holders of the Guinness Book of Records, acrobats, the Kalutsky brothers, know a lot about good stretching! As children, brothers Kirill and Danila completed a 3-year yoga course in 3 months! Yoga was followed by classes in acrobatics and gymnastics, and already at the age of five the brothers could perform elements of masters of sports in sports, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatics. The editors of the site also admire their flexibility and plasticity, and invite them to learn skill and perseverance from the guys!
The success of a performance, as well as the success of creating an ideal body, depends on previous training and muscle health. In this article, Kirill and Danila will tell you how to properly stretch your shoulders to improve the recovery of the deltoid muscles after intense exercise, increase muscle elasticity and joint flexibility.
Stretching the upper body not only prevents muscle stiffness, but also improves posture: if the muscles of the shoulder girdle are weak, a person will look slouched. Shoulder stretches also increase blood circulation and make breathing easier.
Shoulder stretches
Use this routine to stretch your deltoid muscles after an arm, shoulder, and back workout, or as a stand-alone workout. In any case, you should only stretch on warmed muscles, so before you start directly stretching your shoulders, do a warm-up. This will warm up and prepare the muscle fibers to respond effectively to the stretch. Perform all exercises as correctly and carefully as possible, under no circumstances making jerky movements, so as not to strain your joints, ligaments and muscles. Hold the final position for 30-60 seconds and remember to breathe correctly.
For stretching exercises, you don’t need any special equipment; you can do everything. Make sure you have a mat to stand or sit on and a clear wall. And now, following our experts, the Kalutsky brothers, let’s begin the exercises.
Delt stretching
The first exercise is the simplest: try to put your right hand on your left shoulder as much as possible. When performing this deltoid stretch, do not elevate your right shoulder. Repeat with the other hand.
Intertwining hands
To perform the next exercise, you need to literally interlace your hands like in the video. Place your right elbow on the inner crease of your left arm, and clasp your right wrist with your left hand. Bend your elbows to engage your rotator cuff.
Lock behind your back
Another effective exercise for stretching the shoulder joint. Bend your left arm at the elbow, place it behind your back and stretch it towards your neck. Also bend your right arm, place it behind your head and point it down towards your left. Ideally, your hands should be clasped together. Place the elbow of your upper arm as far behind your head as possible, this will help stretch the deltoid muscles better.
You may not be able to do this exercise right away. You can prepare for it by stretching both arms alternately. To do this, bend one arm, press it to your back and pull it up towards your neck. With your other hand, press down on the elbow from below, helping the shoulder muscles stretch. Repeat the same with your arm raised above your head: press down on your elbow, helping you reach your shoulder blades.
Shoulder stretch with emphasis on the wall
Technically, the exercise is similar to the wall-mounted latissimus dorsi stretch and the wall-mounted latissimus dorsi stretch. Here's how the Kalutsky brothers advise doing it:
Place your hands against the wall and try to keep your hands as close to each other as possible. Turn the dimples from the elbows upward. Step back with your feet, pull your chin toward your neck and begin to stretch your shoulders. At this moment, the lumbar and thoracic spine will also stretch. Try to bend as much as possible. If that doesn’t work, put a weight (5-10 kg) on your back and stand there.
Alternatively, you can do the following exercise.
Stretching the muscles of the chest and front of the shoulder girdle
Exercises for stretching deltas against a wall
Also, to stretch the shoulder muscles, the famous Kalutsky acrobats recommend another exercise with emphasis on the wall; it is very effective for stretching not only the deltas, but also the back. Do it like this: raise your right hand and rest it against the wall. Place your left hand on your right shoulder and pull your shoulder down. Then turn your back to the wall, making a circular motion with your shoulder into the bone. Try to reach the shoulder of your right hand towards the wall. Repeat the same for your left hand.
One of the most important elements of every athlete's training is stretching the shoulder muscles. Today we present to you a set of stretching exercises for the arms and shoulders, which will not only help you develop flexibility in the muscles of the upper body, but also relieve fatigue and overexertion.
Before you familiarize yourself with a set of exercises for stretching the shoulder girdle, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules for stretching the shoulder muscles:
- Be sure to warm up your muscles before starting your workout. A 3-4 km run is perfect for warming up;
- You need to stretch slowly and gradually, without jerking, increase the amplitude with each movement. Remember that you should not feel pain while stretching;
- Be sure to monitor your breathing. It should be deep and slow. The exit must be made when bending;
- Hold the maximum position for at least 10 seconds;
- Focus while stretching, think about the part of the body that you are stretching;
- You should not feel any tension while holding the stretch position;
- Stretching exercises should be done regularly.
Exercises for stretching your arms.
Stretching the arm muscles, like stretching the upper body, is very useful for improving posture, increasing blood circulation and preventing stiffness. After all, a person looks very stooped if his shoulder muscles are weak. We present to you a set of exercises for stretching the arm muscles.
Exercise 1. Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms raised palm to palm. Performing the exercise: stretch upward, pointing your fingers also upward. Hold at the maximum point, rocking back and forth.
Exercise 2. Starting position: stand straight, arms raised above your head, grab your left elbow with your right hand. Performing the exercise: apply slight pressure with your right hand to your left and place your elbow behind your head. You should feel a slight stretch in the deltoid and triceps muscles. Repeat the same with the other hand.
Exercise 3. Starting position: kneel down. Performing the exercise: you need to lean forward and touch the floor with your hands. Then, pressing your palms to the floor, move back. This shoulder and arm stretch is also a great upper back workout.
Exercise 4. Starting position: stand straight, bend your knees slightly. Performing the exercise: With your right hand, grab the outer surface of your left arm just above the elbow. Move your left hand to the side, overcoming the resistance of your right hand. Hold your hand like this for 3-4 seconds, then relax for a couple of seconds. Now gently pull your left hand towards your right shoulder until you feel a pleasant stretch in the outer shoulder and right half of the shoulder girdle. Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat the exercise for the other hand.
Exercise 5. Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms raised up. Performing the exercise: clasp your hands so that your thumbs point forward and stretch upward, arching your back slightly back.
Shoulder stretching exercises.
We recommend that you perform shoulder muscle stretches after a full strength training session on the shoulder girdle. Make sure that all exercises for stretching the shoulder girdle are performed correctly and accurately. At the maximum point, you must linger for at least 10 seconds, gradually increasing this figure to 1 minute.
Exercise 1. Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Performing the exercise: This is a popular upper body stretch called the lock. You need to bend both arms at the elbow, place one behind your back, and the other behind your head. Your task is to join your hands in a lock.
Exercise 2. Starting position: sit on the floor, clasp your hands behind your back and lower them to the floor. Performing the exercise: stretch your legs forward so that the muscles of the shoulder joint stretch.
Exercises 3: Starting position: stand straight, bend one arm at the elbow and place it behind your back, your hand should be on your lower back. Performing the exercise: with the other hand, supporting the elbow, pull the first hand forward. In this case, you can turn the body in the other direction. Repeat the same with the other hand.
Exercise 4. Starting position: stand straight and bend your elbows, raising your arms to chest level perpendicular to the floor. Performing the exercise: place your left elbow on the front surface of the upper part of your right arm near the elbow joint and move your left hand back to the left, and your right hand back to the right. In this way, the palms will be facing each other, and the thumb of the left hand will be connected to the little finger of the right hand. Stay in this position for as long as possible and repeat the same with the other hand.
Exercise 5: Starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Performing the exercise: place one hand behind your back, and with the other, fix your first hand on your elbow. Now try to place your hand behind your back as much as possible, putting pressure on it. Repeat the same with the other hand.
Shoulder and arm stretching exercises: video.
Properly selected exercises for the shoulder joint will help not only strengthen it, but also avoid joint disease, and in some cases even cure them.
Only properly recommended gymnastics can optimally influence the functions of the shoulder joint. Therefore, the choice of exercises for shoulder diseases must be taken conscientiously, and in the case of prevention and strengthening of the shoulder joint, you can use the proposed exercises as basic ones, gradually increasing the load on the shoulder and constantly listening to your body.
12 effective exercises for the shoulder joint
EXERCISE 1
Take the starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, hands clenched into fists and placed on the belt. Open your hand with your palm up and raise your arm in front of your chest, straightening it completely above your head, then squat slightly. We perform the same movement with our left hand. Perform up to 20 times in each direction.
EXERCISE 2
Take the starting position: standing, hands on your belt, legs slightly apart. With tension, we raise both arms above our heads, moving them along our chest. We turn our palms up, with our fingers pointing towards each other. We squat slightly, achieving a feeling of stretching in the shoulder girdle.
Holding your hands above your head, tilt your head back and look at the back of your hands. We remain in this position for some time and then return to the starting position.
EXERCISE 3
Take the starting position: stand facing the wall at a distance of one step from it. We touch the wall with our fingers and, like the tentacles of a scorpion, move them, moving as high as possible. Having reached the highest point, we linger in the pose for one or two minutes, then move our fingers down. We do several repetitions in each approach.
EXERCISE 4
Take the starting position: standing, legs slightly apart, fingers clasped behind your head at the base of the skull. Slowly, tensing our muscles, we pull our shoulders forward so that our elbows touch each other, then we spread our elbows to the sides. We repeat several times.
EXERCISE 5
Take the starting position: standing, fists on your belt and turned up. We turn our hands with our palms inward and slowly spread our arms to the sides, while turning our palms back. We return to the starting position. We repeat the exercise 20 times.
With effort, we raise our fists lengthwise to chest level. Then we open our palms and slowly, with tension, stretch our arms forward.
EXERCISE 6
Take the starting position: standing, legs slightly apart, hands on your waist, thumbs behind, fingers in front. Slowly raise both arms along the body to chest level, pause and move our shoulders back and forth. Raise your arms to your armpits and perform the same movements with your shoulders. Perform the exercise 20–30 times.
EXERCISE 7
Take the starting position: standing, legs slightly apart, arms at waist level, hands clenched into fists and palms facing up. We bring the left hand to the chest, open the palm, push the hand forward, then pull it back. We repeat several times.
EXERCISE 8
Take your starting position: standing, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, arms hanging freely along your body. Attention: Lifting is performed due to the force in the shoulders, and when pushing up, the force comes from the hands.
We turn our palms up and raise our hands to shoulder level, as if holding a basket in them. At the same time, slightly bend your knees and get into the “rider” position. Then we turn our palms down and slowly, as if experiencing reverse resistance, lower our arms along our chest. At the same time, we slowly straighten up, returning to the starting position. We do several repetitions in each approach.
EXERCISE 9
Take the starting position: squat slightly and spread your legs shoulder-width apart. We clench our hands into fists and elbows so that our forearms are in a vertical position. We perform several rotations in the shoulder joint, describing semicircles alternately with the right and left forearms. Perform 10 rotations in each direction.
EXERCISE 10
Take the starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging freely along the body. Bending your elbows, raise your arms and place your fingertips on your shoulders. Rotate your shoulders forward. Then we shrug our shoulders and rotate them in the opposite direction. We perform 10 rotations in each direction.
EXERCISE 11
Take the starting position: standing, legs together. We clench our hands into fists and hold them at the waist. Slightly straightening your fingers, make an empty fist, move your right hand to the side and make three circles back and three circles forward. Repeat with your left hand.
EXERCISE 12
Take the starting position: we stand freely. Attention! While performing movements, your palms should be facing up at all times.
Moving your left leg one step to the side, we lunge with your torso forward. Bend your hands into hooks and turn them palms up. We pull our palms to the armpits.