HOW: Perform the stretch by positioning your arm straight at shoulder height with your palm facing up, use your other hand to push your palm down with your fingers straight and pointed out. Hold the stretch for the time prescribed.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch on the palm side of your wrist and forearm all the way up on the inside to your elbow.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your elbow bend, watch the video for tips on finger, hand, and wrist position

HOW: Perform the stretch by positioning your arm straight at shoulder height with your palm facing down, use your other hand to push the top of your hand down with your fingers straight and pointed out. Hold the stretch for the time prescribed.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch on top of your hand, wrist, and forearm all the way up to your elbow.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your elbow bend, watch the video for tips on finger, hand, and wrist position

HOW: Follow the video to watch how to specifically perform the exercise. Start with your wrist in a neutral position with your fingers together and straight. Start by bending just your finger tips down to the base of your fingers, followed by making a fist, followed by straightening your fingers while maintaining a fist, followed by bringing your finger tips down to the base of your hand. Repeat

 

FEEL: You will feel your hand and finger muscles working as well as potentially a stretch in your hand and fingers.

 

COMPENSATION: Take your time and follow the video in it’s order. 

HOW: Begin this exercise upright. Keep the hand of the side to be stretched behind your back. Bring your ear towards the opposite armpit (here I am showing the Left ear to the Left armpit). This requires you to flex your head forward, sidebend away, and rotate towards the side you want to stretch.

 

FEEL: The upper trap (muscle on the side of your neck) being stretched.

 

COMPENSATION: letting the shoulder girdle elevate on the side of the neck that is being stretched.

HOW: Begin this exercise upright. Keep the hand of the side to be stretched behind your back. Bring your nose towards the opposite armpit (here I am showing my nose going to the Left armpit). This requires you to flex your head forward, sidebend away, and rotate away from the side you want to stretch.

 

FEEL: The levator scapulae (muscle on the back outside of your neck) being stretched.

 

COMPENSATION: letting the shoulder girdle elevate on the side of the neck that is being stretched.

HOW: Begin the exercise by getting yourself set up in good posture sitting upright looking straight ahead. Then perform clockwise large neck circles, begin the movement by dropping your chin down, then lower your right ear down towards your shoulder, then turn your chin towards your right shoulder. Do a full circle around, then repeat. For every circle you do clockwise, you should match it with equal counter-clockwise circles.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a gentle stretch in your head and neck region, it should feel relaxing with the goal of promoting pain-free movement. You can start small vs. big to get the hang of the movement, but the goal is to perform large circles as best as you can.

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain body position below your head and neck, only your head and neck should be moving.

HOW: Start in a standing position. Perform the stretch by interlocking your hands and fingers behind your back. While keeping your chest up, squeeze your shoulder blades back, straighten your arms, and rotate your palms up towards the sky. Reach back and stretch as far as you feel comfortable with.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your pecs, biceps, and forearms. You should feel like your shoulder blades are pinching together.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your chest up, keep your hands and fingers interlocked together. Try to lift your hands up as high as you feel comfortable with.

HOW: Get set up seated upright with your hands supported on your thighs. Begin the exercise by rotating your upper body side-to-side and repeat, listen to the video for tips and cues. As you rotate your body to the right, push your left shoulder blade forward and squeeze your right shoulder blade back.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a global stretch to your upper/lower and mid-back depending on how far you rotate. You may feel a stretch in between your shoulder blades. This should feel like a gentle motion that you’re in control of.

 

COMPENSATION: Limit movement to your upper body, keep your lower body still. Try to perform strict rotation versus bending forward/backward/sideways.

HOW: While keeping your elbows at your side, focus on spreading the arms as far as you can while holding onto a band.  Initiate this motion with the shoulder blades and allow your arms to follow. The firmer the band (Double up the band if appropriate) or the more you tighten up the band, the more challenging this exercise will become.

 

FEEL: Primarily the muscles on the inside of the shoulder blade with some assistance with the muscles on the back of the shoulder.

 

COMPENSATIONS: Keep the low back from arching.

HOW: In a seated position focus on tucking your chin towards the front of the upper part of your neck. Think about creating a “double chin”.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles in the front of your neck activating. You may feel a stretch in the back of the neck at the base of your skull.

 

COMPENSATION: Try minimizing excessive neck motion, realize this is a smaller motion focused on moving the skull on the cervical spine. There will be some cervical motion, but not excessive motion. For instance do not let your entire neck bend forward (chin to chest).

HOW: Anchor a band underneath your foot while seated.  Lean over and place your forearm on top of your knee with your palm facing down and pointing to your other knee. Grab the anchored band and while keeping your forearm stabilized on your thigh,  move your wrist up and down.  If you need more resistance, shorten the length of the band between your foot and hand. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your forearm working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t move your arm or shoulder while extending your wrist.  Keep the arm stabilized on your thigh.

HOW: Start this exercise on your back in a 90/90 position, with your knees over your hips and your arms in front of your shoulders. Keep the small of your back pushed into the floor by activating your core. While maintaining core activation drop one leg and the opposite arm towards the floor. The closer you drop the arms and legs towards the floor the more challenging this exercise will be. Return to starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel the abdominal muscles engaging while you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your low back arch

HOW: Start on your back with your knees bend and slightly spread apart. Tighten up your stomach first, then your glutes. Next, drive your heels into the ground and lift your hips up towards the ceiling. At the end position your knee, hip, and shoulder should be in one straight line. Hold the end position and squeeze the glutes, then slowly return to starting position.

 

FEEL: You should feel your glutes work to control this motion. At no point should you feel your low back muscles doing the lifting motion. If you feel it only in your hamstrings, try bending your knees a bit more and repeat.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching at the low back as you perform this.