How to Do Stretching Exercises for the Arms

Begin or end any physical workout with a rejuvenating stretching regimen. Since people tend to overwork their arm muscles in many sports and fitness routines, the stretching exercises below focus on increasing flexibility in the arms. Perform each of these arm stretching exercises before or after your routine workout.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Stand straight and extend your arms on each side. Push thumbs up. Rotate thumbs in short circular motions, repeating 5 times.
2. Sit with your back straight and legs relaxed. Hold the back of your head with your right hand. Pull your right elbow in front of you with your left hand. Hold for a count of 5.
3. Extend your arms out toward opposite ends of the room while standing straight with chin up and shoulders back. Form a fist in each hand. Squeeze the upper arm muscles. Hold each squeeze for 10 seconds.
4. Repeat Step 3 but don't squeeze the arm muscles. Instead, rotate the hands forward, down, then backward and up. Repeat 10 times.
5. Stretch your arms out on each side, palms facing down. Bend both arms downward at the elbows, pulling hands inward toward the shoulders until feeling a pull at the waist. Repeat 5 times.
6. Place your left hand on your right shoulder. Push the left elbow up and down 5 times, using your right arm. Repeat with the right hand on the left shoulder.
7. Reach both arms out in front of you. Interlock the fingers on each hand, turning palms outward. Push arms out from the shoulders as far as possible. Slowly move arms up and down for several seconds.