Upper Body Stretches: All 49 With Video Demos

Running from the neck and shoulders down to the wrists, the 49 upper body stretches in this library cover the chest, lats, upper and lower back and arms along the way. Most need no equipment; a few use a wall or a chair. Each stretch has its own page with a video demo, form tips and the muscles it targets.

Choosing stretches: start with the areas that feel tight and choose 3 to 5, for example one for the neck, one for the chest or shoulders and one for the back. Combine moving stretches like arm circles with held ones, move slowly, stop at a gentle pull rather than pain, and keep breathing. A few to start with, from the neck down:

• Head Tilt: a gentle side stretch for the neck.
• Arms Behind Pull Apart: opens the chest and front of the shoulders.
• Back Slaps: big arm swings across the chest and back out wide.
• Child Pose With Lat Focus: a kneeling stretch for the lats.
• Cat & Cow Sequence: a slow on-all-fours spine stretch.
• Wrist Circles: slow, gentle circles for the wrists.

For a short, hand-picked list for one area, see our chest stretches and lat stretches guides, with six stretches each. Or follow a plan: Weight Loss Workout At Home builds a no-equipment plan around your goal, level and training days, with a video demo for every exercise.