Arm Stretches to Avoid Soreness After Workouts

Arm stretches before your workout

It is generally agreed that dynamic stretches are active motions that allow your joints and muscles to move through their complete range of motion. It is possible to employ these types of exercises to warm up your body, making them the ideal pre-workout stretches.

One fascinating aspect of the link between dynamic stretches and arm stretches is that they may be used to simulate the function or activity of the sport you are participating in. If you are a swimmer, for example, practicing arm circles before entering the water may be beneficial to your entire practice.

1. Long arm stretches 

These are some of the most fundamental arm muscle stretches that can be found on this page. If you are someone who is wanting to integrate pre-workout arm stretches into your warmup regimen, start with these long arm chest stretches to get the ball rolling.

If you are looking to work out your upper body while you are working out, try doing cable chest presses throughout your training session instead. The top 7 cable chest press exercises may be found by clicking here.

Place your hands together in front of you and extend your arms straight out in front of you to begin in a tall, erect position.

Procedure:

Take a deep breath in as you slowly begin to spread your arms out as far as they will comfortably allow you to.

Ensure that your hands are facing the front of your body and that you can feel the stretch throughout your arms and chest.

Take a deep breath in as you begin to press your arms together, bringing you back to the beginning position.

What muscles does this stretch help to strengthen and tone?

The pectorals, biceps, and deltoids are all benefited from this arm stretch.

When it comes to arm stretches, the long arm chest stretch is a simple yet very effective option that anybody can do. You might want to start with this arm stretch if you are just starting out on your fitness adventure.

Duration of stretch:

We recommend that you hold arm stretches for 30-60 seconds on each side for both arms.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Correct palm position: many individuals who perform this stretch do so with their elbows pointed upwards and their palms pointing towards the floor, however, this is not the proper way to do it. It is essential that your elbows be pointing behind you if you want to perform this stretch correctly. You will be able to feel the advantages of the stretch in your upper arm and chest area as a result of this technique.

You should be able to feel the stretch in your arms and chest: if you feel a pinching in your shoulders, you are performing the stretching technique improperly. If this occurs, you are most likely stretching your arms too far back; thus, make sure you are just stretching to the extent that you are comfortable.

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2. Standing arm swings

If you are seeking stretches for the upper arm and chest area, we propose that you try some standing arm swings to see how they work for you. They are really simple to complete, especially if you have previous running experience.

Starting position: engage your abdominal muscles in order to maintain a completely straight spine. Continue to bend your knees to get yourself into the squat posture.

Procedure:

In order to do this stretch successfully, you must maintain control over your breathing. Consider it as if you were jogging, and make sure your breaths are powerful and steady.

Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and gently begin to swing your arms back and forth.

Keep your arms at a 90-degree angle as much as possible.

Make sure your arms do not cross in front of your torso.

Increase your speed gradually until you are pushing yourself to your limits.

Standing arm swings are beneficial to a variety of muscle groups.

The deltoids, biceps, triceps, and pectorals are all benefited by this stretch.

Standing arm swings are among the most effective arm stretches that you can possibly do for your arms. This is due to the fact that it targets a wide range of muscle groups across your upper body. Standing arm swings should be your first choice if you just have time for one arm stretch before your workout.

Duration of stretch:

You should practice standing arm swings for 30-60 seconds or until you feel sufficiently warmed up.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Swing your arms in the proper direction: make sure you are swinging your arms backward, rather than outward, when you are doing this movement. Exercising the muscles indicated above may be accomplished by swinging your arms backward. Instead of precisely practicing standing arm swings by swinging them forward, you will be activating a new group of muscles by swinging them forward.

Why chafing occurs: when performing these arm muscle stretches, you should notice any type of chafing on your sides, which indicates that you have not stretched your arms sufficiently. To get around this, attempt to make your circles a little larger.

In relation to the issue indicated above, if you are having difficulty extending your arms backward, focus on opening up your chest and shoulders to help you achieve greater flexibility.

3. Arm circumferences:

Arm circles are a common go-to for many novices since they are not only regarded to be effective arm stretches but are also simple to learn and perform. To be more specific, it is one of the segments that appear on this list that the great majority of individuals have had prior exposure to.

Standing in the starting position, with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your arms at your sides, maintain a tall posture. It is important to engage your core and maintain everything tight throughout this stretch; you do not want your arms to move or your entire body to move during this stretch.

Procedure:

Take a deep breath as you gently lift your arms till they are spread out in front of you.

Continue to exhale as you begin to spin your arms in the air, creating enormous circles in the air with them.

It is recommended that you begin gently and deliberately and gradually increase your speed as soon as you feel comfortable. This will allow your muscles enough time to react to the stretch and become more engaged with it.

Once you have completed this in one way, switch it up and rotate your arms in the opposite direction - for example, in a clockwise manner. If you rotate your arms in a clockwise manner, switch to an anti-clockwise rotation and vice versa.

What muscles does this stretch help to strengthen?

The deltoids, biceps, and triceps muscles are all worked out during this arm stretch.

If you have ever been unsure of how to stretch the arms, starting with this easy dynamic stretch will be useful to you and your practice in the future. Because it is quite easy, yet it targets numerous parts of the upper body at the same time.

Duration of stretch:

It is advised that one rep consists of you executing 10-15 circles in each direction in a circle-shaped motion. This should be done for 5-7 minutes every day, on a consistent basis.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Many novices begin by practicing with their hands facing outward, which is a common position for them. In order to keep your hands entirely flat, make sure that your palms are pointing down towards the floor. If you hold your hands outward with your palms facing outward, you are increasing the strain on your wrist, increasing the likelihood that it may get inflamed.

Try not to move your body while performing this stretch, since this would transform arm circles from a dynamic stretch into a ballistic stretch. If your entire body is jumping and spinning about, your arms will not be reaping the advantages of your exercise regimen.

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4. Wall bicep stretch 

When seeking arm stretches for painful muscles, wall bicep stretches may be a good option to try. Stabilizing your body on something solid will generate greater resistance against your muscle, allowing you to put more pressure on it as a result of your efforts.

It is quite advantageous for athletes who have a hectic schedule and do not have the luxury of time to go to the gym to include the environment around them. In order to learn more about how to organize a home exercise, read this origym article, which provides insight and advice on the subject.

Place one hand against the edge of a wall, with your hands at shoulder height, and the other hand against the wall. Maintain a shoulder-length distance between your feet, and rest your other hand on your hip. (optional)

Procedure:

As you take a deep breath, put your palm firmly against the wall; you will need to make certain that you are safe before beginning this stretch.

Continue to spin your body away from the wall in small increments.

As you completely engage the stretch, take a deep breath out.

Upper arm stretch. You should feel the stretch in your arm and shoulder muscles after doing this exercise.

What muscles are involved in this stretch:

This upper arm stretch works the biceps and the deltoids in a coordinated manner.

Wall bicep stretches are an excellent example of stretches for arm discomfort; however, if you have any type of nagging pain after your workout, you may want to consider putting slightly extra pressure on the wall to allow your upper body to feel a little more resistance to the stretch.

Duration of stretch:

It is recommended that you hold a wall bicep stretch for 30 seconds before switching arms.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Overstretching is one of the most common faults people make while performing bicep stretches of any type. If you have arm pain, you should use these stretches to relieve it rather than push yourself to such extremes of discomfort that you begin to have arm agony.

Maintain complete body stillness: while holding this posture, avoid bouncing or shifting your legs. If you fidget or wobble, your body will not be able to benefit from the wonderful elements that this stretch has to offer. Maintain your stability during this stretch in order to obtain the maximum benefit from it.

5. Horizontal arm extensions 

Arm stretches names may be the sole method to distinguish between two separate practices that appear to be quite similar in appearance on certain occasions. In practice, horizontal arm extensions are comparable to long arm chest stretches in that they both stretch the arms horizontally.

Despite the fact that both of these examples are easy arm stretches, doing them correctly is still critical to your total performance.

Starting position: in order to begin these pre-workout arm stretches, stand tall and make sure that your feet are at least shoulder-width apart from one another. Grasp the floor with your hands extended out in front of you so that they are directly parallel to it.

Instructions: there are many other types of arm stretches to choose from, but the technique for performing horizontal arm extensions is quite similar to the technique for performing long arm chest stretches.

Turn your thumb down so that your palms are now facing behind you to begin these upper arm stretches.

Take a deep breath in as you begin to gently put your arms behind you.

Hold this position for 15 seconds, concentrating on maintaining a firm core throughout.

While holding this position, take a deep breath out and begin to pulse your shoulder blades and arms gently.

Return your arms to the extended position they were in at the beginning of the exercise before repeating the exercise.

What muscles are involved in this stretch:

When performing this arms swing, the pectorals, biceps, and deltoids are the muscles that are worked the most intensely.

This is a fantastic stretch that serves several purposes. Vertical arm extensions are a terrific addition to any arm stretches warm-ups program since they target numerous muscle groups in the upper arm at the same time.

Duration of stretch:

Horizontal arm extensions are one of the most effective arm stretches for tracking your progress over the day. Holding this position for a total of 30 seconds is a good starting point for trying your first rep. In order to get the full benefits of these arm stretches, however, you should perform repetitions that progressively increase in time during your warm-up period.

In order to achieve the most effective results, repeat these arm stretching exercises for a total of 2-3 sets.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Concentrate on your form: it is critical to remember to concentrate on the titles of the arm stretches. It is easy to slip into the habit of practicing this technique in place of extended chest stretches since it is so similar to them. When performing horizontal arm extensions, remember to hold the upper arm stretches for a few seconds before pulsing your shoulder blades. Long chest stretches, on the other hand, require you to simply extend and retract your arms as far as they will go.

6. Tricep extensions

Tricep extensions are more beneficial than the other easy arm stretches you may do before a workout since they lengthen the muscles at the back of the arms. As a result, it may be regarded a kind of resistance training in addition to being an example of a simple arm stretching exercise.

You may do a variety of arm stretches, but the ones that also include an element of resistance training will result in you growing more muscle growth in the long run. So, if you are someone who finds stretching a bit tedious, we propose that you make it a little more interesting by introducing some equipment into your routine.

Start in the following position: the preceding items on this list were examples of straightforward arm stretches. Tricep extensions, on the other hand, are a little more difficult. In order to complete this exercise, you will need some type of equipment, such as a resistance band or stretchy material that you can stretch behind your back.

The elasticized piece of equipment should be placed behind your back. When holding this equipment from below, your other hand should be stretched above your head to grip the elastic from above. It may be more straightforward to conceive of it as one of your elbows towards the ceiling and the other parallel to the floor.

Procedure

Take a deep breath as you begin to slowly draw the stretchy piece of equipment closer to your head and neck.

After pulling the bar up and away from your head, you should begin to feel the strain inside your triceps muscles.

Continue to exhale while pushing the elasticated material in the other way, this time dragging it towards the ground.

What muscles are involved in this stretch:

The triceps muscles are the only ones that are worked during this arm stretch.

Tricep extensions are excellent stretches for arm day since they are not only a fantastic method to warm up, but they can also be used as a kind of resistance training if you use weight. In other words, you will be able to stretch your muscles while simultaneously strengthening them.

If you are looking for tricep workouts, in particular, we recommend reading this post from origym, which describes the 17 greatest tricep exercises available.

Duration of stretch:

Tricep extensions are another excellent example of a stretch for arm day that you should try. The biggest benefit will be felt by your triceps if you hold these stretches for 30 seconds at a time, twice a day. Think of it as an endurance test, similar to the other stretches on this list, with the duration of each rep steadily increasing in duration as you go.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Tricep extensions are excellent upper arm stretches for pain relief, but they should not be performed excessively. However, as we have already stated, becoming caught in a cycle may be quite harmful. Avoid pulling too hard or stretching your reach too far, since this might result in torn muscles.

Safety concerning the use of the equipment: maintain a firm grip on the elasticated material/resistance band. You may easily let it slide out of your grasp, and it could snap back and strike your body.

7. Tricep pulldown

However, tricep pulldowns are yet another form of upper-arm stretching that utilizes a piece of resistance-based equipment, which we previously discussed in the preceding entry on this list.

Positions to begin with:

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your shoulders back. Place one hand on your chest, just below the shoulder, to ensure that the resistance band is securely in place during the exercise. Then, with your other hand, wrap the opposing end of the resistance device around your wrist.

It is important to remember that when the band is placed around your hand, it should remain level with your hip.

Procedure:

Pushing down on the resistance band that is resting against your chest requires you to take a deep breath.

Pull down on the opposing hand during this inhalation of air, causing the resistance band to stretch. Repeat on the other side.

Extend the band as far as you possibly can without injuring yourself further.

Exhale as you gently release the tension that has been built up, allowing the band wrapped around your hand to return to its original position.

Exactly which muscles are activated by this stretch?

The triceps muscles are worked during this arm stretch.

While this and the prior point are technically two separate sorts of arm stretches, they both exercise the same muscles and use the same piece of equipment to accomplish their goals.

Duration of stretch:

A good arm stretch to get started with is triceps pulldowns, which grow more effective with time and repetition. Begin with 30-second reps, just like you did with the last example of resistance training, and progressively increase the amount of time you spend practicing.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Check to verify that you are doing the right stretch: because of the similarities in practice, it is crucial to be mindful of which of the arm stretches you are performing at any one time. If you want to avoid sliding into poor form during tricep pulldowns and extensions, you will need to understand the difference between the two exercises first.

Over-extension concerns: because these tricep pulldowns are exercises for arm discomfort, we recommend that you refrain from extending your arms too far. Remember that these stretches are intended to relieve arm discomfort rather than to create it. If you engage in the practice of overextension, you run the risk of badly injuring a vital joint.

When utilizing resistance equipment, general safety precautions should be observed; nevertheless, you should be aware that the equipment has the potential to strike you in the face. As a result, use extreme caution when operating this device.

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8. Overhead tricep stretches 

One of the advantages of performing arm stretches after a workout is that it allows you to take some time to relax while you are doing them. You may perform this stretch either standing or sitting; however, if you choose to sit, you should choose a position that will not interfere with your ability to access your lower back.

Standing or sitting tall, with one arm raised over your head, is the starting position. Reduce the length of your forearm behind you, ensuring that it is supported between your shoulder blades.

Procedure:

Take a deep breath in and grip the area just above your bent elbow with your other hand, pulling gently.

If you are performing it correctly, you should be able to feel the stretch in your shoulder.

Try to keep your bicep as near to your ear as possible, but avoid pushing it past it.

Take a deep breath out as you gently release the stance before switching to the opposite arm and repeating the process.

Exactly which muscles are activated by this stretch?

When performing this stretch, the triceps muscle receives the most benefit from it.

After a workout, overhead triceps stretches are a terrific way to loosen up your arms, especially if you are just getting started with exercising. They are simple to complete and will help to relax your muscles after a vigorous session of exercise.

Duration of stretch:

When it comes to arm stretches, the cool-down procedure may be tailored to your own preferences to some extent. When performing this stretch, it is advised that you hold it for 30 seconds before repeating it on the other side. However, if you are feeling too uncomfortable after your workout, you may want to take it a bit easier.

Mistakes to stay avoid

Important to remember: when it comes to these post-workout arm stretches, you should avoid becoming too complacent and relaxed. Just because you are able to sit down does not mean that you should take a shortcut through this section. Give it your all, though, if you want to get the greatest benefit from the stretch.

Make sure not to press your arm down too hard or you might end up injuring your shoulder. You should use mild pressure while applying pressure to a major joint in order to avoid significant injury or damage to the joint.