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Upper Back Stretch (Back Stretches)



One of the major benefits of Stretching is that it increases your flexibility. While Stretching may appear a bit bland as compared with resistance exercises such as Training with Free Weights and Weight Training Exercises, without a good stretch, you will not be able to minimize the risk of injury.

Your upper and lower back muscles consist of a large group of muscles that runs from above your hips to your neck, arm, and shoulder areas. The main job of this muscle group is to help you in pulling and lifting loads. By strengthening and stretching your upper and lower back, you will have more strength to pull objects towards you. Strengthen your upper back by doing this exercise regularly:


STEP 1: Stand with your legs slightly bent and feet hip-width apart. With arms straight, clasp your fingers in front of you while keeping your lower back firm and your body upright.

STEP 2: Gently push your hands away from you until you feel a stretch across your upper back and at the back of the shoulders. Hold for about 8-10 seconds.



Stress makes your muscles tense up and can cause headache, stiff neck, sore shoulders, and a knotted back. The back takes in tension more than any other part of the body. Also, during a Fitness workout, the back muscles contract, further increasing the tension. Full body stretching will relax your muscles, help you to breathe deeper and release all of the accumulated tension your body takes each day. For a great full, upper, or lower body Stretching Sequence, go to Fitness Exercises: Stretching Sequences.

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LESSON OVERVIEW
Below you can find all the exercises in our Fitness Exercises section:

1: Neck Stretch
2: Head Forwards Stretch
3: Shoulder Stretch
4: Anterior Deltoid Stretch
5: Triceps Stretch
6: Chest Stretch
7: Upper Back Stretch
8: Lower Back Stretch
9: Hyperextension of Back
10: Spine Rotation
11: Cat Stretch
12: Hip Flexor Stretch
13: Glute Stretch
14: Supine Hamstring Stretch
15: Standing Hamstring Stretch
16: Standing Quadriceps Stretch
17: Prone Quadriceps Stretch
18: Adduction Stretch
19: Abduction Stretch
20: Calf Stretch
21: Arm or Biceps Curl
22: Triceps Curl
23: Forward Arm Raise
24: Lateral Raise
25: Bench Press
26: Fly
27: Walking Lunges
28: Dumbbell Squats
29: Basic Crunch
30: Reverse Curl
31: Full Crunch
32: Lunges
33: Basic Push-Up
34: Rear Leg Lifts
35: Squats
36: Triceps Dips
37: Low Bridge with Leg Raise
38: Fitness Ball Hamstring Curl
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