Some arm stretches, like the Eagle Arms and Reverse Prayer, may help relieve pain in your back, neck, and shoulders. You can do these stretches sitting, standing, or lying down.

With the increasing rise in sitting times and sedentary lifestyles, it seems inevitable to experience some sort of pain.

Data from the 2015 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggests that 1 in 4 people in the United States sits for more than 8 hours per day.

Sitting for long periods is associated with pain in the spine, shoulder, neck, and arms.

Some yoga poses and arm stretches may help relieve pain and stiffness in these areas while improving mobility and circulation.

If you’re new to stretching, start by doing this routine a few times a week to ease into it.

The Eagle Arms can help stretch your shoulders and upper back while stabilizing the shoulder joint. It can also help combat slumping over a laptop or keyboard.

Muscles worked: trapezius, infraspinatus, teres minor and major

  1. Inhale and stretch your arms out to your sides.
  2. As you exhale, bring them in front of you, swinging your right arm under your left and grabbing your shoulders with opposite hands. Imagine you’re giving yourself a hug.
  3. If your palms can touch, let your right fingers press in your left palm. If they can’t, press the backs of your hands together.
  4. Inhaling, lift your elbows a few inches higher.
  5. Exhaling, relax your shoulders down away from your ears.
  6. Take a few breaths, repeating the elbow lift and shoulder roll, if you like.
  7. When ready, switch sides, so that your left arm is the bottom arm.

Reverse Prayer internally rotates your upper arms. This isn’t a common movement for your upper arms, so it can help you go through your full range of motion. It’s also a great stretch for your forearms.

Muscles worked: muscles throughout your shoulders and forearms

  1. Bring your hands behind your back, fingertips pointing toward the ground, and elbows bent.
  2. Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, rotate your hands so your fingers point toward the ceiling, and then try to bring your opposite fingertips to touch.
  3. When you inhale, let yourself sink into and feel the stretch, assessing if you should go deeper.
  4. If your body wants a deeper stretch, as you exhale, continue moving your hands closer together. This will move them up along the line of your spine.
  5. If your palms can press fully against each other, concentrate on the thumb side of your hands and keep them gently pressing.

Modified version

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Gif by Dima Bazak

Consider doing a Reverse Arm Hold if the Reverse Prayer is too difficult.

  1. Inhale and stretch both arms out to a “T,” keeping palms facing down.
  2. As you exhale, roll both shoulders forward. This rolls your palms so they’re facing behind you.
  3. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend your elbows and let your hands swing behind your back.
  4. Grab your wrists or elbows behind your back and gently pull away from the center. One arm will naturally be on top of the other.
  5. When you’ve held this for 5 deep breaths with one hand on top, switch to the other side and hold for the same amount of time.

Cow Face Pose stretches your shoulders, armpits, triceps, and chest.

Muscles worked: teres minor, triceps brachii, subscapularis, posterior deltoid, rhomboid

  1. Inhale and stretch your right arm out to the side and turn it palm facing down.
  2. Continue to roll your palm back until your thumb is pointing behind you and your shoulder is rolled forward.
  3. Raise your left arm to the sky, then bend the elbow so it’s pointed toward the ceiling and you’re patting yourself on the back near your shoulder blades.
  4. Exhale and bend your right elbow and tuck your forearm behind your back. The back of your right hand should be resting against your lower back.
  5. You want to gently clasp your hands together, as close to parallel to your spine as possible. Try to keep your hands moving together toward the space between your shoulder blades.

Modified version

This modified version of Cow Face Pose uses a towel or strap to help ease the stretch if you have tighter shoulders.

  1. Put one end of the strap in your left hand. As you inhale, stretch your left arm to the side at shoulder height, palm up.
  2. As you exhale, lift that arm straight up to the sky and bend your elbow, as though to pat yourself on the back. The strap should dangle down your back now. You can grab it with your right hand.
  3. Wait until you’re naturally exhaling to gently pull the strap in opposite directions.
  4. Sit in this stretch, slowly breathing in and out. As you inhale, let everything naturally lift. As you exhale, concentrate on gently rolling your shoulders down, moving your shoulder blades down your back.
  5. Switch sides. Don’t be surprised if one side feels different than the other.

This stretch opens up the side of your body, giving length throughout your torso and stretching your arms.

Muscles worked: latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoid, serratus anterior, obliques

  1. Sit up straight.
  2. As you inhale, sweep your hands out and up, meeting above your head. Flip your right palm to the sky and clasp your right wrist with your left hand.
  3. As you exhale, root down into your pelvis and lean to the left, pulling gently on your right arm with your left hand.
  4. Relax into this as you breathe deeply and slowly.
  5. As the stretch continues, pay attention to your ribs. If they’re flaring out, shift them back so your spine stretches laterally and the stretch remains in your arm and side.
  6. When you’re ready, switch sides and stretch the other arm.

This stretch targets your forearms, hands, and wrists to help loosen up everything and maintain range of motion. It’s beneficial if you sit and type all day.

Muscles worked: extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum, brachialis, brachioradialis, flexor carpi

  1. Stretch your right arm out in front of you, keeping it at shoulder height. Pull your fingers up, as if you’re going to place your palm flat against a wall.
  2. With your left hand, gently pull back the fingers of your right hand. Hold this stretch for at least 3 deep breaths.
  3. Let your right wrist go limp, the fingers pointing down. Now gently pull on the back of your hand.
  4. Keep your fingers relaxed as you breathe at least 3 times here.
  5. Switch and do your other side.

What is the best arm stretch?

The best arm stretch will depend on where you experience discomfort, pain, or stiffness. Some exercises that may help include Cow Face Pose, assisted side bend, and fingers up and down stretch.

How to loosen tight muscles in your arms?

Some ways to help loosen tight muscles in your arms include performing stretching and mobility exercises or applying warmth to the affected area, such as with compresses or over-the-counter emollients.

Sitting and typing for long periods may cause pain in your arms, wrists, neck, and back.

Some simple stretches could help relieve pain and increase your range of motion. Practice these stretches a few times a day to give yourself a break from keyboard work.