Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

Arm and Neck Stretch

oec:arm-and-neck-stretch

A standing static stretch targeting the triceps, lateral shoulder, and cervical spine to relieve upper-body postural tension.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Overhead arm and neck stretch, Triceps and neck stretch

How to do it

Setup

  1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and your spine aligned in a neutral posture.
  2. Raise one arm overhead and bend the elbow, letting your hand rest behind your head or upper back.

Movement

  1. Gently grasp your raised elbow with the opposite hand and draw it lightly back and inward until you feel a stretch along the back of the arm and shoulder.
  2. Slowly tilt your head away from the raised arm, bringing the opposite ear toward your shoulder to engage the neck.
  3. Hold the position steadily while relaxing your shoulders and maintaining an upright torso.
  4. Carefully release the hold, return to center, and repeat on the other side.

Breathing

Breathe deeply and smoothly through your nose, exhaling tension as you hold the stretch.

Cues

  • Stand tall through the crown of your head.
  • Keep the shoulders drawn down away from your ears.
  • Tilt gently without pulling forcefully on the head or neck.

Common faults

Rounding the thoracic spine and jutting the chin forward.
Keep the chest open, ribs down, and spine upright throughout the stretch.
Yanking aggressively on the elbow or forcing the neck into extreme lateral flexion.
Apply only mild, comfortable pressure and stop at the first point of gentle tension.

Safety

  • Avoid sudden or ballistic jerking of the head and neck to prevent cervical strain.

Muscles

  • Triceps brachii stretched
  • Upper trapezius stretched
  • Levator scapulae stretched
  • Sternocleidomastoid stretched
  • Latissimus dorsi stretched

Joints

  • Cervical spine: Lateral flexion
  • Shoulder: Flexion, External rotation
  • Elbow: Flexion
  • Shoulder blade: Upward rotation, Elevation

Details

Movement
Stretch
Modality
Flexibility, Mobility
Mechanics
not applicable
Force
static
Laterality
unilateral
Kinetic chain
open
Level
beginner
Equipment
None
Record
Duration
Load
none

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

arm-and-neck-stretch.json