If you had to name all the major components of health related fitness, would you remember to include flexibility? Maintaining full range of motion in your upper and lower body is crucial to exercise and sport performance as well as just feeling good in your daily activities. You can't follow through on your jump shot or your golf swing or even lift your child overhead without good upper extremity range of motion.
Open Arms
In an article in the "National Strength and Conditioning Performance Training Journal," certified strength and conditioning coach Richard Scrivener suggests warming up for workouts with upper extremity range of motion exercises, such as open arm swings. Open arm swings increase your range of motion by stretching your chest, biceps and shoulders.
To perform this exercise, stand and swing your arms so they move back and away from your body. Make sure to swing your arms in multiple directions. Perform about ten open arm swings.
Alternating Arm Swings and Reaches
Alternating arm swings with a reach stretch your lats--the muscles along the outside of your back--and triceps. Scrivener suggests this dynamic stretch for upper extremity range of motion as it works the muscles opposite those stretched by the open arm swings.
To perform this exercise, start in a standing position and swing one arm down and back while the other swings overhead. When your arm comes overhead, bend your elbow and reach toward your upper back. Do ten arms swings on each side.
Shoulder Stretch
While the previous range of motion exercise all involved motion, the Mayo clinic recommends a static stretch to improve shoulder movement. According the Mayo Clinic this range of motion exercise helps decrease the likelihood of rotator cuff pain in your shoulder.
Begin by extending your right arm straight out in front of you and then bring it across your upper chest as far as possible. Take your left arm and use it to pull your right arm farther and increase the stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then switch arms.
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