Shoulder Stretch Behind Back
The Shoulder flexibility test is a simple flexibility test to determine whether the hands can be brought together from behind and to detect shoulder range of motion.
Measure distance from finger tip to finger tip. If fingers overlap, score as a plus. If fingers fail to meet, score as a minus.
- Fingers overlap / Excellent
- Fingers are touching / Good
- Fingertips are not touching but are less than two inches (5cm) apart. / Fair
- Fingertips are greater than two inches (5cm) apart. / Poor
How to do:
- Start by reaching your right arm overhead and behind your neck to touch your upper back.
- Lift your left arm and move it around your left side to your lower back, then slowly reach upward as far as possible toward your right hand.
- Do they touch, or are they close to touching? Are they overlapping?Does one side feel tighter than the other?
- Switch sides and note your results.
Shoulder Stretch Behind Back / Benefits
- Flexibility is the capacity of a joint to move through its full range of motion. It’s important to stretch your shoulders regularly to relax and strengthen the muscles. Including shoulder-specific exercises and stretches in your overall workout program may help increase your shoulder mobility and flexibility.
- In addition, this stretching movement benefits the triceps, back and chest muscles.
Dynamic stretching consists of active movements. It is usually done before a workout to help warm up your muscles and increase your heart rate. Move slowly, stop and repeat, dig a little deeper each time and improve your range of motion. Pre-workout dynamic stretching improves circulation, prepares your muscles for movement, and temporarily increases your range of motion.
Static stretching, more commonly done at the end of a workout when your muscles are warm, is when stretches are held in place for a certain period of time, not moving. Static stretching is the most effective form of stretching for loosening up your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons, while also improving flexibility and range of motion. Static stretching requires you to move a muscle to the end of its range of motion and maintain this position for 20 to 45 seconds. Repeat this 2 to 3 times each.
Muscles Worked
