If you work in an office, the chances are you don't get to move around much, and sometimes your muscles might feel a bit tight. Well there is a nice stretch you can do to help relieve some of that.

Stretch 1

Place your hands together above your head, with your arms straight. If possible, your arms should touch your ears.

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Source: YouTube

Then move your arms with your palms facing away from you (see photo below). Imagine you are folding your shoulder blades to the center of your back.

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Source: YouTube

Repeating this should warm your body up a little.

Stretch 2

Place your hands together in front of your body.

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Source: YouTube

Whilst moving the chest, move the shoulder blades. It should feel as if shoulder blades stick right out from your back. Make sure your shoulders don't move up and down.

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Source: YouTube

Stretch 3

First, start with both arms down.

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Source: YouTube

Bring the shoulder blades together by lifting the arm, moving the elbow diagonally upwards.

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Source: YouTube

These three stretches should have helped loosen the muscles surrounding the shoulder blades. The following moves help loosen it further.

Flapping motion

Place your arm back, slightly lowered and flap your arms forward and backward, which will help loosen up your muscles. Then stop the arms as far behind as you can.

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Source: YouTube

Then flap your hands outwards and inwards. Feel your shoulder blades tighten a little.

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Source: YouTube

"Ball hold" stretch

Open your legs to the shoulder width, while opening both elbows opened to close up your shoulder blades (see photo below).

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Source: YouTube

Now imagine that there is a ball on your lap, and lower your upper body to "hug" that imaginary ball with your elbow and head. Breath out slowly whilst doing so. Once you exhale, bring your upper body upright while breathing in.

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Source: YouTube

This completes the entire set. Do each stretch 3 times. Once you know the drill, it should only take you a couple of minutes.

Just to recap, here's the video of each of the stretches:


By - grape Japan editorial staff.