Upper Back Stretch

Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms forward, interlace your fingers, and turn your palms outward. Keep your arms straight as you gently push your hands away from your body. Feel the stretch in your upper back and between your shoulder blades. Hold the position for 15 seconds, then release. Repeat the stretch 2 more times.

How to perform the Upper Back Stretch

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Upper Back Stretch using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your trapezius.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your trapezius rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Upper Back Stretch

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