mobility
Back & Lat Stretch
back · shoulders
bodyweight · beginner
How to do it
- 1Child's pose: knees wide, sit back on your heels and reach both arms long in front. 30 seconds.
- 2Side reach: from child's pose, walk both hands over to one side. 30 seconds each side.
- 3Kneeling lat stretch: hands on a bench or chair, sit your hips back until you feel it under the arms. 30 seconds.
- 4Knees to chest: on your back, hug both knees in. 30 seconds.
What to think about
- Breathe into your back and let it widen.
- Hold still. A mild pull is the right amount.
What usually goes wrong
- Holding your breath.
- Pulling hard on the knees instead of letting them sink.
Worth knowing
- A stretch should pull in the muscle, never hurt in a joint. Ease off to where it is mild.
What the cautions rest on
The safety points above come from these, not from house opinion.
- Before lifting, warm-ups that move through range are preferred to long held stretches; held stretches belong after the session.
- Stretching improves range of motion; it does not meaningfully reduce muscle soreness in the days after training.
Who checked this
Nobody qualified has. These are standard coaching points and ordinary gym safety, written down: how to set the thing up, what to control, and when to stop a set. They are not a clinical opinion and no physiotherapist or strength coach has read them back. If they disagree with somebody who can actually see you lift, believe that person.