Equipment Required:

None

Starting Position:

Stand with back straight, feet placed shoulder-width apart and abdominal muscles contracted to hold torso stable.

Actions To Execute Exercise:

Reach both arms overhead, clasp the hands, turn the palms facing upward and reach as high as possible, trying to elongate the torso.
Hold; relax.
Repeat.

What The Exercise Does:

Stretches the shoulders, waist and upper back.

Variations on this Exercise:

Instead of clasping hands, alternately reach each hand toward the ceiling, as in a rope climbing motion.

Fitness Training Tips:

This is a pre-activity limbering stretch or a post-activity cooldown stretch.