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Even if you're not doing soul-crushing workouts on the daily, it's likely you feel cramped, sore, or stiff more

often than not. Think about it: Most of us spend the majority of the day not using any muscles at all, sitting

and slouching over a keyboard, which can wreak havoc on your hips, back, shoulders, neck, and more. And

while there's no doubt exercise is amazing for your body, it can also lead to tight muscles and annoying

aches. That's where these moves come into play.

Stretching is important as it lengthens your muscles, allowing you to use them to their fullest capability,

explains Kristin McGee, a yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. “It helps increase blood flow to our

muscles, improves our physical performance, decreases risk of injuries, and enables our muscles to work

effectively,” she says. Plus, stretching wakes us up, helps us breathe better, sleep better, and gives us

better posture.

Feeling tight in all the wrong places? We tapped McGee and other fitness experts, including trainers and

physical therapists, for the best stretches you can do for every part of your body. Let the healing begin!

1. Neck

The neck is a central portal and superhighway for our entire nervous system, explains David Reavy, PT,

owner of React Physical Therapy in Chicago, IL. “Lack of moving during sleep is a big reason the neck

becomes tight,” he says. “To add insult to injury, those who have a desk job and who are sitting for most of

the day are constantly pulled forward, so the neck and back are slouched for hours at a time.”

The Best Stretch for Every Tight Spot in Your Body

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Try: Upper Trap Stretch

Sit with a straight back and place right hand on

right shoulder. Place left hand on right side of head

and tilt head to the left, using just bodyweight (not

pulling). Hold for 10 seconds then switch sides.

Alternate: Chin Tucks

Sit up straight with back in neutral and tuck chin

into chest, like you are trying to give yourself a

double chin. Hold for three seconds. Repeat 10

times. For extra pressure, place two fingers on chin

when you tuck.

2. Shoulders

If your shoulders are in a poor position (typically

upward rotated, anteriorly tilted), then they will

become tight. “You hunch because your scapula

won’t fully go in the other direction, and you end

up losing full range of motion,” Reavy says.

Try: Scapula Retractions

Stand tall and squeeze shoulder blades together as

hard as you can. Hold for three seconds then

release. Repeat 12 times.

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Alternate: Doorway Pec Stretch

Stand in doorway. Bend right elbow 90 degrees (palm facing front, fingers towards the sky) and place

forearm on outside of doorway. Step forward with left foot and lean forward until you feel a stretch in your

pec. Hold for 10 seconds then switch arms.

3. Triceps

A main reason triceps tend to feel tight is because

of muscle imbalance, says Ben Wegman, trainer at

The Fhitting Room in New York City. They’re

generally weaker than the biceps, the muscle

opposite them. Since triceps are worked less often

in day-to-day activity, they'll feel tighter when

isolated and activated in exercise, he explains.

Try: Overhead Triceps Stretch

Reach right arm over your head, bend at the elbow,

and place left hand on the front of the right elbow.

Gently pull right elbow back and down until you feel tension. Hold for 10 seconds. Release and repeat on

the opposite side.

Alternate: Cross Body Triceps Stretch

Reach your right arm across body at about shoulder level. Place your left wrist on outside of the right elbow

and pull your right arm gently toward body. Stop when you feel a stretch in the right triceps and hold for

10 seconds. Release and repeat on the opposite side.

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4. Forearms

Your forearms are engaged during daily activities

like carrying a purse, gym bag, or groceries; typing

on a computer; or using a cell phone. “We often

don't think to stretch our forearms, but it's a good

idea to do so to keep our wrists healthy and to use

our arms efficiently,” McGee says.

Try: Eagle Arms Stretch

Spread arms out to sides. Bend elbows and cross

right arm in front of left in front of your chest. Then

wrap right wrist behind left, so arms are wrapped

twice, palms touching one another. (If that's too hard, press backs of hands together.) Hold for 10 seconds.

Release and switch arms.

Alternate: Tabletop With Hands Flipped Stretch

Get down on all fours, hands stacked under shoulders, hips stacked directly over knees. Turn one hand at a

time so wrists are facing forward, fingers facing back towards knees. Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Wrists

If you’re hoping to lift heavier weights at the gym, it’s necessary that you build grip strength. Working on

grip strength helps strengthen your forearms, which allows you to build more muscle overall, but it also

affects the wrists, potentially causing tightness, Wegman explains.

Try: One-Arm Assisted Wrist Stretch

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Reach right hand out in front of you, parallel to the

ground. Flex wrists back, fingers pointing towards

ceiling, palms facing forward. Spread fingers wide

and gently pull back on thumb with left hand. Hold

for a few seconds. Move on to pointer finger, then

middle finger, and so on, holding each finger for a

few seconds. Release and repeat with the opposite

hand.

Alternate: Prayer Stretch

Start with palms together in front of chest just

below chin. Slowly lower your hands toward your

waistline, keeping hands close to your stomach and palms together, until you feel a mild stretch in your

wrists and forearms. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times.

6. Back

Our backs control so much of our movement and are very delicate. “Our lats, glutes, paraspinals, and abs

are all connected to our backs, which is why we need to keep our back strong and in use,” Reavy says. “But

because almost every movement affects the back, it's easy for people to hurt it with the slightest

movement.”

Try: Standing Extension

Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips, and slowly lean backward until you feel a stretch in your

lower back. Hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 12 times.

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Alternate: Lower Trunk Rotation

Lie on your back, knees bent with feet flat on the

floor, hip-width apart. Keep back flat and let both

knees fall to right side. Hold for 10 seconds then

repeat on opposite side.

7. Abdominals

“Our abs and obliques are our endurance muscles

for every activity we do,” McGee explains. “We use

our core for everything from lifting and squatting to

picking things up to classes like yoga and Pilates,

where we use our own bodyweight to support

ourselves.”

Try: Upward Dog

Lie facedown, bend elbows, and place palms on

floor next to chest. Pointing toes, press tops of feet

into floor and press chest up as you straighten your

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arms and lift thighs and knees off floor. Keep chest open and look up.

Alternate: Bridge Stretch

Lie faceup, knees bent with feet flat on floor, hip-distance apart. With glutes engaged, push through heels

and lift hips into air, resting on shoulders. Interlace hands underneath hips and puff your chest to your chin

to stretch open entire abdominal region and sides of waist. Hold for 30 seconds.

8. Glutes

“Glutes are the heaviest part of your body and a

prime mover complex that helps you walk, run, and

jump more efficiently,” explains Andia Winslow,

trainer at Mile High Run Club in New York City. And

since they're used so frequently, they can get tight

easily.

Try: Figure 4 Stretch

Lie faceup and bend both knees so feet are resting

flat on floor in front of you, hip-distance apart. Draw

right leg off ground and cross it over the left, so

right ankle is resting against left knee. Reach hands through and grab back of left thigh, lift, and pull left

leg in towards chest. Hold for 10 seconds then switch legs.

Alternate: Seated Twist Stretch

Sit on floor with both legs fully extended in front of you. Lift right leg, bend knee, and cross it over left leg,

placing foot on the ground. Hug right leg into your chest. Hold for 10 seconds then switch legs.

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9. Hip Flexors

These muscles help your legs move, so you use

them more than you could imagine. Whether you’re

walking, running, or cycling, your hip flexors are

involved. And when you’re at a desk all day, you’re

making them even tighter. “When we sit, the hip

flexors are dormant and shortened, so they tend to

get tight, cramp, and pull on our lower backs,”

explains McGee.

Try: Crescent Lunge Stretch

Start on all fours. Step right foot forward between

hands and lengthen the left leg back, placing left shin and top of left foot on the floor. Let hips fall towards

the floor as you lunge into front knee and bend back, opening up through the chest with arms extended

overhead. Hold for 10 seconds then switch sides.

Alternate: Dancer's Pose

Stand tall and lift right leg behind you, bending at the knee. Catch top of the foot with right hand. Keeping

left leg straight, slowly raise right foot behind you and lean slightly forward. Left arm lifts to ceiling in front

of you. Balance for 10 seconds then switch legs.

10. Quads

”If you’re not using the posterior chain properly (glutes, hamstrings, etc.), the quads take on the extra

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work,” Winslow explains, “and because most folks

don't stretch properly, this leads to undue tightness

and soreness.” Not warming up properly and

fatigue can also cause the quadriceps to cramp up.

Try: Heel-to-Butt Stretch

Stand tall and lift right leg behind you, bending at

the knee. Catch right foot with right hand. Keeping

right knee pointing down and both knees close, pull

right heel into glutes. Hold for 10 seconds then

switch legs. Hold onto a chair or couch with unused

hand if you have trouble balancing.

Alternate: Lying Heel-to-Butt Stretch

Lie facedown, legs stretched out behind you. Bend right knee and grab right foot with right hand, pulling

heel towards glutes. Keep right knee parallel to ground, both knees together. Hold for 10 seconds then

switch legs.

11. Inner Thighs

“Your inner thighs might not be the most powerful muscle group, but that doesn't mean they can't get

tight,” says Liz Barnet, certified trainer at Uplift Studios and SLT in New York City. “Whether from

underutilization, lack of functional movement, or just sitting in a chair with your legs crossed, your inner

thighs can get just as tight as your more active muscle groups.” And you don’t want to ignore them as that

can create muscle imbalances.

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Try: Seated Saddle Stretch

Sit with legs extended straight out in front.

Separate them to respective sides as wide as you

can, sitting equally on both sit bones. Flex toes up

towards ceiling, sit up straight, and begin walking

hands out in front of you as far as possible. Make

sure to keep your back straight—that's more

important than how far you go. Hold for 30

seconds. (If you can’t touch the floor, grab a yoga

block or just touch with fingertips.)

Alternate: Frog Pose Stretch

Kneel on a cushioned surface like a yoga mat or rug with hands flat on the floor in front of you. Start to

separate knees apart, keeping shins and tops of feet pressing down into ground. If it's too intense, support

more of your body weight with your hands and upper body. Hold for 30 seconds.

12. Hamstrings

“The hamstrings are very easy to pull and/or injure,” Wegman says. “This can be due to many factors,

including not warming up before exercising, tight quadriceps pulling your pelvis forward and tightening the

hamstrings, and weak glute muscles.” Your glutes work in tandem with your hamstrings and can overload

your hamstrings if they're weak.

Try: Scissor Hamstring Stretch

Stand with feet together. Step your right foot back about two feet behind left, staggered, and bend

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forward from hip joint, keeping your back and both

legs straight. Either keep hands on hips or place

gently on shin. Hold for 30 seconds then switch

sides.

Alternate: Good Morning Stretch

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Interlace your

hands behind your head. With a slight bend in

knees, hinge at hips and bend forward, keeping

back flat. Hold for 10 seconds then release. Repeat

two more times. Stop if you feel your back start to

round.

13. Calves

“Your calf muscles tend to be one of the most

worked muscle groups due to the constant nature

of being on your feet all the time—walking,

running, and standing,” Wegman says. Lots of

factors can cause them to cramp, including

insufficient stretching, fatigue, poor blood

circulation in the legs, dehydration, and deficiencies

in vitamins, such as magnesium, potassium, and

calcium. Ever experience a charley horse? That and

other spasms in the calf muscles are caused by

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these vitamin deficiencies as well as dehydration.

Try: Wall-Assisted Calf Stretch

Stand a little less than arm's distance from wall. Keeping feet parallel, step right foot forward until toes

touch wall in front of you. Bend your right knee and lean forward to place hands on wall while keeping back

leg straight and pressing heel into the ground. Hold for 30 seconds and switch legs.

Alternate: Downward Dog

Start on all fours, hands stacked under shoulders, hips stacked directly over knees. Walk hands forward

slightly on the floor until arms are straight. Spread your fingers apart to allow for a broad base of support.

Engage abs and push hips up towards ceiling, coming onto your feet. Keep your heels on the ground and

gently try and straighten your knees. Hold for 30 seconds.

14. Achilles/Ankle

While the Achilles is a small tendon, it’s not too

fragile. “The issue becomes that we overuse our

soleus (or deep calf muscle) and plantar fascia,

putting the Achilles in a constant stretch, which

makes our gastrocnemius or upper calf muscles and

our glutes inefficient,” explains Reavy. “Muscles

need to lengthen and then shorten with every

movement, and in this case the muscle is so tight

there is a constant pull on the Achilles, which isn’t

good.”

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Try: Soleus Stretch

Standing with feet hip-width apart, step right foot forward about two feet and plant foot firmly on ground.

Lift toes of right foot toward ceiling and dig heel into ground.

Alternate: Planter Fascia Ball Stretch

Place tennis ball or lacrosse ball under right foot. Apply as much body weight as comfortable as you roll

ball under bottom of foot. Roll for 30 seconds then switch feet.

15. Feet

Who knew such a small body part would have 20

muscles? “It's easy to neglect our feet and strain

them when we wear shoes that aren't supportive, or

overuse them in training, especially to compensate

for weaker muscles,” McGee says.

Try: Hero Pose

Kneel on floor then sit back onto legs. Open legs

wide, pushing feet out to the sides and sit between

heels, leaning back as far as possible. Hold for 30

seconds. If you don’t have the range of motion to

lean back all the way, stay upright, keeping back straight. And place a mat or towel above calves if it’s too

painful.

Alternate: Upward Dog

Start in plank position. Keeping abs engaged, let hips drop towards floor as your chest opens up through

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Special thanks to our model, Liz Barnet, certified trainer at Uplift Studios and SLT in New York City.

your arms, and slowly place tops of each foot on floor. Press firmly into all ten toes and hold for 30

seconds.