When stretching after push-ups it’s important to focus on the muscles and joints that are worked hardest by push-ups. You should stretch the muscles of the chest, triceps, and shoulders since they are the main muscles targeted by push-ups. It’s also essential to stretch your wrists and shoulders to prevent injury to these key joints used during a push-up workout.
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Is It Good to Stretch After Push-Ups?
It’s an excellent idea to stretch after a push-up workout. Stretching helps to add to mobility and flexibility. It also reduces your risk of injury to muscles and joints. In order to stay on track toward your fitness goals and remain pain-free, incorporate stretching into your post-workout routine.
- The best time to stretch is after a workout.
- Stretching increases flexibility and decreases injury risk.
- Don’t stretch when you are not warmed up—this can strain your muscles.
The ideal time to stretch is right after your workout. Your muscles are warm so you’ll be able to stretch without the risk of pulling your muscles. Although static stretching is best done after a workout, warm-up before push-ups with a dynamic stretching routine.
What Muscles Should You Stretch After Push-Ups?
When stretching after push-ups, focus on stretching the wrists, triceps, shoulders, chest, and lower back. If you’re following an exercise program that includes regular push-ups, such as our deck of card push-up workout, then all of these muscles and joints will be worked hard. By stretching after push-ups, you help alleviate the feeling of tight muscles.
- Wrists
- Triceps
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Lower Back
While stretching does not decrease muscle soreness, the benefits of stretching after a workout cannot be overstated. You’ll have much better overall health, fitness, and mobility by stretching key muscles after a workout.
7 Stretches to Do After Push-Ups
Below is a quick guide to stretching after push-ups. In order to follow this routine, hold each stretch for 30 seconds and feel free to repeat each stretch 2–3 times. Work into the stretch gradually until you feel tension but not pain. Additionally, do not bounce or force yourself into a deeper stretch—this can cause injury. Stretch slowly, going at your pace.
Wrist Extension Stretch
Whether you’re doing standard push-ups, knee push-ups, or any other push-up variation, your wrists are asked to support a lot of weight. If not properly cared for, your wrists may suffer fatigue or injury from push-ups. The wrist extension stretch helps to increase wrist mobility. To do this stretch:
- Extend your right arm straight out in front of you.
- Bend at the wrist, pointing your fingers toward the ground.
- Grab the fingers of the right hand with your left and gently pull towards yourself until you feel a stretch in your wrist and forearm.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat for your other wrist
This simple stretch is great for wrist health. Many times, the wrist is ignored, but this key joint benefits from stretching after physical activity.
Wrist Flexion Stretch
This second stretch is the reverse of the previous wrist stretch. To perform this movement:
- Extend your right arm straight out in front of you.
- Bend your wrist upward, pointing your fingers toward the ceiling.
- Grab your right hand with your left hand and pull gently towards yourself until you feel the stretch in the underside of your forearm.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat for your other wrist.
By stretching your wrist both in extension and flexion you increase the flexibility in both muscles. This increases your ability to do upper body exercises such as push-ups and bench press without developing wrist pain.
Overhead Triceps Stretch
The overhead triceps stretch is great for stretching the large triceps muscle on the back of your upper arm. This muscle works during pushing exercises such as push-ups, so it needs a good stretch after exercise. Here’s how to get a good stretch:
- Raise right arm overhead.
- Bend your right arm at the elbow so your fingers are touching your upper back.
- Grasp your right elbow with your left hand.
- Gently pull your right elbow downward until you feel a stretch in your triceps muscle.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat for the left arm.
You may be wondering why you’re focusing on the triceps, not the biceps during these stretches. This is because push-ups don’t work your biceps much. Biceps stretches are great after you’ve worked those muscles with pull-ups or curls, but it’s not imperative to do a focused bicep stretch after push-ups.
Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch
Because push-ups require you to use your shoulders to move your body weight, it’s critical to stretch your shoulders. To accomplish this, perform the cross-body shoulder stretch with these steps:
- Extend your right arm until it is straight and the elbow is locked.
- Point your right arm across your body to the left. Go as far as you can without bending your elbow.
- Grasp your right elbow with your left hand.
- Use your left arm to gently pull your right arm across your body until you feel a stretch in your right shoulder.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat for your left arm.
This stretch is excellent for the deltoid muscles that are worked during push-ups. The next two stretches target the chest but also provide a great stretch for the shoulders.
Single-Arm Chest Stretch
Your pectoral muscles do a lot of the work during push-ups. To stretch these essential chest muscles—as well as the muscles in the front of your shoulder—do the following:
- Stand in a doorway or against a wall.
- Bend your arm at the elbow and place your right hand on the wall beside a doorway.
- Step forward with your right leg.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles.
- Twist your upper body gently to the left until you feel a stretch in your shoulder and chest.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat for your left side.
This stretch allows you to stretch your front deltoids (shoulder muscles) at the same time you target each pectoral muscle individually. It is great for both shoulder and chest muscle health.
Doorway Pectoral Stretch
You can stretch both sides of your chest at once with this simple stretch. To do so:
- Place one hand on either side of the doorway, with your elbows bent.
- Step forward slightly.
- Gently push your upper body forward until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
To target the chest and reduce focus on the shoulders, move your hand placement up. If you stretch with your arms out to your sides, you’ll feel the stretch in both the chest and shoulders. If you reach up high and grab the door frame overhead, you’ll specifically target your chest muscles.
Reclined Spinal Twist
Believe it or not, your core muscles do a lot of work during push-ups. Because the top of a push-up resembles a plank position, your abs and lower back have to be tensed to maintain good form. To stretch these muscles.
- Lay on your back on a stretching mat.
- Bend your right knee until it is pointing toward the ceiling.
- Extend your right arm straight out from your side and put your hand palm-down on the floor.
- Twist at the waist, bringing your right knee over your left leg, toward the floor on your left side.
- Stretch as far as you can comfortably go without lifting your right palm off the floor.
- You should feel the stretch in your lower back.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
This stretch is great for eliminating lower back pain after push-ups. By both working and stretching core muscles, you can develop the ability to resist injury and pain in this common trouble area.
How Long Should You Stretch After Push-Ups?
A good stretching routine after a push-up workout will take about 15–20 minutes. It’s a great idea to do this routine at a cool-down while your heart rate is still somewhat elevated. Your warm muscles will stretch more easily and help you develop flexibility. Remember to stretch after your workout every time. This is key to preventing injury and building overall fitness.
