Neck Retraction - Erector Spinae
Place the palm of your right hand against the back of your head-near the top. Push your head backward like a turtle, trying to tuck in your chin. DON’T TILT YOUR HEAD-keep eyes straight ahead. Resist the motion of your head with your hand. Repeat with your left hand. (The resistance uses your forearm muscles.)
Listen to Neck Retraction Instructions
Neck Rotation - Sternocleidomastoid
Place the palm of your right hand against your right cheek. Try to turn your head to the right as though you were trying to look over your right shoulder but resist the motion with your hand so your head doesn’t turn. Repeat on the left. (The resistance uses your forearm muscles and pectoral muscles.)
Listen to Neck Rotation Instructions
Neck and Chin Skin - Platysma
Clench your teeth and smile.
Listen to Neck and Chin Skin Instructions
Upper Limbs
Raising Shoulders - Trapezius and Levator scapulae
Shrug, trying to bring your shoulders up toward your ears.
Listen to Raising Shoulders Instructions
Lowering Shoulders - Latissimus Dorsi
3 variations:
1. Place arms at shoulder level in front of you with elbows bent 90 degrees, palms facing you. Slowly lower your elbows down toward the sides of your waist as though you were pulling down on a bar.
2. If you have room, put arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level. Pull down toward the outer sides of your thighs.
3. Put your hands on your hips like you’re angry, then push down at your waist like you're REALLY angry. There's no drawing, we've all seen this. This uses your latissimus and pectoral muscles.
Listen to Lowering Shoulders Instructions
Shoulder Blade Stabilization - Rhomboids
If you have room, hold your arms out to the side at shoulder level and squeeze your shoulder blades together. If you don’t have room, put your forearms on your lap and move your shoulders back squeezing your shoulder blades together as though someone were telling you to sit up straight.
Listen to Shoulder Blade Stabilization Instructions
Shoulder Blade Stabilization - Serratus Anterior
Put both arms in front of you with straight elbows. Slowly pull one arm and shoulder forward as though you were going to reach for something. Alternate which arm moves forward.
If you have room to stand, you can work the same muscles while standing and doing a push-up against a wall. In this version your elbows will bend.
Listen to Shoulder Blade Stabilization
Moving Arms Toward the Center - Pectoralis Muscles
3 variations:
1. Bend elbows 90 degrees with your palms facing each other. Lift your arms up so that your fingers are pointing toward the ceiling. Move your arms and forearms toward each other as though you were squeezing a large ball between your elbows.
2. Put your hands together in front of you like you’re praying, but with elbows out at your sides. Push hands together.
3. Lock your elbows against your ribs and push your elbows in against your ribs.
Listen to Moving Arms Towards the Center
Raising Arm - Deltoid
(Front part of deltoid) Rest your right arm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees. Grip your right arm with your left hand. Try to make a forward sawing motion with your right arm, trying to move both your arm and forearm forward, but resist the motion with your left hand.
(Back part of deltoid) Rest your right arm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees, your fingers facing forward, and your thumb up. Wrap your left hand around the back of your right arm and try to saw toward the back, resisting with your left hand. The resistance uses your forearm muscles.
Repeat using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
See a fun fact about the deltoid.
Listen to Raising Arm - Deltoids
Rotator cuff muscles: Raising Arm 30 Degrees to the Side - Supraspinatus
Rest your right forearm on your right thigh with elbow bent 90 degrees and held tightly against your hip. Grab your right arm just above the elbow with your left hand. Try to move your right arm away from your body, but resist with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
See a fun fact about the supraspinatus.
Listen to Raising Arm 30 Degrees to the Side - Supraspinatus
Rotator cuff muscles: Rotating Arm Outward - Infraspinatus and Teres Minor
Rest your right forearm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees. Grip your right forearm with your left hand. Keeping your right elbow against your hip, try to rotate your right forearm out to the right off your thigh. Resist with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
Listen to Rotating Arm Outward - Infraspinatus and Teres Minor
Rotator Cuff Muscles: Rotating Arm Inward - Subscapularis
Rest your right forearm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your palm facing to the left. Grip your right forearm with your left hand. Keeping your right elbow against your hip, try to rotate your right forearm inward as though you were going to bring your right palm to your belly. Resist with the palm of your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
Listen to Rotating Arm Inward - Subscapularis
Bending Elbow - Biceps and Brachialis
Rest your right forearm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees, and your right forearm rotated so your palm is facing up and thumb is pointing out to the side. Place your left hand palm down on your right wrist. Try to bend your right elbow as though you were going to bring your right hand to your right shoulder. Resist with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
For a variation that is not isometric, but more like lifting weights, you can put your right hand under your right thigh and lift your thigh 30 times. In this variation, the weight of your leg produces the resistance. Repeat on the left.
See a fun fact about the biceps.
Listen to Bending Elbow - Biceps and Brachialis
Straightening Elbow - Triceps
4 variations:
1. With your right arm out in front, bend your elbow so your right hand is pointing toward the ceiling. Wrap your left hand around your right wrist. Try to straighten your right elbow, as though you were going to lower your forearm toward your lap, but resist the movement with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
2. Put your right arm out to your side with your elbow bent 90 degrees and the palm of your right hand facing back. Wrap your left hand around your right wrist. Try to straighten your right elbow, pushing out to the right, but resist the movement with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
3. (not isometric) If you have room, put your arms in a scarecrow position, arms out to the side, elbows bent 90 degrees, palms facing the back. Straighten elbows, moving hands out to the side. Do both sides simultaneously. Gravity provides the resistance.
4. (not isometric) Seated push up: Put your hands palm down on your seat, one on either side of your hips. Push down and try to lift your body off your seat. Your body weight provides the resistance.
Listen to Straightening the Elbow - Triceps Instructions
Rotating Forearm to Palm Up - Supinator and Biceps
Put your right forearm on your right thigh with elbow bent 90 degrees and palm down. Grasp your right wrist with your left hand. Keeping your elbow at your side, try to rotate your right forearm to a palm up position, resisting with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
Listen to Rotating Forearm to Palm Up Instructions
Rotating Forearm to Palm Down - Pronator
Put your right forearm on your right thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees, your fingers facing forward and thumb pointing up. Grasp your right wrist with your left hand. Keeping your elbow at your side try to rotate your right forearm to a palm down position, resisting with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left arm as the working arm and your right as the resisting arm.
Listen to Rotating Forearm to Palm Down Instructions
Bending Wrists Up with Palms Down - Extensor Carpi Radialis and Ulnaris
Put your forearms on your thighs with your elbows bent 90 degrees and your palms resting on your thighs. Keeping your forearms still, bend your wrists up so that your fingers point toward the ceiling. This exercise is shown using both sides simultaneously without resistance. Add resistance by doing one wrist at a time, pushing down with the left hand while trying to raise the right hand and vice versa.
Listen to Bending Wrists Up with Palms Down Instructions
Bending Wrists Up with Palms Up - Flexor Carpi Radialis and Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
Put your right forearm on your thigh with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your right palm up. Try to bend your right wrist upward while resisting with your left hand. Repeat this exercise using your left side as the working side and your right as the resisting side.
To target both wrists at the same time using gravity for resistance, put both forearms on your thighs with your elbows bent 90 degrees and your palms facing up. Keeping your forearms still, bend your wrists up so that fingers point toward the ceiling.
Listen to Bending Wrists Up with Palms Up Instructions
Making a Fist - Wrist, Finger, and Thumb Muscles
Work both sides at the same time. Make a tight fist, bringing your thumb across and over your index and third fingers so that the muscles at the base of the thumb stick out and become firm.
See a fun fact about the fist muscles.
Listen to Making a Fist Instructions
Spreading the Fingers - Interossei
This exercise is shown using both hands simultaneously without resistance. Rest your forearms and hands on your thighs. Keeping your wrists neutral, neither lower nor raised, spread your fingers and then bring them back together.
Add resistance by doing one hand at a time, using your left hand to hold your right fingers together while you try to spread your right fingers. If you choose to do one side at a time repeat this exercise using your left hand as the working hand and your right as the resisting hand.
See a fun fact about the finger muscles.
Listen to Spreading the Fingers Instructions
