Stretch before you practice, stretch after you practice. But make sure that you are actually stretching, and not just pulling on your fingers like some people do. I like to do shoulder circles before I play and some wrist stretches. Make sure to also do some full-body stretching and breathing exercises to get the blood pumping.
There’s a good list of easy to do stretching excersices at WebMD.
One Comment
Well said, I’m the result of no strechcing and over practice (sitting down for 2 hours without getting up or strecthing before hand). The result: several tight muscles along the back and slow painful treatment!