6 Shoulder Stretches for Increasing Shoulder Mobility

Shoulder stretches loosen and strengthen your shoulder muscles. Tight shoulders can cause pain in your neck, back, and scapula (shoulder blades), limiting the range of motion in your upper body and restricting daily movements. Poor posture and sitting for long periods of time can contribute to weak shoulder muscles and exaggerate shoulder pain. Practicing shoulder stretches can help prevent injury, build strength in the upper body, alleviate shoulder pain, and contribute to good posture. If you’re experiencing consistent shoulder pain, consider seeking medical advice. Depending on the level of pain, physical therapy may be required.

Explore some of the best shoulder stretches for stretching out your shoulder muscles.

1. 1. Shoulder raises: While seated or standing, take a deep breath and shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. Exhale and lower back to the starting position. Repeat this movement pattern ten times.
2. 2. Shoulder rolls: While seated or standing, roll your shoulders up, back, and down. Repeat this movement pattern ten times. Then reverse the direction, rolling your shoulders up, forward, and down.
3. 3. Cross-arm stretch: From a seated or standing starting position, cross your right arm in front of your body at shoulder height. Keep your back straight. Use your left hand to gently push your right elbow towards your chest. You should feel a light stretch in your right shoulder. Hold for thirty seconds, relaxing into the stretch. Repeat with the opposite arm to stretch the left shoulder.
4. 4. Cat-cow pose: The cat-cow stretch combines two yoga poses: the cat pose (marjaryasana in Sanskrit) and the cow pose (bitilasana). Practice the cat-cow stretch on a yoga mat, beginning on your hands and knees in a tabletop position with a neutral spine. Raise your belly button and round your spine until your body forms the cat pose with your chin close to your chest. After holding that position for a deep inhale, exhale and let your belly drop slowly. Arch your back and raise your head while squeezing your shoulder blades together and lifting your tailbone up. Hold the cow pose for a moment before returning to the cat pose.
   
5. 5. Thread the needle: Get into the starting position by getting on all fours on a soft floor or yoga mat. Your knees should be shoulder-width apart. Thread your right arm directly across your chest and lean down to rest your right arm on the floor. You should feel a stretch in your right shoulder blade. You can rest your right side on the floor. Hold for thirty seconds. If you are unable to fold completely forward, try performing this stretch with the help of a foam roller. From a kneeling position, perform the aforementioned steps on top of the foam roller rather than on the floor.
6. 6. Upper-trapezius stretch: While on your knees, sit up tall with your back in a straight line. Elongate your neck. Reach your right hand over your head and place it palm-side down on the left side of your head. Your middle finger should touch the top of your left ear. Let your left arm hang at your side behind you (you can use your left hand for support if needed). Without using your hand to pull, allow gravity to pull your head toward your right shoulder. You should feel this stretch on the left side of your neck. Hold the position for thirty seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

There are several potential benefits to practicing shoulder stretches.

1. 1. Prevent injury: Practicing shoulder stretches before and after a workout is crucial for preventing injury in your scapulas, shoulder joints, and rotator cuff muscles.
2. 2. Build strength and flexibility: Physical therapists often prescribe shoulder stretches to help recovering patients rebuild strength in their neck, shoulders, chest, and upper back. This is because shoulder stretches help gently build strength in the upper body.
3. 3. Alleviate pain: Loose muscles are pain-free muscles. Stretch your shoulders daily—especially before and after upper-arm activity—to keep muscles relaxed and alleviate shoulder pain.
4. 4. Improve posture: Poor posture is often the source of pain in the upper back, neck, and shoulders. Practicing shoulder-strengthening exercises in tandem with shoulder stretches improves the muscular structure of the deltoids, trapezius, and rotator cuff muscles to help maintain good posture.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.