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Limited shoulder mobility is a painful reality for most people, and the resulting bad posture as well. Jobs where people are required to sit at their computer for long hours are invariably the reason for the same.
Limited shoulder mobility can prevent you from doing activities such as an overhead squat or cause severe pain in your neck and upper back. When your shoulders are tense, they inhibit your ability to move freely in daily activities and during your exercises. Reaching out to get something from a high shelf can feel impossible for individuals with too much constriction.
When you're unable to move your body freely, you lack physical autonomy, which is the trust that the body can handle any physical obstacles, which is not ideal.
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To avoid that, performing a few simple daily shoulder stretches can help. Not only can these stretches preserve the range of motion, flexibility, and strength of the shoulders but also help improve posture.
Exercises to Improve Posture and Shoulder Mobility
Check out the following six effective shoulder mobility exercises to improve posture:
1) Cross Arm Stretch
This stretch targets the rotator cuff muscles. The back shoulders also get a good stretch, helping increase shoulder mobility.
Instructions:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and right arm higher than shoulder height.
- Place your left hand on your right elbow, and gradually move your right arm across your body, supporting it with your left hand.
- Maintain this posture for up to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
- Repeat each side 3-5 times.
2) Sleeper Stretch
This stretch is generally recommended when someone is undergoing rehab for a shoulder injury. It can also help increase shoulder mobility.
Instructions:
- Lie on your affected side. Choose a side to begin with, if you're not injured or in pain. The shoulder blades should be piled beneath you.
- Bring your elbow straight out from your shoulder, and bend your arm so your fingers point upward. This is your starting point.
- Using the unaffected arm, gently guide that arm toward the floor. When you feel a stretch at the back of your affected shoulder, come to a halt.
- Maintain this posture for up to 30 seconds. Repeat three times before switching sides.
3) Quadruped Shoulder Circle
The benefit of doing this exercise on your hands and knees is that the floor provides support, allowing you to quickly change the pressure. It's a great exercise for shoulder mobility.
Instructions:
- Begin on your hands and knees, with the knees just beneath your hips and hands just beneath the shoulders.
- Keep your elbows straight as you shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, back towards your hips, down away from your ears, and forward towards your head, forming a circle.
- Do these circles in both directions before attempting them with alternate shoulders.
- Perform five circles in each direction with both shoulders, followed by five in each direction, with one shoulder at a time.
4) Tall Kneeling Arm Raises to the Side
This stretch begins in the same posture as the previous one, but you will feel it more in the lats and back of the shoulder. This is also great for increasing shoulder mobility.
Instructions:
- Begin in the same tall kneeling position as before, with your feet under your buttocks, and press your hips forward till you're kneeling on your shins.
- Instead of extending straight up above, keep one arm at your side while reaching the other arm up and over to the other side.
- Concentrate on reaching through the shoulder so that you feel a wonderful stretch in your lats and rear of the shoulder.
- Perform the exercise five times in and out of the shoulder stretch, and hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
5) Clasped Hands Extension
The shoulder mobility stretch can work on shoulder extension, which will help you overcome rounded posture, which many have.
Instructions:
- Begin by sitting down cross-legged on the floor. If sitting on the floor is too uncomfortable, you can sit on a chair or bench without a back.
- Straighten your elbows, and clasp your hands behind your back.
- Maintain a tall posture while pulling your arms up and back.
- As you advance into the stretch, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Perform the exercise five times in and out of the stretch, and hold for 15-30 seconds.
6) L-Arm Stretch
This shoulder mobility stretch works well for stretching the rotator cuff and the rear of the shoulder.
Instructions:
- Begin by resting on your stomach, one arm at your side. Stretch your other arm over your chest, palm up, without allowing your shoulder to shrug up towards your ear too much.
- Pull your chest down towards the floor with your shoulder muscles, providing a good stretch in the shoulder capsule.
- Move into and out of the stretched position, and hold it.
- Once you've found a comfortable position, move in and out of the stretch ten times before holding it for 30 seconds. Repeat the sequence three more times.
Takeaway
The aforementioned simple and effective shoulder mobility poses will take only a few minutes of your day but help you get the shoulders feeling and moving the way you want them to.
