Getting that pinching pain when you reach overhead? Or maybe pain in your shoulder when you wake up in the morning?
Shoulder pain can often stem from lack of mobility and control in your upper back and arms! Here are 5 simple exercises to do at home to improve your shoulder mobility:
- Half Kneeling Thoracic Spine Rotation (2 x 12 each side): For this exercise, focus on the rotation in your chest – you should feel mobility work in your mid to upper back.
- Box Latissimus Dorsi Stretch (2 x 30 seconds): For this exercise, make sure to keep your ribs down (avoid letting your lower back move into an arched position). Sit your hips back towards your heels and reach long with your arms. You should feel this stretch under your armpits or at your sides.
- Band Pull Apart (2 x 15): Lead this motion by pinching your shoulder blades together to pull the band apart. The goal is to open the band with your upper back muscles – your arms are just along for the ride.
- Prone “Y” Lifts (2 x 10): Similar to the band pull apart exercise, your shoulder blades are the star of this exercise. Think about tipping your shoulder blades “up and back” to lift the PVC off the floor.
- Seated Wall Angels (2 x 15): Sit with your hips to the wall and your lower back in a neutral position. As you reach your arms back to the wall, avoid arching your lower back. Slide your arms up and down the wall within your available range of motion. This exercise is a tough one! Do not force any range of motion, and improve slowly.
