Shoulders are one of the most flexible but also most vulnerable joints on the body. Uncomfortableness in the shoulder area often stems from muscle stiffness, incorrect living posture, weak upper back muscles or limited chest movement.
For cases of mild shoulder pain, combining gentle exercises, adjusting posture and strengthening muscles properly will help restore motor function and bring a long-lasting feeling of comfort. Regarding safety, you should consult a medical professional before starting to exercise.
Shoulder rolls
This simple movement helps increase blood circulation, relieve stress and restore mobility for the upper laryngeal muscle, shoulder flexor muscle and adjacent muscle areas.
Stand or sit up straight, 2 hands relaxed down along your body. Slowly lift both shoulders up close to your ears.
Turn your shoulders back, gently tighten your shoulder blades together. Lower your shoulders and bring them forward to complete a circular motion. Change the direction of rotation backwards after completing enough times.
Perform 2-3 sets. Each set consists of 10 turns forward and 10 turns backward. Take a 30-second break between sets.
Angels on the wall
The wall angel exercise supports improving posture, strengthening the upper back, and at the same time, promoting flexibility for the shoulders and the entire upper body - areas that are often unmoved when experiencing shoulder pain.
Stand up straight, leaning your whole back close to the wall. Fold your elbows into a 90-degree angle, pressing the back of your hand against the wall surface.
Gently tighten your abdominal muscles, slowly extend your arms high over your head but still maintain contact between your hands and the wall. Slowly lower your hand back to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets, each set of 8-10 repetitions. Take a 45-second break between sets.
Thread the needle
The exercise helps improve the ability to rotate around shoulders and fixed arms, and at the same time, gently open the back of the shoulder and chest area of the moving arm.
From the position of reaching out to the sky, exhale and thread that arm down to the abdomen and behind the arm that is supporting.
Slowly lower your body, letting your shoulders and head rest gently on the mat. Take a deep breath and relax your whole body in a stretching position for 20 - 30 seconds.
Lift yourself back to the starting 4-point position. Perform 2-3 sets for each side, take a 15-second break between sets.
