What are the best exercises to improve shoulder mobility?

1 Why shoulder mobility matters

Shoulder mobility refers to the range of motion and control of your shoulder joint and the surrounding muscles and tissues. It affects how well you can move your arms, upper back, and neck in different directions and planes. Having good shoulder mobility allows you to perform various functional tasks, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, and throwing, without pain or restriction. It also helps you maintain a healthy posture and alignment, and reduces the risk of injuries and inflammation in your shoulder and other parts of your body.

2 How to assess your shoulder mobility

Before you start doing any exercises to improve your shoulder mobility, you need to know your current level and identify any limitations or imbalances. There are several ways to assess your shoulder mobility, but one of the simplest and most common is the wall slide test. To do this test, stand with your back against a wall and your feet about a foot away from it. Raise your arms above your head and bend your elbows at 90 degrees, forming a W shape with your body. Try to touch the wall with your elbows, wrists, and hands, keeping your arms parallel to the floor. If you can do this without arching your back, lifting your shoulders, or moving your head forward, you have good shoulder mobility. If not, you may have some tightness or weakness in your shoulder muscles or joints.

4 How to progress and modify your shoulder mobility exercises

As you improve your shoulder mobility, you may want to increase the challenge and intensity of your exercises. You can do this by adding more repetitions, sets, or resistance, or by changing the angle, speed, or range of motion of your movements. For example, you can do shoulder circles with a light weight in each hand, or do band external rotations with a thicker band or a longer distance between your hands. You can also try more advanced exercises, such as wall angels, shoulder taps, or overhead presses.

However, if you have any pain, discomfort, or difficulty with any of the exercises, you may need to modify them or avoid them altogether. You can do this by reducing the repetitions, sets, or resistance, or by changing the angle, speed, or range of motion of your movements. For example, you can do arm swings with a smaller range of motion, or do scapular wall slides with your arms lower than your shoulders. You can also use alternative exercises, such as shoulder shrugs, shoulder rolls, or arm raises.

5 How to incorporate shoulder mobility exercises into your routine

To get the most benefits from your shoulder mobility exercises, you should incorporate them into your routine at least three times a week. You can do them as part of your warm-up, cool-down, or recovery session, or as a standalone workout. You can also mix and match different exercises to suit your goals and preferences. For example, you can do a circuit of shoulder circles, arm swings, scapular wall slides, band pull-aparts, and band external rotations, repeating each exercise for 30 seconds and resting for 15 seconds between them. You can do this circuit for 10 minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable.

Remember, shoulder mobility is not something that you can achieve overnight. It takes time, consistency, and patience to improve your shoulder mobility and prevent or heal any shoulder issues. By doing the best exercises to improve shoulder mobility, you can enhance your functional performance, posture, and health.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?