SHOULDER STRETCHES AND MOBILITY Created by Sarah Kingsley Jan 4th, 2023
Total 8
Childs Pose Variations
Begin in all four's quadruped position. Stretch your arms out in front of you with your thumbs up towards the ceiling and pinky fingers pressing down. Sit back towards your heels relaxing your head and neck to feel a stretch under your armpits. DO NOT SINK into the stretch, instead actively press through your pinky fingers to keep your forearms lifted. Breathe for 5-10 breaths.
THEN, or alternatively turn your palms to face up and sit back for the same stretch for more of an opening in your forearms, pressing back of palms into mat for 5-10 breaths.
YOU CAN ALSO HAVE YOUR HANDS ELEVATED ON BLOCKS PILLOW OR FOAM FOLLER!
Come into all 4's quadruped position. Use a yoga block, foam roller, paper towel roll or stack of towels and place your elbows onto it. Bring your hands to the nape of your neck and relax your head and neck. Sit back towards your heels to feel a stretch in your triceps (back of arms). Hold for 5-10 breaths.
Using two yoga blocks or towel buildups if possible. Place one the horizontal way underneath your head, and the other the vertical way along your thoracic spine. Begin either with hands behind head allowing elbows to flare open, or if tolerated bring arms in a goal post position as shown. Try to keep a slight engagement in your abdominals not to let the ribs flare out, take 10 deep breaths with each exhalation feel shoulder blades settle further towards floor and hands settle further back towards floor.
In a seated or standing position, begin with arms relaxed by your sides. Breathe in as you shrug your shoulder blades up by your ears, exhale as you squeeze your shoulder blades together, then allow your shoulder blades to relax back to neutral. Repeat again 5 - 10 x to release the restrictions in your upper trap area. Perform as needed throughout the day.
In a seated or standing position, keeping abdominals engaged, roll your shoulder and shoulder blades UP, BACK! and DOWN! Alternative left and right sides performing 10-30 times as needed throughout the day.
Ly on your side with hips and knees bent to 90 degrees, you can have a block underneath your head to support your neck. Begin with both arms out in front of you hands stacked on top of each other. With your top arm, begin to backstroke bring your arm down by your side to your hip, then as you come up BEND YOUR ELBOW into more of a goalpost position as you bring your arm up in line with your ear turning the thumb to point up and back to the starting position. Keep abdominals engaged to protect your low back and try not to flare the ribs. Repeat 10 x feeling the shoulder blade participate in the motion. Then roll onto your other side and repeat as needed.
Using two yoga blocks, place one block horizontally on the lowest or medium height setting underneath your head and the other block vertically down your upper spine. Ly back with your knees bent feet flat on the floor. Feel your sacrum (triangular base of spine) on the floor and bring your arms into a goal post position with elbows in line with your shoulders or slightly below if more comfortable. Try not to let your front ribs flare out as you take 10 breaths into your front chest wall.
Begin lying on your back with a small pillow or towel under head as needed and a foam roller or bolster behind your head. Breathe in as you reach your shoulder blades up to the ceiling and back behind you towards the roller allowing hands to rest on the roller, trying NOT to flare front ribs or arch in your low back. Hold for 10 full breaths trying to increase the overhead range with each exhale as tolerated.
