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Shoulder Mobility Exercises

Hanging Progressions and Brachiating Basics

If you are mobile and functionally strong enough to condition your shoulders and scapulae with hanging and swinging exercises, you might begin to work at the progressions in this video.

For an overview of exercise progressions that you can work at to improve your mobility and balance in a systematic way, please feel free to visit our Mobility Exercise Progressions page here: Read more

 

A Collection of Band Exercises to Improve Shoulder Mobility and Stability

This post offers a collection of my favourite band exercises for improving shoulder mobility and stability.

If you've dislocated a shoulder in the past, please be conservative with any exercises you try, and after clearing things with your physician, you might start with those that have your arms no higher than chest level. Over time, as your shoulders feel stronger and more mobile, you can gradually work your arms overhead. Read more

 

Shoulder Dislocates to Improve Shoulder Mobility

This is a simple and highly effective shoulder mobility exercise that you can do anywhere.

Lie prone on a comfortable surface and begin with a towel or scarf outstretched above your head - you want to keep your elbows locked out, and maintain enough tension on the towel or scarf to keep it taut. Read more

 

A Simple Shoulder Mobility Exercise Routine

You can do this routine anywhere; the benefit of doing it in a pool is the bit of resistance that your arms have to move through for parts of this routine, which promotes improved strength and is a good reminder to focus on taking your arms through controlled quality movement. Read more

 

Shoulder Exercise to Prevent Impingement and Improve Shoulder Flexion

If you have access to gymnastics rings, another suspension training system like TRX, or even a stable overhead bar, you can lean into it with your hands while your arms are straight overhead, and gently induce flexion through your shoulder joints. Read more

 

Mobility Exercise to Release a Chronically Tight Shoulder

One of the oft-overlooked elements of releasing a chronically tight shoulder is shortened muscles and tendons in the posterior shoulder region.

The specific tendons and muscles that tend to be short in those with chronic shoulder tightness and impingement are:

Infraspinatus
Teres minor
Posterior deltoid Read more

 

Mobility Exercises for Shoulder Impingement

Start with arm circles. Ideally, you want to keep your shoulder blades (scapulae) squeezed together as you take your shoulders through small, controlled circles, forward and backward.

Proceed to Cow-Cat to mobilize your spine and scapulae. Alternate between flexion and extension of your spine, focusing on controlled movement throughout. Read more

 

Scapular Mobility Exercises

If you have shoulder pain and stiffness while using your arms overhead, I encourage you to add scapular mobility exercises to your self care routine, as optimal movement of your shoulder blades along the posterior surface of your ribcage is vital to ensuring proper biomechanics of your shoulder joints when your arms are raised overhead.

If you're new to scapular mobility exercises, I would start with the Cow-Cat drill found here: Read more

 

Hanging Exercises to Improve Shoulder and Spinal Mobility

Hanging from an object overhead is one of the most effective ways of maintaining and improving shoulder and spinal mobility.

Be sure that you are warmed up before engaging in hanging exercises - ideally, you want to take your shoulders and spine through a solid warm-up and even work up a bit of perspiration to ensure that your tissues are well perfused with blood to prevent injury. Read more

 

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