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Shoulder mobility is becoming increasingly important in an age when most people spend a good chunk of their week hunched over a screen.
If you've five minutes to spare, try this small test: lift your right arm over your head; bend it at the elbow, and put your hand as far down on your back as you can. Put your left hand behind your back, and try to connect the fingers of both hands. Change hands, and do it again.
This is a standard test of flexibility to see if your shoulders can move as far as they can go. If you can lock your fingers together, you have good shoulder flexibility. During this exercise, if your fingers are more than two inches apart, you have a lot of room to improve.
In this case, you can perform certain yoga poses to help improve your shoulder mobility.
Yoga Poses to Improve Shoulder Mobility
Check out these six poses to increase and improve your shoulder mobility:
1) Rabbit Pose
This shoulder stretch releases any tension in the lower back. Here's how you can do this pose:
- Start off by getting into the Child's Pose.
- Move into the Rabbit Pose to relax the back of your shoulders and rhomboids.
- Bring your hands to the mat just past your head, and intertwine your fingers.
- Your elbows should be near your ears, and forearms should be on the mat.
- Take a deep breath in and round your back, lifting your hips over your knees and putting your weight on your forearms as you lift your head to the crown.
- Don't put much weight on your head; instead, let your arms hold you up.
- Stay in this pose for a few breaths, and exhale to go back to the Child's Pose.
2) Seated Forward Bend
This pose has a lot of good things about it. It stretches the back, shoulders and the back of thighs. It's also thought to help digestion, stimulate the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus, and ease menopause and menstrual pain. It's also good for headaches, anxiety and tiredness.
Here's how you do this pose:
- Sit up straight and make sure your legs are straight.
- Take a deep breath in, and fold forward, trying to cup your heels.
- Make sure your chest touches your knees or comes as close as possible.
- Now comes the important part: tuck your chin in while rolling forward; hold that stretch, and slowly pull your shoulders in.
- Slowly count to five; let out your breath, and pull back out.
- This is a great pose. as it helps your neck move forward in the same way that your spine does when you stand up straight.
3) Cross Body Shoulder Stretch
This pose is another classic stretch that's great for releasing tension in your shoulder muscles, especially when you use a yoga breathing pattern. When your shoulders and trapezius tense up, it's often because of muscle tension in the deltoids and triceps. This pose can help relax the whole system.
Here's how you do this pose:
- Always start by sitting up straight and pulling your arm across your body gently till you feel a stretch in your shoulder.
- Hold this stretch for at least three breaths; let go, and move on to the other shoulder.
- This pose is easy to do at any time of day, not just during a yoga class, as you can do it almost anywhere, and it gives you almost immediate relief.
4) Push the Wall Stretch for Shoulders
The push-the-wall stretch is like the Downward-Facing Dog, but it doesn't put your body weight on your wrists. It not only stretches the shoulders but also the hamstrings and back.
Here's how you do this pose:
- Spread your fingers against the wall, and turn your elbows so that the insides are facing each other.
- Walk backwards while sliding your arms down the wall till your hips are bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Your legs will be in the Mountain Pose, with your hips above your knees and feet below them. Your upper body should be long and balanced.
- Press against the wall to straighten your arms, but don't push your shoulders into your ears.
- Keep your head in between your upper arms, and look down.
- From this position, you might be able to notice how gently turning your upper arms changes how your shoulders and upper back feel.
- Find a comfortable stretch with your shoulders in a neutral position, and hold it for a few deep breaths.
5) Warrior II Pose
This is a great pose that focuses on broadening your chest and shoulders. By doing so, your neck is forced to stay straight, which kills three birds with one stone.
Here's how you do this pose:
- From a standing position, move one foot back and the other forward in a 'V' shape (align the heel of your back foot with your front foot).
- Slowly lean on your front foot as you bend your knee (thereby stretching your back foot).
- While doing so, slowly lift both arms, and spread out your entire wingspan, with one hand facing your front foot and the other towards your back.
- Hold the pose for 30 seconds, and flip.
6) Hand Clasp Behind Back
This is another pose for beginners. It's very good for people with tight shoulders or shoulder blade pain of any kind and is great for improving shoulder mobility.
To do it, stand up straight, and lock your hands behind your back. Straighten your arms as far as you can while holding on tight. As you do that, tuck your chin as hard as you can into your chest. That will give your neck an extra stretch.
Depending on how much stress is on your shoulders, you can change this pose by gripping harder or softer.
Takeaway
The aforementioned poses can help you open up your shoulders and improve shoulder mobility.
