Whether your shoulders are tight from hunching at a desk all day or from hitting the weights extra hard, these stretches will feel so good right now. They'll also increase flexibility to help prevent injury as well as help relieve neck pain or headaches associated with tension or stress. Do them all or choose a couple, but if you commit to stretching your shoulders a few times a week, you'll really notice a difference.
Shoulder Stretch
- Reach your left arm across your body at chest height. Support the left arm with your right elbow.
- Use your right arm to pull the left arm closer to your chest to increase the stretch.
- Hold this stretch for 20 seconds, then switch sides.
Behind-the-Back Neck Stretch
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, arms by your sides.
- Reach both hands behind your backside, and hold onto your left wrist with your right hand. Use your right hand to gently straighten your left arm and pull it away from you slightly.
- To increase the stretch in your neck, slowly lower your right ear toward your shoulder.
- Stay here for 30 seconds and then switch sides.
Chest Opener With Forward Bend
- Stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Interlace your hands behind your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stretch your chest. Keeping your legs straight, bend at the hips, tucking your chin and bringing your hands over your head.
- Relax the back of your neck, and if the stretch is too intense, release your hands, placing them on the backs of your thighs, and soften your knees. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and slowly roll up to standing.
Child's Pose With Reach
- Kneel on your mat on your knees and lie your torso down onto your thighs and your forehead on the ground. Reach your arms forward. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Walk your hands over to the left to lengthen the right side of your spine. Focus on breathing into your right rib cage. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, then walk your hands to the right to stretch the left side of your back.
Wall Child's Pose
- Kneel down in front of a wall. If this bothers your knees, kneel on a folded blanket or towel. Spread your knees wider than hips-distance apart.
- Extend your arms overhead and place your forearms on the wall.
- Allow gravity to pull your torso toward the floor. It's OK if your head rests on the wall as well. If you're not feeling this in your shoulders and neck, inch your knees further away from the wall.
- Breathe deeply for 30 seconds and then release.
Seated Heart Opener
- Begin sitting on the heels as if coming into Reclining Hero pose [2].
- Lean back and place your palms flat on the floor about eight to 10 inches behind you so your fingertips are pointing away.
- Press your hands firmly into the ground to lift the chest high, arching your back and pushing your hips into your heels. To increase the stretch, lower your head behind you, stretching through your throat and the front of your chest even more.
- Stay for 30 seconds.
- To take this stretch deeper and target one shoulder at a time, lift one arm into the air for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
Open Revolved Side Angle
- Come into a low lunge with the right foot forward.
- Lower your left palm to the floor beside your right foot.
- Exhale to reach your right arm behind you, opening your palm toward the ceiling. Really lean your weight into the left hand and allow your right shoulder to drift back as much as possible to deepen the stretch.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.