Do your shoulders pass the test?
Test your shoulder mobility
Spending long hours at a desk, studying or working from home or have done too many push ups at the gym, can cause shoulder issues. Find out if your shoulders pass the test with these positions in the video and described below.
Who may benefit from the test?
- working from home and looking down at our devices
- Anyone spending long periods of time sitting in forward flexed or slumped posture
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?
- tension across the chest and shoulder muscles
- weakness and fatigue in muscles of the mid back
- Stiffness in the shoulders
The 2 shoulder positions to Test
With these 2 exercises we can help release tension, improve upper body posture, and allow for increased range of motion in the shoulders.
1. Bent arm wall stretch
- Stand in between an open doorway
- Raise one or both arms to shoulder height and bend so that the elbow is at 90 degrees
- Slowly step one foot slightly forward so that you are still standing upright and not leaning forward
- Feel the stretch at the front of the chest and shoulders
- Hold for 20-30 seconds
- Try moving the arm up higher and lower to stretch different sections of the pectoralis muscles
- Repeat 2-3 times throughout the day
2. Wall Angels
- With the knees slightly bent, feet 15-20 cms away from the wall, press your head, shoulders, upper back, and butt against the wall
- Reach your arms up straight above your head with hands touching the wall (‘V’ Position)
- Begin to slide hands down towards the shoulders, bending at the elbows and squeezing your mid-back muscles
- When elbows are just below the shoulders, hold this position (‘W’ Position) for 5 seconds before returning to the starting position
- Perform 5-10 reps and repeat 2-3 times throughout the day
Do your shoulders pass the test? If not, then it may be worthwhile to see your local musculoskeletal expert to help your shoulder mobility.
Call one of our chiropractors if you have any questions.
Lisa Smycz
If you would like to know more about exercises you can do for low back pain, then CLICK HERE. Find out how a Lumbar Denneroll can help the low back curve, CLICK HERE.
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