Sore Shoulders? Try This 10-Minute Stretch Routine

Even if you don't play golf or tennis, shoulder pain can strike. Even prolonged sitting, that curse of the modern office drone, can leave you aching. Fortunately, if you’ve got ten minutes, you can ease tension and pain while preserving your mobility with this simple, yoga-based stretch routine. 

1. Cat-Cow 

Begin on all fours. As you inhale, sink your belly to the floor, as if you were a cow with heavily laden udders sagging. As you exhale, round your spine toward the sky like a scared Halloween kitty.

Do it seated: Scoot your bottom toward the edge of your chair, giving your spine room to bend backwards, and place your palms halfway up your thighs. Inhale as you lift your chest forward and up toward the ceiling; exhale as you round out your spine.

2. Tai-Chi Twists 

Stand or sit with your arms at your sides. Begin twisting your torso from side to side, allowing your arms to swing loosely, like pendulums or tassels, as you do so. If working from a sitting position, take care not to strike your arms against any hard surfaces. 

3. Shoulder Circles 

Allow your arms to dangle at your sides. Lift your shoulders up, let them drop back, then down, then front, creating a circle with this ball-and-socket joint. Repeat while moving in the opposite direction. 

Begin small, then add more of your arm into it, eventually allowing your circles to take up space. Imagine you had pencils on the tips of each finger, and your shoulder joint is a giant protractor, drawing a huge circle in space beside you. 

4. Eagle Arms 

Extend your right arm directly in front of you. Cross your left arm beneath your right, bending the elbow and circling it around your forearm, striving for a palm-to-palm position. 

Once your arms achieve this twist, think of pulling your elbows down and forward, away from your shoulders, fanning open the muscles of the upper back. Repeat on the other side.

5. Double Handcuff 

Begin standing or kneeling. Clasp your hands behind you, pushing your chest forward and your shoulders down and back. You may arch back slightly for a bonus stretch in your lower back (which feels especially lovely if your shoulders are sore from slouching).

Do it seated: Simply clasp your hands together behind the back of your chair and perform the same motion. It works better if your chair has a narrow back. 

6. Thread the Needle 

Begin on all fours. Elevate one arm, then thread it beneath the standing arm and armpit as you lower your chest near the floor. Feel free to keep your hips lifted or allow them to sink into a modified child’s pose.

Do it seated: Extend one arm in front of you, then bring it across your chest. Use your other hand to apply gentle pressure, but avoid pressing on the elbow joint. Hold onto the forearm or the upper arm instead.

7. Lying Shoulder Roll

Lie on the floor, face down, with your arms extended to either side in a “T” shape. Roll onto one side, creating a deep stretch across the front of the shoulder. Use your legs and your other arm to brace and support you in place while you breathe into the opening.

Do it seated: You’ll need a chair with a sturdy back. Grab onto one side of it with that hand and twist the opposite direction to create the opening in the front of the shoulder.

8. Earring Shrug 

During our flows, you might sometimes hear me remind you to avoid wearing your shoulders as earrings. Here’s one place where you want to don those dangly baubles. Simply shrug, pulling your shoulders as close to your ears as you can while you inhale and squeeze. As you exhale, relax, allowing your shoulders to sink down and back. 

9. Neck Half-Circles

Allow your chin to dip toward your chest. Gently roll your head to one side, taking care to avoid pushing your ear past your shoulder. Repeat to the other side. You can move slowly with the breath or hold to one side, perhaps extending the opposite arm to deepen the stretch down the side of the neck and top of your trapezius muscle. 

10 Blades to the Wall 

It’s time to align your posture. Find the nearest wall. Then, stand against it, allowing your shoulder blades and back of your head to touch. Take a deep breath. Then go out and tackle the rest of your day like the tall-standing, confident royalty you are. 

Yoga-Based Stretches for Sore Shoulders 

Whether your shoulder pain stems from too much activity or too little, gentle, yoga-based restorative stretching can sometimes ease your ache. Try this routine the next time you need to refresh your upper body and ease tension.