3-In-1 Shoulder Opener

Hello, and happy Movement Monday! Here’s a quick feel-good exercise for your shoulders that you can do anywhere.

As some of you know, I’ve been struggling with a frozen shoulder for the past 1.5 years. I’ve been rebuilding range of motion in three directions: overhead, in external rotation and in internal rotation. It has taken diligent practice in all these areas (and an awesome physical therapist, and manipulation under anesthesia… twice) to reach the thawing phase where I gratefully am now. No single exercise is a magic bullet.

But I love the exercise in this video because it works all three directions at once. You can do it anywhere and feel a benefit within a minute. It can help build range of motion for everything from downward dog to handstands to climbing to swimming… anything that requires the arms to move overhead. And regardless of your activities, who couldn’t use to release a little shoulder tension in the midst of a busy day?

When your arms rotate inward and you feel your upper back broaden, gaze down to deepen the opening.

When your arms rotate outward and you feel your chest expand, gaze up.

Most of us will find one direction of the rotation or one shoulder easier than the other. It’s important to practice (and breathe!) in the sticky spots but never push through pain.

P.S. Pro tip: You can add cat/cow to literally any movement, and it’s great for your spine. Here think cat on the internal rotation (back broadening) and cow on the external rotation (chest expanding).