Shoulder Relief

Shoulder Relief Stretches

This is for you if you have chronic shoulder pain, rotator cuff pain, pain in the collar bone (clavicle), frozen shoulder, pain under the shoulder blade, or pain between the shoulder blades. Click on each arrow to reveal pictures and instructions.

DISCLAIMER:

1. These stretches are not designed to be medical advice. First consult a medical professional to ensure you don’t have an issue that requires medical attention (ie. break, infection, tumor, tear or organ involvement.) 

2. If any of the stretches cause pain, stop doing it and move on to the next one.

1. Do the stretches at least once daily until the pain is gone for a full 24 hours. For faster results, repeat the sequence as much as 10x/day in the order given. If any stretch causes discomfort, skip that stretch for now and reintroduce it later. 

2. Once the tension, aches and pains are gone, use the daily warm-up exercises to stay feeling young and active.

If Lying Down, Do These - Takes 3 Mins

HOW: LIE ON BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. ARMS REST WITH PALMS UP. NOW SQUEEZE KNEES TOGETHER.

HOW: LIE ON BACK, BOTH LEGS BENT 90 DEGREES ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. ARMS REST WITH PALMS UP. RELAX AS HOLD POSITION. FOCUS ON BREATHING. NOW CLASP HANDS AND LOWER ARMS OVERHEAD TO TOUCH GROUND AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE.

HOW: SIT AGAINST WALL WITH LEGS STRAIGHT OUT IN FRONT. FLEX FEET TOWARD BELLY BUTTON. HOLD POSITION.

HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.

HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK. PRESS YOUR HEELS INTO THE GROUND TO RAISE UP YOUR BUTTOCKS UNTIL YOUR HIPS ARE STRAIGHT WITH YOUR TORSO. HOLD POSITION, THEN LOWER BUTT TO THE GROUND.

HOW: KNEES BENT WITH FEET WIDE APART. NOW TURN HIPS TO THE LEFT TO LOOK LIKE A RUNNING POSITION. FOCUS ON STRETCHING THE HIP OF YOUR BACK LEG.

HOW: ON YOUR STOMACH, CHIN UP, KNEES BENT 90 DEGREES & SEPARATED WIDER THAN HIPS. SQUEEZE ANKLES TOGETHER.

Add this whenever resting.

HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, WITH ROLLED TOWELS UNDER NECK AND LOWER BACK. ONE LEG BENT 90 DEGREES RESTING ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. OTHER LEG IS STRAIGHT. BOTH FEET MUST POINT TO THE SKY. PROP FEET UP IF NEEDS BE. RELAX IN POSITION.  

*STRETCH IS COMPLETE WHEN YOU CAN PRESS STRAIGHT LEG KNEE DOWNWARD AND FEEL CONTRACTION AT THE TOP OF YOUR THIGH RATHER THAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIGH. THEN SWITCH LEGS.



HOW: LIE ON YOUR BACK, ONE LEG BENT 90 DEGREES RESTING ON CHAIR OR PILLOWS. OTHER LEG IS STRAIGHT. BOTH FEET MUST POINT TO THE SKY. PROP FEET UP IF NEEDED. FIRST ELEVATE FOOT OF STRAIGHT LEG. RELAX IN POSITION. THEN LOWER LEG 2 LEVELS, RESTING EACH LEVEL.

*STRETCH IS COMPLETE WHEN YOU CAN PRESS STRAIGHT LEG KNEE DOWNWARD AND FEEL CONTRACTION AT THE TOP OF YOUR THIGH RATHER THAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIGH. THEN SWITCH LEGS.

If Standing, Do These - Takes 3 Mins

HOW: FLATTEN YOUR BACK AGAINST THE WALL USING YOUR UPPER LEG MUSCLES. BEND KNEES TO GET LEVERAGE FOR PRESSING AGAINST WALL. KNEES ARE OVER THE ANKLES.

HOW: IN A LUNGE POSITION, LOWER YOUR BACK KNEE TOWARD THE FLOOR AND THEN RETURN TO ORIGINAL POSITION, BOBBING UP AND DOWN. THEN SWITCH LEGS.

*AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE SPLIT SQUAT IS THE ON YOUR MARK / FENCER:

HOW: FIRST GET INTO A RESTING LUNGE POSITION. SLIDE BACK LEG AS FAR BACKWARD AS POSSIBLE. THEN RAISE CHEST UP BY PUSHING OFF FRONT KNEE.

HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.

HOW: STAND WITH FRONT OF FEET ON A STEP OR ROLLED TOWEL. HOLD RAILING OR DOOR FRAME FOR SUPPORT. LET BODY WEIGHT PRESS HEELS DOWNWARD KEEPING LEGS STRAIGHT. NOW EVENLY SQUEEZE THE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE.

HOW: WITH A STRAIGHT LEG, FLEX YOUR FOOT AND TOES TOWARD YOU BELLY, USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF YOUR LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, FOOT POINTS UPWARD. THEN FOOT POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT FOOT INWARD 45 DEGREES.

HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.

If Sitting, Do These - Takes 3 Mins

HOW: ARMS POINTING UPWARD, ELBOWS BENT 90 DEGREES. LEAN BACK INTO WALL AND TOUCH ELBOWS AND WRISTS TO THE WALL. GLIDE ARMS UP AND DOWN THE WALL. NOW TOUCH YOUR KNEES WHILE WALKING YOUR FEET APART.

STOMACH-SLEEPING = KEEP THE SPINE STRAIGHT BY PLACING A PILLOW UNDER ONE SIDE OF YOUR STOMACH, AND STAGGER YOUR HEAD PILLOWS TO ALLOW ROOM FOR THE HEAD AND SHOULDER TO NOT HAVE TO TURN AS SHARPLY.

HOW: EVENLY SQUEEZE THE KNEES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE. KEEP FEET PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND DON’T LET STOMACH OR UPPER BACK PARTICIPATE.

HOW: EVENLY SQUEEZE THE SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER, THEN RELEASE.

HOW: WITH A STRAIGHT LEG, FLEX YOUR FOOT AND TOES TOWARD YOU BELLY, USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF YOUR LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, FOOT POINTS UPWARD. THEN FOOT POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT FOOT INWARD 45 DEGREES.

HOW: PRESS HEEL INTO THE GROUND USING THREE ANGLES TO ACTIVELY RELAX THE BACK OF LEG MUSCLES. FIRST, TOE POINTS UPWARD. THEN TOE POINTS OUTWARD 45 DEGREES. THEN POINT TOE INWARD 45 DEGREES.

HOW: SQUEEZE BUTTOCKS TOGETHER USING BUTT MUSCLES, NOT THIGHS OR ABS. DO A SET WITH FEET STRAIGHT, THEN WITH FEET DUCK-TOED OUTWARD. THEN WITH FEET PIGEON-TOED INWARD. THEN WITH FEET IN LINE.

HOW: KNEES BENT WITH FEET WIDE APART. NOW TURN HIPS TO THE LEFT TO LOOK LIKE A RUNNING POSITION. FOCUS ON STRETCHING THE HIP OF YOUR BACK LEG.

Want to feel better faster?

Want to feel better faster?