10 Exercises to Improve Your Shoulder Mobility

Any movement in the upper body depends heavily on your shoulders. Your shoulder joints have a full range of motion and can move in different planes; however, they can suffer limited mobility due to stiffness, pain, or tension. To keep your shoulders strong and healthy, you must exercise them regularly.

This article discusses the 10 best exercises to improve your shoulder mobility and muscle strength.

1. Causes of Limited Shoulder Mobility

The flexibility of your muscles decreases with age, limiting your shoulder mobility. Flexibility is the capacity of the tendons, ligaments, and muscles can stretch safely without causing injury. Your soft tissues must be flexible enough to allow a full range of motion for your joints. Otherwise, body tissues with low flexibility will result in joints with reduced mobility.

Besides age, other factors can affect mobility. People who have suffered shoulder injuries, especially if they have not fully recovered, are more likely to have limited shoulder mobility.

Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle can also negatively affect shoulder mobility. If you don’t move around much and sit for long periods, you may rotate or use your shoulders less often, resulting in reduced shoulder mobility.

Other Causes of Limited Shoulder Mobility

• Chronic Stress
• Poor Posture
• Overworking Your Muscles or Joints

2. 10 Exercises to Improve Shoulders Mobility

2.1. Supine Pull-Over

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Video Credit: @Movement Solutions

The supine pull-over improves stability, mobility, and flexibility in the shoulders. This exercise targets almost every muscle in the upper body. To perform this exercise, you need a PVC pipe or a weight.

How to Perform

• Lie on the floor flat on your back with your hands laying along your sides and your knees bent.
• Hold a pipe (PVC pipe) or dumbbell in your hands with an overhand grip and extend your arms, raising your hands towards the ceiling while keeping them aligned with your shoulders (starting position).
• Start lowering your arms and bring your hands back slowly while keeping your back on the floor and your core engaged.
• Pause, then return your hands to the starting position slowly.
• Repeat the exercise; perform two sets of 10 reps each.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Pecs
• Delts
• Triceps
• Upper Abs
• Biceps

Benefits of this Exercise

The supine pull-over strengthens upper body muscles and relieves shoulder and back pain.

2.2. Shoulder Pass-Through

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Video Credit: @CrossFit Hard Boiled

The shoulder pass-through is a mobility exercise that opens your shoulders and improves your range of motion. Besides improving joint mobility in the shoulders, it also engages and strengthens the core muscles. To perform this exercise, you need a PVC pipe.

How to Perform

• Hold a PVC pipe with both hands using an overhand grip.
• Stand with your arms in front and your feet shoulder-width apart. Your arms should spread apart wider than your shoulders, and the pipe should be parallel to the ground.
• Slowly raise the pipe over your head while engaging your core and keeping your arms straight.
• Hold the pose for 3-4 seconds before returning to the starting position.
• Perform two sets of 10 reps each with 30-second breaks between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Rotator Cuff
• Upper Back
• Shoulders

Benefits of this Exercise

The shoulder pass-through helps increase joint mobility in the shoulders.

2.3. Reverse Fly

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Video Credit: @Bodybuilding.com

The reverse fly improves stability in the shoulder joints by strengthening the thoracic and upper body muscles. This resistance exercise mainly works the rear shoulders and upper back. To perform this exercise, you need two lightweight dumbbells.

How to Perform

• Holding a dumbbell in each hand and standing with your feet apart at shoulder-width.
• Slightly bend your knees, thrust your chest forward, and push your hips back while keeping your back straight and maintaining a tight core. Let the dumbbells hang at your sides with your palms facing each other.
• Slowly raise both arms away from your body along the sides. As you pull your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades.
• Raise the weights as far as you can, then slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Make sure to maintain a neutral spine position throughout the exercise.
• Perform three sets of reps with 20-second breaks in between.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Deltoids
• Rhomboid
• Trapezius

Benefits of this Exercise

The reverse fly strengthens the shoulder and back muscles and improves body posture and balance.

2.4. Dumbbell Shoulder Rotations

Dumbbell shoulder rotations can help warm up your shoulders by doing throwing motions. It’s recommended you perform more reps when doing wrist rotations with lightweight dumbbells. To perform this exercise, you need a set of lightweight dumbbells.

How to Perform

• Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Keep your hands at your sides.
• Raise your arms until the elbows make a 90° angle and forearms are parallel to the floor.
• Rotate your wrists away from the body while keeping your palms facing up. Hold this position for several seconds.
• Maintaining the position of your arms, slowly bring your wrists toward your body while keeping your palms facing down.
• Perform three sets of 12 reps with 10-second breaks between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Wrist
• Forearms
• Shoulders

Benefits of this Exercise

Dumbbell shoulder rotations improve flexibility in the forearms and biceps, which improves the range of motion in the wrists and shoulders.

2.5. Shoulder Roll

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Video Credit: @Coury & Buehler PT

The shoulder roll is a simple exercise that stretches and warms up the shoulders. It also helps improve joint mobility in the shoulders and relieve muscle tension.

How to Perform

• Stand straight with your spine in a neutral position. Keeping your core engaged, move your shoulders back and down.
• Raise your shoulders as high as you can while keeping your neck and back straight.
• Once your shoulders are as high as possible, pull your shoulders back by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Relax and repeat the exercise; perform five sets of 10 reps with 30-second breaks between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Shoulder
• Chest
• Upper Back

Benefits of this Exercise

The shoulder roll reduces stiffness and tension in the shoulders and improves blood circulation and mobility in the shoulder joints.

2.6. Quadruped Serratus Push-Up

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Video Credit: @The Doctors of Physical Therapy

Quadruped Serratus push-ups improve mobility and flexibility in the shoulders by targeting the serratus anterior muscle.

How to Perform

• Start on your hands and knees, positioning your knees under your hips and your elbows under your shoulders.
• Move your shoulders up and down slowly while keeping your core engaged, back flat, and arms straight. Focus on making large circular motions with your arms.
• Perform three sets of eight reps with a 20-second break between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Rotator Cuff
• Shoulder
• Chest

Benefits of this Exercise

Quadruped serratus push-ups increase mobility and strength in the shoulder blades and joints.

2.7. Plank Shoulder Clock

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Video Credit: @Rehab Hero

The plank shoulder clock helps strengthen the shoulders and rotator cuffs. This exercise can also help improve your posture, reduce back pain, and strengthen your glutes and arms.

How to Perform

• Start by holding a resistant band with both hands and getting into a high plank position. Keep your feet apart at shoulder-width and position your hands underneath your shoulders. Make sure your hips are aligned with your shoulders.
• To maintain a stable and flat body position, keep your core engaged, back and neck straight, and spine in a neutral position.
• Lift one hand up and stretch the band at several points in a clockwise motion as if touching the hour marks on a clock.
• Return to the starting position and alternate to the other hand.
• Perform 20 reps in total, doing 10 reps per hand.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Rotator Cuff
• Serratus Anterior
• Trapezius

Benefits of this Exercise

The plank shoulder clock improves flexibility, posture, and mobility in the shoulders and wrists.

2.8. Shoulder Pendulum Swing

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Video Credit: @CORE Chiropractic

The shoulder pendulum swing helps increase the range of motion and muscle flexibility. This exercise is best for people with shoulder injuries since it can help reduce pain and speed up recovery.

How to Perform

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• Start by standing beside a chair with your feet spread apart slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Place one hand on the chair and bend forward about 80-90 degrees while letting your other arm hang pointed towards the ground.
• Shift your body and hanging arm side to side.
• Then shift your body and hanging arm forward and backward.
• Once you are comfortable, rotate your hanging arm in a full circle. Make sure not to exert your shoulder muscles.
• Keep going for 30 seconds and gradually increase the time to three minutes.
• Repeat 4-5 times per day.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Infraspinatus
• Supraspinatus
• Subscapularis
• Teres Minor

Benefits of this Exercise

The shoulder pendulum swing prevents shoulder stiffness and improves and maintains mobility in the rotator cuff.

2.9. Standing Wall Angles

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Video Credit: @Active Chiropractic Raleigh

Standing wall angles work the shoulder blades, improve mobility in the shoulders and thoracic spine, and encourage good posture.

How to Perform

• Stand with your head, shoulder, back, and butt pressed against the wall, and your feet positioned about 15 cm away from the wall.
• Raise both arms to shoulder height and bend the elbows until they are at a 90° angle. Make sure your triceps are resting against the wall and are aligned with your shoulders. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor.
• Hold this position for several seconds, then raise your forearms above your shoulders and press them against the wall.
• Pause, then fully extend your arms while pressed against the wall.
• Return to the starting position by following the steps in reverse order.
• Perform two sets of 10 reps with 30-second breaks between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Posturals
• Chest
• Core
• Back
• Trunk

Benefits of this Exercise

Standing wall angles activate the back muscles, making it easier to pull back your shoulder.

2.10. High to Low Row

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Video Credit: @Coach Mitch

The high to low row help improve mobility in the shoulders and neck. You can perform this exercise using bands or cable columns.

How to Perform

• Set up a cable pulley so it is positioned above your head. Stand in front of the pulley while facing toward it.
• Take a large step backward with your left foot and plant your left knee on the floor. Make sure that your feet are spread apart slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Extend your left arm forward and grab the cable handle, keeping your palms facing towards you.
• Pull the cable towards your left side by bending your left elbow and using your arm and back muscles.
• Pause, then return your left arm to the starting position. Alternate and repeat with the right arm.
• Perform two sets of five reps with 20-second breaks between sets.

What Muscles Does this Exercise Work?

• Laterals
• Rhomboids
• Biceps
• Trapezius

Benefits of this Exercise

The high to low row helps improve mobility in the shoulders, strengthen your back, and ensure good posture.

4. Last Words

Performing shoulder exercises can help reduce stiffness and improve flexibility and mobility. Use the exercises covered in this article to come up with a fitness routine. By performing shoulder exercises regularly, you can ensure they stay in healthy condition longer.