There is a hunched shoulder epidemic out there, thanks to people living their lives staring at screens all day, every day. Not paying attention to your posture will, eventually, stiffen the shoulder muscles, making you uncomfortable and maybe even unable to straighten up properly. Thankfully, this issue can be alleviated by short exercise sessions such as this 10-minute beginner shoulder mobility workout. You won't need any equipment either!
The National Institute for Fitness & Sport says, "When we allow our shoulders to round forward, our anterior muscles (pecs) become tight due to always being in a shortened state while our posterior shoulder muscles (trapezius, rhomboids, and rotator cuff muscles) become lengthened and weak." This is why workouts promote mobility are so important. By stretching these areas, you reset the muscles, which improves comfort, thanks to you being able to move your arms more freely.
This is a quick, 10-min shoulder-focused routine to maintain and improve the range of motion. It can help you strengthen the smaller muscles in the upper back and stretch the pecs/chest muscles. These exercises could also help you perform specific moves easier, such as the overhead presses and Olympic lifts. Do each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by a 10-second break in between. This is a follow-along workout, and the moves featured in the video are as follows:
- Shoulder circles
- Shoulder rolls
- Scapula push-ups
- Standing Y to Ws
- Half kneeling windmills (left)
- Half kneeling windmills (right)
- Table top
- Single-arm table and reach
- Single-arm scap push-up and rotation
- Child's pose and rotation
- Thread the needle
Now that your shoulders are loose, it's time to loosen up those hips with this T3-exclusive 15-minute yoga-inspired hip-mobility workout. Tight hips and back pain? This 10-minute stretching workout will sort you out. You can also try this 5-move dumbbell workout for stronger shoulders if you have a couple of dumbbells at hand. If you need an exercise mat, check out T3's best yoga mat roundup for the best options.