What Are Shoulder Stretches?

1. Crossover shoulder stretch

• Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
• Maintain a slight bend in your knees and tuck in your pelvis. 
• Stretch your palms out and interlace your fingers.
• Raise your left arm into the air and bend sideways from the waist, keeping your right hand on your hip. 
• Then raise your opposite arm, place your opposite hand on your hip and repeat.

2. Overhead shoulder stretch

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. 
• With your palms facing down, lace your fingers together. If you can't lace your fingers together, hold onto something for support. 
• Raise your arm straight above your head, palms facing up. 
• Hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat.

3. Shrugs

• Stand in front of a mirror to assess your posture and make sure your shoulders move symmetrically. 
• Keep your arms at your sides and your weight in your hands.
• Begin by raising your shoulders toward your ears. Throughout the lifting motion, keep your elbows straight. 
• Pause at the top of the movement and then rotate your shoulders backward.
• As you move your shoulders back, imagine that you are trying to bring your shoulder blades (scapulae) together.
• When your shoulders have gone all the way back, pause, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then lower your shoulders to the starting position.

4. Wide child’s pose

• Start on all fours at the center of a mat with your shoulders stacked over your hands and your hips over your knees, toes untucked.
• Widen your knees and draw your toes together. 
• Lower your torso to the mat and draw your glutes toward your heels.
• Extend your arms down the length of the mat, resting your head between your arms.
• Draw your shoulder blades down and back to create space between your shoulders and ears. 
• Hold this position for 30 seconds, breathing in and out through your nose the entire time.

5. Inward rotation

• Stand next to a doorknob with one end of an exercise rubber band hooked on it. 
• Hold the free end of the workout rubber band with your elbow at a 90-degree angle to the shoulder with the affected arm. 
• Hold the band against your midline for 5 seconds. 
• Repeat 10-15 times.

6. Hip thruster with ball

• Place a Pilates ball between your knees. 
• Slowly lower your butt to the point where it is nearly touching the ground. 
• Return to the starting position by pressing your chest upward and expanding your shoulders. 
• Complete 3 sets of 5 reps.

Causes of frequent shoulder pain may include

• Overuse: Repetitive shoulder movements can cause stress on the shoulder muscles.
• Sedentary lifestyle: If you spend most of the day slumped over a desk or computer, the muscles in your shoulder can easily get strained. As a result, shoulder muscles may become tense.
• Stress: People tend to strain their shoulders unconsciously when they are stressed or anxious, which can contribute to shoulder stiffness.

Shoulders are made up of three bones: collarbone (clavicle), upper arm bone (humerus), and shoulder blade (scapula). These bones interact with tendons and muscles to provide you with a wide range of motion for your arms. 

If left untreated, shoulder pain can lead to discomfort and other issues such as headaches and reduced range of motion.