Shoulder Stretches
The Deltoids

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Shoulder stretches for your warm up and cool down. Instructions and videos to easily stretch your shoulder muscles.

The Stretching Handbook A quick reference guide of 135 clear photos of every possible major stretching exercise. Click here for more information

The muscles in your shoulder region are:

• Deltoid - Its triangular shape means there are 3 parts (front, back and side). This allows it to help your arm do many movements.
• Subscapularis - Helps to rotate your arm.
• Supraspinatus - Helps in lifting your arm to the side.
• Infraspinatus - Helps rotate and bring your arm back down to your side.

There are of course, many more muscles that act on your shoulder joint, but these are the main ones.

Your shoulder is a complicated joint. 3 bones - humerus (arm), scapula (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collar bone), all meet at your shoulder. Mixed with all the muscles and tendons, it's a very congested area.

If any of those muscles become tight, and stay tight, it's going to cause problems in your shoulder.

A healthy shoulder has the widest range of movements of all our joints. But an injured shoulder will rapidly have more and more restricted movement, weakening the muscles around it.

Don't let your shoulder get into that cycle of tight muscles leading to weakened muscles, eventually resulting in pain and injury.

If you sit for long periods, do some shoulder stretches everyday. Your shoulders don't like being fixed in one position for hours and hours. And as always, stretch your shoulders in your warm up and cool down.

Make sure your shoulder muscles are warm before you stretch them. Do some loosening up exercises in your warm up.

Stretch for longer in your cool down. This is when your body disposes of all the chemical by-products of exercise (lactic acid).

It'll also ensure those micro-tears in your muscles (normal after strenuous exercise), are repaired at the muscle's correct length, which will reduce tightness (i.e. maintain flexibility).

These shoulder stretches should be held for at least 10 seconds. Make sure you don't overstretch or bounce in the stretch. Take it to where you feel mild discomfort but no pain.

Click here to see pictures and tips of stretches submitted by other visitors to this page.

Shoulder Stretches

Here are various stretches for your shoulders:

Front Shoulder (anterior deltoid) Stretch

1 - Stand up straight (no slouching).

2 - Move your arms backwards, and hold your hands behind your back.

3 - Push your hands further back and up. Feel the stretch at the front of your shoulders.

Tip - You can slightly bend your knees and hips (so that your eyes point towards your knees). That'll help you push the stretch a bit further. Make sure you keep your back straight throughout.

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Back Shoulder (posterior deltoid) Stretch

1 - Stand up straight (no slouching).

2 - Bring your right arm up and across your chest.

3 - Use the back of your left hand to further push your right elbow towards your chest. Feel the stretch at the back of your right shoulder.

4 - Repeat by switching arms.

Tip - Keep your whole body facing ahead throughout the stretch. Turning your hips or shoulders will reduce the effectiveness of the stretch.

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Rotation Shoulder Stretches

Take it real slow with these stretches.

1 - Stand up straight (no slouching).

2 - Lift your right arm up to the side, so it's parallel to the floor. Bend that elbow to 90 degrees, palm facing forward. This is the starting position.

3 - Move your forearm backward towards the floor (keeping your elbow and shoulder in position). You'll only be able to go a few degrees. Feel the stretch in your right shoulder - this is external rotation of your shoulder. Repeat with your left arm.

4 - Back at the starting position, move your forearm forward towards the floor (keeping your elbow and shoulder in position). The movement should be greater than above. Feel the stretch and repeat with your other arm - this is internal rotation.

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Enjoy your shoulder stretches. Check out these videos people have submitted. They'll help to guide you with your stretches:



<<< Side StretchesChest Stretches >>>

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