If your shoulders hurt, there’s a solution: a simple Pilates-based mobility routine to smooth out movement in the painful joint and strengthen the surrounding muscles at the same time.
The first installment of Sweat With SELF’s new Pilates series focuses on upper-body mobility. New York City-based certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor Sina Riemann walks us through an easy, 15-minute routine designed to maximize shoulder mobility, release tension in the shoulder area—including chest, arms, and back—and strengthen the small supporting muscles essential to good posture. Many of us deal with tension in these areas, but if you spend a lot of time hunched over a desk or scrolling through your phone, these types of moves will feel especially good.
After a quick warm-up that includes upper-body staples like shoulder rolls and cat-cow, we’ll get into the full routine. All of the exercises are done using only your own body weight, but the small movements, pulsations, and prolonged tension that are characteristic of Pilates will really challenge your muscles. (Try the aptly named exercise “Serve the Platter” and you’ll feel the effects on your biceps, chest, and upper shoulders.)
Next, expand your shoulders. A great move is a dynamic thoracic expansion: Extend your arms straight out to your sides and press them back and away from your body, mobilizing your shoulder joints. and It works your back muscles, posterior deltoids (very important for back length) and triceps. Shoulder presses work the front of your shoulders directly, followed immediately by the back of your body. Bodyweight lat pulls activate your lats (the largest muscles in your back) and rhomboids (back muscles important for shoulder stability) while also getting you used to squeezing your shoulder blades together, which will help you lift more efficiently and safely in the gym.
The shoulder mobility routine concludes with a short cool down. Nothing beats some pins-and-needle stretching after an intense upper body workout.
Ready to get started? Grab your yoga mat, put your phone on silent, and play the video below. (Bookmark this video for those times when your upper body is feeling a bit underwhelmed!)
Click here to save this video to YouTube.
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