Shoulder stretching exercises

Stretching is a type of physical exercise that involves elongating of the muscles or the complete muscle groups to improve muscle elasticity and restore comfortable muscle tone. Stretching is a great way to improve flexibility and increase the range of motion. Stretching exercises can even release the pain and prevent injuries. Shoulder stretches are extremely beneficial for people who spend a lot of time working at the computer. After a long day in the office, most people feel unpleasant tension in the upper back and shoulders, and some simple stretching exercises can really make a huge difference. Moreover, the shoulders need to be flexible, since the persons with tight back of the shoulders may be more likely to develop rotator cuff problems.

One of the simplest of all shoulder stretches is easy to perform even in the office. The basic part of this stretch is to bring the left arm across the body and hold it with the right arm, above or below the elbow. The position is held for about 30 seconds, before one switches the arms to repeat the stretch.

This is another simple shoulder stretch, which increases the flexibility of the shoulder's internal rotators. One should take a rolled towel with both hands behind the back. One hand is at the base of the spine, while the other is lifted up above the head. One should easily pull the towel toward the ceiling with the upper hand and feel the stretch in the shoulder of the opposite arm. The position is held for about 30 seconds, before doing it with another hand.

This exercise is one of the best shoulder stretches performed by standing upright and placing one arm across the body and parallel to the ground. With the opposite arm, gently and slowly pull the parallel arm towards the opposite shoulder, until there is a little tension. The position is held for at least 20 seconds. It is important to keep the arm straight and parallel to the ground. Repeat with the other arm on the opposite side.

This exercise is also great for a quick office stretch. It is used to improve flexibility and to reduce the pain. The stretch is performed by standing up straight while clasping the hands together behind the back. The hands are slowly lifted upward until there is some tension in the arms and the back. The position is held for 20 seconds before restoring the original position.