Shoulder Mobility Exercises: 8 Moves to Try at Home
Updated: Oct 12
Shoulders get stiff for boring reasons. You sit for nine hours, you press overhead twice a week, you carry the same bag on the same side, and nothing ever asks the joint to use its full range.
The shoulder has more available movement than any other joint in the body. Use a narrow slice of it for long enough and the rest quietly stops being available. Here are three quick self-checks, eight shoulder mobility exercises we commonly give people, a short routine, and the signs it is time to stop stretching and get your shoulder pain assessed.
Why do shoulders get stiff?
There is rarely one cause. We commonly see a mix of:
Desk and driving posture. Arms forward and shoulders rolled in for hours. The chest gets used to being short.
A stiff upper back. The shoulder blade sits on the ribcage. If your thoracic spine does not extend and rotate well, the shoulder runs out of range sooner.
Lifting through a short range. Pressing and pulling the same partial range week after week leaves you strong in the middle and stiff at the ends.
Overhead sport. CrossFit, padel and swimming ask for a lot of overhead range, often at speed and when you are tired. See how we work with CrossFit athletes and padel players.
Three quick self-checks
Do these before you start and again every few weeks. Compare left with right. You are looking for differences, not a pass or fail. Stop if anything hurts.
Wall slide. Heels, bum, upper back and head against a wall, arms in a goalpost with the backs of your hands on the wall. Slide your arms up. Notice where your hands lift off, your lower back arches or your chin pokes forward.
Behind the back reach. Reach one hand over your shoulder and down your back, the other up from below, as if to scratch between your shoulder blades (similar to the Apley scratch test). Note the gap between your fingers, then swap sides.
Overhead reach. Back flat against the wall, arms straight, raise them forward and up and try to touch the wall above your head with your thumbs, without your ribs flaring. If your thumbs stop well short, the upper back and lats are usually part of the story.
If a check causes pain, pins and needles or a clunk, skip the exercises for that side and get it assessed first.
8 shoulder mobility exercises
Pick the ones that match what you found. You do not need all eight every day. A light band and a foam roller are the only equipment.
1. Thoracic extensions over a foam roller
How: Lie with a foam roller across your upper back, hands supporting your head, bum on the floor. Breathe out and let your upper back extend over the roller, then come back up. Shift the roller up a few centimetres and repeat.
Sets and reps: 5 reps at 2 or 3 spots.
What to feel: A stretch through the upper back, not the lower back or neck.
2. Open books
How: Lie on your side, knees bent and stacked, arms straight out in front. Keep your knees together and sweep the top arm over to the other side, following your hand with your eyes. Return slowly.
Sets and reps: 8 to 10 each side.
What to feel: Rotation through the mid back and a stretch across the chest.
3. Wall slides
How: Same set up as the self-check. Slide your arms up as far as you can without your lower back arching, then draw your shoulder blades down to pull your arms back.
Sets and reps: 8 to 10 slow reps.
What to feel: Work between and below the shoulder blades. Most people get about a third as far as they expect, which is the useful part.
4. Child's pose lat stretch
How: Kneel, sit back towards your heels and walk your hands forward. Walk both hands across to the left to stretch the right side, and breathe into your right ribs. Swap.
Sets and reps: 30 seconds each side, 2 rounds.
What to feel: A stretch along the side of the ribcage into the armpit.
5. Doorway pec stretch
How: Forearm on a door frame, elbow at or just below shoulder height. Step through until you feel the stretch, and breathe out into it rather than forcing it.
Sets and reps: 20 to 30 seconds, 2 or 3 times each side.
What to feel: A stretch across the chest and front of the shoulder. Pins and needles down the arm means lower the elbow or stop.
6. Band pull-aparts and external rotation
How: For pull-aparts, hold a light band at chest height with straight arms and pull it apart until your shoulder blades come together, then control it back. For external rotation, anchor the band at elbow height, stand side on with your elbow tucked at your side and bent to 90 degrees, and rotate your forearm out, then slowly back.
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 15 pull-aparts and 2 sets of 12 rotations each side.
What to feel: Work in the back of the shoulder and between the shoulder blades, not the neck.
7. Scapular push-ups
How: Top of a push-up, elbows locked (knees down or hands on a bench is fine). Let your chest sink between your shoulder blades, then push your upper back up. Your elbows never bend.
Sets and reps: 2 sets of 10 to 15, slow.
What to feel: Work around the shoulder blades. It looks like nothing is happening and it is one of the hardest on the list to do well.
8. Sleeper stretch (go gently)
How: Lie on the side you are stretching, upper arm on the floor in front at shoulder height, elbow bent to 90 degrees. Roll back slightly onto your shoulder blade. Use your other hand to ease the forearm gently towards the floor.
Sets and reps: 20 to 30 seconds, 2 times.
What to feel: A mild stretch across the back of the shoulder. This one is easy to overdo. A pinch at the front of the shoulder means stop. A cross-body stretch is a gentler option, and if your shoulder is already painful, leave this one out.
How to improve shoulder mobility: a simple routine
Little and often beats a long session once a week. Five minutes, four or five days a week, is a realistic ask that people actually keep up.
Desk day (about 5 minutes): foam roller extensions, open books, doorway pec stretch, wall slides.
Before training or playing (5 to 6 minutes): foam roller extensions, child's pose lat stretch, band pull-aparts, external rotation, scapular push-ups.
Range on its own is not much use without control, so the band work and scapular push-ups matter as much as the stretches. If you lift, keep training through a full, comfortable range and build overhead volume gradually. You are after a stretch and some effort. Not pain, not pinching, nothing sharp.
When to stop and get it assessed
Some shoulders do not need more stretching. They need a proper assessment. Book in if:
Pain wakes you at night
There is weakness rather than stiffness, or you cannot lift your arm to shoulder height
You have pins and needles or numbness down the arm (this can come from the neck, see neck pain)
It started after a fall or a heavy lift
Clicking or clunking comes with pain
Nothing has changed after a few weeks of consistent work
Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness or sweating is a medical emergency. Call 000.
What a shoulder assessment at NFC involves
Every plan starts with an evaluation. Dr Nathan or Dr Ed will ask how it started, what aggravates it and what you need your shoulder to do, whether that is overhead work, a CrossFit class or a weekend of padel. Then we look beyond the sore spot: how your neck, upper back, shoulder blade and shoulder move, rotator cuff strength, and orthopaedic and neurological tests where relevant.
Depending on what we find, care may include joint adjustment, soft tissue work, dry needling, rehab exercise and training load advice. Dr Nathan is also a strength and conditioning coach, so the rehab is written with sets, loads and progressions that fit your week. If you need imaging or another practitioner, we will tell you and help coordinate it with your GP.
Read more on shoulder pain and sports injuries, or our guide to padel injuries.
Frequently asked questions
How can I improve shoulder mobility at home?
Start with the three self-checks, then pick the exercises that match what you find. For most people that means some upper back work (foam roller and open books), a stretch for the chest or lats, and some control work like wall slides, band pull-aparts and scapular push-ups. Five minutes, four or five days a week, is a realistic starting point.
How often should I do shoulder mobility exercises?
Four or five days a week, for about five minutes. Consistency matters more than session length. Before training, use a short version as part of your warm up.
Should shoulder mobility exercises hurt?
No. You should feel a stretch or your muscles working. Sharp pain, pinching at the front or top of the shoulder, or pins and needles down the arm are signs to stop and get it assessed.
Do I need equipment?
A light resistance band and a foam roller cover everything here. The rest needs a wall, a doorway and some floor space.
Can a stiff upper back affect my shoulder?
It can. The shoulder blade moves on the ribcage, so if the upper back does not extend or rotate well, reaching overhead can feel restricted. That is why thoracic extensions and open books are on the list. An assessment looks at the neck and upper back as well as the shoulder.
Do I need a referral to see a chiropractor about my shoulder?
No. You can book directly online or call 0414 316 261. If we think you need imaging or input from another practitioner, we will let you know.
Not sure which of these you need?
A first visit works out what is going on at your shoulder, then gives you the two or three things worth doing about it.
North Fremantle Chiropractic
Unit 1, 210 Queen Victoria Street, North Fremantle WA 6159
Phone: 0414 316 261
About the author
Dr Nathan Bridger is a chiropractor and strength and conditioning coach, and the owner of North Fremantle Chiropractic. He has over a decade of experience across both fields, has practised internationally, and has worked as a clinical supervisor in chiropractic education. He is registered with the Chiropractic Board of Australia through Ahpra and practises in North Fremantle, Western Australia.
