6 Exercises to Strengthen Your Shoulders—and Relieve Tension

For many of us, stress manifests in our shoulders. Healthy shoulders are both mobile and strong. In fact, incorporating strengthening exercises to complement familiar yoga stretches can, over time, help optimize your upper body’s overall health.

Try these six shoulder exercises to soothe and strengthen your shoulders through a combination of stabilization, opening, and stretching your chest.

6 Shoulder Exercises to Build Upper Body Strength (and Soothe Aching Muscles)

1. Cat-Cows

Cat Pose (shown in the image above)

• Get on all fours.
• Press into your hands and feet to find some space between your shoulder blades as your upper spine domes into Cat Pose. Your spine should arch from tail to crown, like an angry cat.

Cow Pose

• From Cat Pose, inhale and tip your hip points down, widening your sit bones to move into Cow Pose.
• Dip down into your belly and open through your chest, your head and neck should tilt upward so that you’re looking ahead.
• Tuck your head and chin into your chest, and slowly move back into Cat Pose.
• Move through three to five cycles of Cat and Cow.

2. Downward-Facing Dog

• Plant your hands firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
• With feet hip-width apart, draw your hips up and backward.
• Hold for five to ten breaths.

3. Child’s Pose

• From Downward Dog, release your knees and shins to the mat.
• Glide your hips back toward your heels.
• Hold for five to ten breaths.

4. Heart-Melting Pose

• From Child’s Pose, float your hips above your knees.
• Reach your fingertips forward, and release your chest toward the ground.
• Rest your chin or forehead on the ground (or on a prop). You could also place your elbows on blocks and keep your hips above your knees (pictured above). Either way, this release can help mobilize your shoulders.
• Hold for five to ten breaths.

5. Bridge Pose

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet planted beneath your knees.
• Place your hands next to your hips.
• Press evenly into your hands and feet, and lift your pelvis up toward the ceiling to enter Bridge Pose.
• Interlace your hands underneath your back as you draw your shoulder blades closer to your midline.
• Opening your chest can help counteract shoulder tightness.
• Hold for five to ten breaths.

6. Fish Pose

• Place one block on its middle height and, optionally, one block on its highest height, both parallel to the top of the mat. The block at the middle height will go just under your mid-back, and the block at the highest height (if you’e using a block) will go under your head. As you are ready, slowly recline onto the two blocks.
• You can elongate your legs if you are looking to stretch through your belly. If this variation of Fish Pose puts too much pressure on your lower back, bend both knees and place both feet flat on the floor to relieve tension in your back. You could open your arms wide to find a nice opening across the chest.
• Rest here anywhere from two to 15 minutes.

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