If you work at a desk, you’ll likely catch yourself hunching over your work at some point in the day. This rounded position can lead to stiffness and discomfort in the shoulder muscles and neck, which can be difficult to shake, especially if you have to sit at a desk again tomorrow.
I spoke to Brandon Polk, a NASM-certified personal trainer for weight-loss medication brand Eden, to get his advice on why our shoulders can get stiff and how to rectify this.
“Our shoulders get sore and stiff from exercise and everyday life,” says Polk. “We use our shoulders for just about everything and some of us even sleep on our shoulders, which can have a substantial effect on soreness and stiffness.”
So, you’re not alone if you hunch over and feel worse for it, but what can you do about it? Polk recommends stretching at least 10-15 minutes a day if it’s an ongoing problem. If there is a medical reason for your shoulder pain, speak to your healthcare provider before trying stretching, because you could cause damage to the area.
How to do this shoulder mobility routine
1. Ball rollout
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Time: 2min each side
This is a great way to start loosening up stiff shoulders with a soft tissue preparation movement along with the surrounding muscles.
- Place a slam ball or medicine ball on the floor and lie the area around your shoulder.
- Move your body around the ball, using pressure from your body weight to massage the muscles of and around the shoulder area.
2. Band pull-apart
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Time: 30sec
- Get a long resistance band and hold it with arms extended at chest height with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your arms extended move your hands out to the side, pulling the band until it touches your chest.
- Hold for a second then return to the start under control.
3. Overhead band distraction
Time: 30sec each side
- Secure a long resistance band onto a pull-up bar or other secure anchor above head height.
- Hold the other end of the band in your right hand and face away from the anchor point.
- Lift your right arm and bend your right elbow so your upper arm is next to your head and your right hand is behind your head.
- Step away from the anchor point until you feel a challenging amount of resistance then hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
4. Internal/external shoulder rotation
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Reps: 10 each direction, each side
- Secure a resistance band around a pole or other secure anchor point around hip height.
- Step away from the pole until you feel light resistance.
- Tuck your elbow into your rib cage and keeping your elbow pinned to your body throughout, externally rotate the shoulder capsule, pulling the band away from your body. Be sure to do this slowly and maintain your control of the movement.
- Do this movement 10 reps on each side
- Repeat in the opposite direction, pulling the band into the body.
- Do this movement 10 reps on each side
Brandon Polk is a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at Eden. He is a former professional basketball player and blends his elite athletic experience with a passion for empowering individuals to achieve sustainable fitness and wellness goals.
