Shoulder Exercises – How to do

Ask your health care provider which exercises are safe for you. Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed. It is normal to feel mild stretching, pulling, tightness, or discomfort as you do these exercises, but you should stop right away if you feel sudden pain or your pain gets worse. Do not begin these exercises until told by your health care provider.

Range of Motion Exercises

These exercises warm up your muscles and joints and improve the movement and flexibility of your shoulder. These exercises also help to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling. These exercises involve stretching your injured shoulder directly.

Exercise A: Pendulum

1. Stand near a wall or a surface that you can hold onto for balance.
2. Bend at the waist and let your left / right arm hang straight down. Use your other arm to support you. Keep your back straight and do not lock your knees.
3. Relax your left / right arm and shoulder muscles, and move your hips and your trunk so your left / right arm swings freely. Your arm should swing because of the motion of your body, not because you are using your arm or shoulder muscles.
4. Keep moving your body so your arm swings in the following directions, as told by your health care provider:
   1. Side to side.
   1. Forward and backward.
   1. In clockwise and counterclockwise circles.
5. Continue each motion for __________ seconds, or for as long as told by your health care provider.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise B: Flexion, Standing

1. Stand and hold a broomstick, a cane, or a similar object. Place your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart on the object. Your left / right hand should be palm-up, and your other hand should be palm-down.
2. Keep your elbow straight and keep your shoulder muscles relaxed. Push the stick down with your healthy arm to raise your left / right arm in front of your body, and then over your head until you feel a stretch in your shoulder.
   1. Avoid shrugging your shoulder while you raise your arm. Keep your shoulder blade tucked down toward the middle of your back.
3. Hold for __________ seconds.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise C: Abduction, Standing

1. Stand and hold a broomstick, a cane, or a similar object. Place your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart on the object. Your left / right hand should be palm-up, and your other hand should be palm-down.
2. While keeping your elbow straight and your shoulder muscles relaxed, push the stick across your body toward your left / right side. Raise your left / right arm to the side of your body and then over your head until you feel a stretch in your shoulder.
   1. Do not raise your arm above shoulder height, unless your health care provider tells you to do that.
   1. Avoid shrugging your shoulder while you raise your arm. Keep your shoulder blade tucked down toward the middle of your back.
3. Hold for __________ seconds.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise D: Internal Rotation

1. Place your left / right hand behind your back, palm-up.
2. Use your other hand to dangle an exercise band, a towel, or a similar object over your shoulder. Grasp the band with your left / right hand so you are holding onto both ends.
3. Gently pull up on the band until you feel a stretch in the front of your left / right shoulder.
   1. Avoid shrugging your shoulder while you raise your arm. Keep your shoulder blade tucked down toward the middle of your back.
4. Hold for __________ seconds.
5. Release the stretch by letting go of the band and lowering your hands.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Stretching Exercises

These exercises warm up your muscles and joints and improve the movement and flexibility of your shoulder. These exercises also help to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling. These exercises are done using your healthy shoulder to help stretch the muscles of your injured shoulder.

Exercise E: Corner Stretch (External Rotation and Abduction)

1. Stand in a doorway with one of your feet slightly in front of the other. This is called a staggered stance. If you cannot reach your forearms to the door frame, stand facing a corner of a room.
2. Choose one of the following positions as told by your health care provider:
   1. Place your hands and forearms on the door frame above your head.
   1. Place your hands and forearms on the door frame at the height of your head.
   1. Place your hands on the door frame at the height of your elbows.
3. Slowly move your weight onto your front foot until you feel a stretch across your chest and in the front of your shoulders. Keep your head and chest upright and keep your abdominal muscles tight.
4. Hold for __________ seconds.
5. To release the stretch, shift your weight to your back foot.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this stretch __________ times a day.

Exercise F: Extension, Standing

1. Stand and hold a broomstick, a cane, or a similar object behind your back.
   1. Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
   1. Your palms should face away from your back.
2. Keeping your elbows straight and keeping your shoulder muscles relaxed, move the stick away from your body until you feel a stretch in your shoulder.
   1. Avoid shrugging your shoulders while you move the stick. Keep your shoulder blade tucked down toward the middle of your back.
3. Hold for __________ seconds.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Strengthening Exercises

These exercises build strength and endurance in your shoulder. Endurance is the ability to use your muscles for a long time, even after they get tired.

Exercise G: External Rotation

1. Sit in a stable chair without armrests.
2. Secure an exercise band at elbow height on your left / right side.
3. Place a soft object, such as a folded towel or a small pillow, between your left / right upper arm and your body to move your elbow a few inches away (about 10 cm) from your side.
4. Hold the end of the band so it is tight and there is no slack.
5. Keeping your elbow pressed against the soft object, move your left / right forearm out, away from your abdomen. Keep your body steady so only your forearm moves.
6. Hold for __________ seconds.
7. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise H: Shoulder Abduction

1. Sit in a stable chair without armrests, or stand.
2. Hold a __________ weight in your left / right hand, or hold an exercise band with both hands.
3. Start with your arms straight down and your left / right palm facing in, toward your body.
4. Slowly lift your left / right hand out to your side. Do not lift your hand above shoulder height unless your health care provider tells you that this is safe.
   1. Keep your arms straight.
   1. Avoid shrugging your shoulder while you do this movement. Keep your shoulder blade tucked down toward the middle of your back.
5. Hold for __________ seconds.
6. Slowly lower your arm, and return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise I: Shoulder Extension

1. Sit in a stable chair without armrests, or stand.
2. Secure an exercise band to a stable object in front of you where it is at shoulder height.
3. Hold one end of the exercise band in each hand. Your palms should face each other.
4. Straighten your elbows and lift your hands up to shoulder height.
5. Step back, away from the secured end of the exercise band, until the band is tight and there is no slack.
6. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your hands down to the sides of your thighs. Stop when your hands are straight down by your sides. Do not let your hands go behind your body.
7. Hold for __________ seconds.
8. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise J: Standing Shoulder Row

1. Sit in a stable chair without armrests, or stand.
2. Secure an exercise band to a stable object in front of you so it is at waist height.
3. Hold one end of the exercise band in each hand. Your palms should be in a thumbs-up position.
4. Bend each of your elbows to an “L” shape (about 90 degrees) and keep your upper arms at your sides.
5. Step back until the band is tight and there is no slack.
6. Slowly pull your elbows back behind you.
7. Hold for __________ seconds.
8. Slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise K: Shoulder Press-Ups

1. Sit in a stable chair that has armrests. Sit upright, with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Put your hands on the armrests so your elbows are bent and your fingers are pointing forward. Your hands should be about even with the sides of your body.
3. Push down on the armrests and use your arms to lift yourself off of the chair. Straighten your elbows and lift yourself up as much as you comfortably can.
   1. Move your shoulder blades down, and avoid letting your shoulders move up toward your ears.
   1. Keep your feet on the ground. As you get stronger, your feet should support less of your body weight as you lift yourself up.
4. Hold for __________ seconds.
5. Slowly lower yourself back into the chair.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise L: Wall Push-Ups

1. Stand so you are facing a stable wall. Your feet should be about one arm-length away from the wall.
2. Lean forward and place your palms on the wall at shoulder height.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor as you bend your elbows and lean forward toward the wall.
4. Hold for __________ seconds.
5. Straighten your elbows to push yourself back to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.