7 Shoulder Stretches You Can Do Anywhere

Do this simple stretch when you need a break from your computer screen.

• Sit in a chair and interlace your fingers into a soft fist.
• Stretch your fist above your head, following it with your eyes.
• Flip your palms to the sky, keeping your fingers together and lengthening your arms even more.
• Take 2 to 3 breaths in this position.
• On your next exhale, bring your interlaced hands behind your head.
• Inhale and lengthen your arms up again. Take 2 to 3 more breaths in this position.
• Inhale as you separate your fingers and straighten your arms overhead.
• Lower your hands and exhale.

Originally in 8 Yoga Poses You Can Do in Your Desk Chair

This upper-body stretch targets your shoulders, sides, neck, and chest.

• Sit with your legs together and feet flat on the floor.
• Clasp hands in front of you, interlacing your fingers.
• Turn your palms outward and raise them over your head.
• Bend slowly to the left and hold for two breaths before repeating on the right side.
• Continue alternating for one minute.

Originally in 8 Yoga Poses You Can Do in Your Desk Chair

Nothing relaxes you faster than a calming upper-body stretch, which many yoga studios routinely practice.

• Go into normal child's pose with your chest on top of your quads.
• Thread your left arm underneath your body, extend your right arm, and rest your head on the ground.
• Hold for at least 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Originally in Relaxing Stretching Exercises

Most of us take for granted how much weight our neck and shoulders have to hold all day. This yoga pose can help.

• Sit up straight at the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Reach your left arm behind your back, then grab your left wrist with your right hand and lightly pull to the right side.
• While holding your wrist, slowly rotate your neck from the right side to back and up and finally to forward and down.
• Press your shoulder away from your ear to deepen the stretch.
• Repeat for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides.

Originally in 8 Yoga Poses You Can Do in Your Desk Chair

Stretch your shoulders while sculpting your abs? Sign us up.

• With a weight in your left hand, place your right hand on the side of your head, creating a triangle shape.
• Keeping your left hand parallel to your body, bend at the hip on the left side.
• Extend your left arm toward the sky as you bend your torso towards the right.
• Do 30 reps on each side.

Originally in Fast Belly Blast

This floor move isolates your upper body and relieves tension in just a few minutes.

• Lie facedown with your palms near your chest on the floor.
• Lift your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor toward the ceiling, pulling your shoulder blades down and together.
• Hold for 2 counts and lower.
• Repeat this 8 to 10 times.

Originally in Our Top 10 Abs Exercises

With a name like "shoulder soother," this stretch is guaranteed to unknot even the tightest shoulder blades.

• Stand with feet together, knees bent 45 degrees, and hands on hips.
• Lunge back with right leg as you swing right arm forward and then overhead and behind you in a windmill motion.
• Return to start. Switch sides and repeat to complete 1 rep. Do 8 reps.

Originally in The Relaxing Yoga and Dance Workout